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Tourist jailed over nude stunt at Bali temple

<p>A German tourist could face time in jail after stripping naked and crashing a sacred dance performance at a temple in Bali. </p> <p>The backpacker, identified by police as 28-year-old Darja Tuschinski, casually strolled up to the stage with no clothes on while the dancers remained professional and calm. </p> <p>In the now-viral clip filmed earlier this week, the backpacker was filmed climbing the stairs and attempting to open a door into the temple, as a local man attempted to stop her. </p> <p>After barging the door open, she was then filmed then walking down and kneeling in front of the stage, where she appeared to pray in front of horrified onlookers. </p> <p>“The female foreigner went naked on the stage of Saraswati Ubud Temple owned by Tjokorda Ngurah Suyadnya AKA Cok Wah,” Bali Police spokesman Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto told local media outlet <em><a title="coconuts.co" href="https://coconuts.co/bali/news/naked-german-woman-crashes-balinese-dance-show-at-ubud-temple/">Coconuts Bali</a></em>.</p> <p>The bizarre stunt sparked backlash online, with one local writing, “Why weren’t you immediately given clothes and secured first? There was someone who was performing the Balinese dance … We don’t need crazy caucasians, do we?”</p> <p>Another wrote, “Sad to see the behaviour of this one person.” </p> <p>A third pointed out the cultural clash, writing, “Caucasians who go to Asia usually feel the most spiritual freedom (and) enlightenment … But (their) life and mindset are not in accordance with traditional Asian spiritual and spiritual values, especially in Bali.”</p> <p>Local council chief Wayan Widana told another local media outlet, <em><a title="radarbali.jawapos.com" href="https://radarbali.jawapos.com/pariwisata/24/05/2023/dewa-ratu-viral-wanita-jerman-bugil-di-pentas-tari-polda-bali-telisik-begini-kata-camat-ubud/">Radar Bali</a></em>, that Tuschinski was known to suffer mental health issues and had been “brought to the Bangli Mental Institution.”</p> <p>In recent months, Indonesian officials have expressed their frustrations with unruly tourists.</p> <p>Ravindra Singh Shekhawat, who is the general manager for Bali operations at Melbourne-based tour company Intrepid Travel, told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/crazy-caucasians-bali-community-slams-german-tourists-naked-act/news-story/035939942bb25f7e127ee419131031fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>news.com.au</em></a> earlier this year, “Recently there has been an increase in tourists not following the local laws and respecting local culture and traditions, including instances of tourists getting into heated arguments with local police for not wearing helmets or breaking traffic laws.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“One of a kind”: Beloved Laverne & Shirley star passes away

<p>Actress Cindy Williams, best known for her role as Shirley on the popular sitcom <em>Laverne &amp; Shirley</em>, opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne - has died. </p> <p>Cindy’s children, Zak and Emily Hudson, confirmed the news in a statement through their family’s spokeswoman, Liza Cranis, on Monday. Cindy passed away in Los Angeles after a brief illness. </p> <p>“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," Zak and Emily said. </p> <p>“Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humour and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."</p> <p>Michael McKean, the sole surviving main cast star of <em>Laverne &amp; Shirley</em>, paid tribute to his former co-star in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, telling them that she “was so talented and so game.” </p> <p>“When she and Penny were cooking,” he went on, “there’s no one who could touch them. She was a truly kind woman with a big heart and I’m very sad she’s gone.” </p> <p>McKean, who played Lenny Kosnowski on the hit show, also took to Twitter to reflect on his time with Cindy, offering everyone some insight into what she was like behind-the-scenes. </p> <p>“Amen,” he concluded, “thank you, Cindy.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Backstage, Season 1: I'm offstage waiting for a cue. The script's been a tough one, so we're giving it 110% and the audience is having a great time. Cindy scoots by me to make her entrance and with a glorious grin, says: "Show's cookin'!". Amen. Thank you, Cindy.</p> <p>— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJMcKean/status/1620242425049681920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Cindy was also known for her work in George Lucas’ 1973 comedy drama <em>American Graffiti</em>, and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 mystery thriller<em> The Conversation</em>. But it was her time spent as Shirley Feeney in the<em> Happy Days</em> spinoff <em>Laverne &amp; Shirley </em>that shot her to stardom. </p> <p>The show, which in its prime was nominated for Emmy Awards and Golden Globes, ran from 1976-1983. Cindy played the straight-laced Shirley Feeney opposite Penny Marshall's more libertine Laverne Defazio on both <em>Happy Days</em> and <em>Laverne &amp; Shirley</em>. Their characters were roommates working at a bottling factory in Milwaukee during the 50s and 60s. </p> <p>Penny Marshall passed away in 2018. Her brother, Garry Marshall, was a co-creator for the series. He died in 2016. </p> <p>The show was beloved for its opening theme almost as much as its content, with Williams’ and Penny’s “schlemiel, schlimazel” chant set to become something of a cultural phenomenon. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sad to hear the passing of Cindy Williams. </p> <p>If there is an afterlife, may you and Penny be pouring a Shotz beer and Milk and Pepsi with Garry, David, Eddie and Phil. <a href="https://t.co/MYERLOgZsG">pic.twitter.com/MYERLOgZsG</a></p> <p>— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) <a href="https://twitter.com/DannyDeraney/status/1620211117929934849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>It was this theme that American actress Rosario Dawson referenced in her tribute to Williams, responding to a clip from the show when she wrote, “singing this song with so much gratitude for both of you ladies. Absolute gems. United again.”</p> <p>American filmmaker Nancy Meyers took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late actress, speaking of Cindy’s contribution to <em>Father of the Bride</em>, and her enduring impact, “so sad to hear about Cindy Williams. What few people know is that it was Cindy’s idea to remake <em>Father of the Bride</em> … She changed the course of my life and many others with that idea. And she never took credit for being responsible for that. Pretty unusual in Tinseltown.”</p> <p>“It can all be accomplished, but you have to always stay yourself,” Cindy once said of her career in an interview with TVParty, “you have to keep your sense of humour. If you get knocked down, you have to get right back up and just keep going.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Remembering Shirley Barrett: an offbeat and generous Australian director and writer

<h3 class="legacy">Remembering Shirley Barrett: an offbeat and generous Australian director and writer</h3> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsten-stevens-543619">Kirsten Stevens</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>Australia, and the world, has lost a unique voice with the passing last week of acclaimed director and writer Shirley Barrett.</p> <p>Barrett gained international fame in 1996 when she won the Caméra d’Or – Cannes Film Festival’s award for best first feature – for Love Serenade. Following growing global attention, by 1997 the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/27/movies/a-pragmatic-australian-with-an-offbeat-take-on-the-world.html">New York Times</a> would celebrate her as “a pragmatic Australian with an offbeat take on the world.”</p> <p>Barrett’s offbeat take infused her <a href="https://shirleybarrett.com/">work</a>, including two more films – Walk the Talk (2000) and South Solitary (2010) – recognisable television dramas such as Love My Way, Offspring and A Place to Call Home, and novels Rush Oh! and The Bus on Thursday.</p> <p>Barrett passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Sydney at age 60, following a battle with metastatic breast cancer.</p> <p>A <a href="https://twitter.com/EmsyNorris/status/1555089599927820290">social media post</a> from Barrett’s daughter Emmeline Norris confirmed the passing of her mother on Wednesday morning.</p> <p>In the post, Norris marked the loss of</p> <blockquote> <p>not only a brilliant filmmaker and writer, but more importantly a loving mother to me and my sister, the lifelong soulmate of our dad, and the best friend one could ask for.“</p> </blockquote> <h2>Exploring desire in wayward places</h2> <p>Barrett’s films presented a unique perspective on love, desire, and the workings of life at the margins – both social and geographic – of Australian society.</p> <p>Between 1996 and 2010 Barrett wrote and directed three films, an accomplishment in the Australian industry where second features can be <a href="https://if.com.au/australia-lags-the-rest-of-the-world-in-second-time-feature-directors/">difficult to make</a> (especially for women).</p> <p>From the isolated tedium of geographically remote settings of Love Serenade and South Solitary, and the more seedy fringes of fame on the RSL circuits of the Gold Coast in Walk the Talk, these films were marked by the power of their locations to shape the stories and desires of their characters.</p> <p>Love Serenade, selected for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/18/movies/un-certain-regard.html">Un Certain Regard</a> – the Cannes Film Festival’s program for exploring new cinematic horizons – highlights Barrett’s unique perspective on storytelling.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rk92ymOMlyc?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Celebrated for one of the most <a href="https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2009/key-moments-in-australian-cinema-issue-70-march-2014/take-it-all-off-baby-take-it-all-off-the-australian-kamasutra-love-serenade-shirley-barrett-1996/">un-erotic stripteases</a> in cinema history, Love Serenade subtly subverted the conventions of the romantic comedy genre. The film follows sisters Vicki-Ann and Dimity Hurley, played by Rebecca Frith and Miranda Otto respectively, through their misguided seductions, and later disposal, of new-in-town Brisbane radio DJ Ken Sherry.</p> <p>Far from indulging the expected love triangle and romantic tensions, the film instead focuses on the oppressiveness of the film’s setting: the middle-of-nowhere town of Sunray.</p> <p>In this place, the sister’s desiring of Ken stands in for a wider set of longings; a "yearning for something else”, as <a href="https://archive.org/details/issuu_libuow_cinemapaper1996junno110/page/n17/mode/1up">Barrett described it</a>.</p> <p>Barrett would return to the themes of female desire and the power of (social) geography to shape it in her third feature, South Solitary, released in 2010. Again starring Otto, this time as the spinster niece of a lighthouse operator, South Solitary examined the lives of the tiny communities that tend the lighthouse islands in the Tasman Sea.</p> <p>Diving into the archives to research the film, Barrett noted the appeal of this isolated setting where humans were forced to rely on unruly animals and even more unruly neighbours to survive.</p> <p>As <a href="https://www.academia.edu/19024415/On_Animals_Archives_and_Embroidery_An_Interview_with_Shirley_Barrett">Barrett explained</a>,</p> <blockquote> <p>there are fascinating accounts of tension that would quickly develop between people, in this setting, with nothing else to alleviate them. Things would often go badly awry.</p> </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QXoxIx2Br2I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>South Solitary was more than simply a story about an isolated community, it was a film made by and for women. With a creative team mainly composed of women, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/19024415/On_Animals_Archives_and_Embroidery_An_Interview_with_Shirley_Barrett">Barrett would joke</a> it was “a film written for middle-aged women, by middle aged-women.”</p> <p>Even today, such a description is <a href="https://seejane.org/wp-content/uploads/frail-frumpy-and-forgotten-report.pdf">considered a risky</a> proposition for a film’s success.</p> <h2>From the screen to the page</h2> <p>In 2014 Barrett released her first novel, Rush Oh!, with a backdrop telling the true story of a symbiotic relationship between a whaling town on the NSW south coast and a pod of killer whales, which aided the whalers’ work.</p> <p>The story of Eden had begun life as a film script, developed through the years that Barrett worked on seeing South Solitary to the big screen. After <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/books-how-shirley-barrett-dumped-her-film-career-and-turned-to-writing-fiction-20150910-gjj8ow.html">languishing</a> as an unrealised project for several years, Barrett transformed the story into a book.</p> <p>Following Rush Oh! Barrett would continue to write work for beyond the screen, releasing The Bus on Thursday in 2018 and drafting another manuscript over recent years.</p> <p>Earlier this year Barrett wrote two articles for The Guardian about her experience with cancer and her terminal diagnosis.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/06/notes-on-dying-it-occurred-to-me-that-this-is-my-last-lychee-season">By March</a>, Barrett observed the strangeness of the passing of her last lychee season and the task of planning her funeral. She wrote, “it gets to a point where you just can’t do it any more, and I am at that point now. I just want to fade quietly into oblivion.”</p> <h2>A source of inspiration</h2> <p>In 2018 I was lucky enough to meet Shirley Barrett, when we screened Love Serenade as the opening night film of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival.</p> <p>Barrett, alongside the film’s producer Jan Chapman and editor Denise Haratzis, introduced their film and spoke with audience members at the after-film party.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=402&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=402&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=402&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=505&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=505&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477966/original/file-20220807-71528-380qrc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=505&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Shirley Barrett (centre) with Jan Chapman and Denise Haratzis at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2018.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Although brief, this meeting had an impact on myself as well as many emerging filmmakers in the room. Barrett’s generosity of time and spirit were incredible gifts. Her passing has resulted in an outpouring of memories and grief from the people she encountered.</p> <p>Barrett’s films and novels leave a legacy that lies in her unique perspective and engaging storytelling, and in her generosity as an artist to encourage and inspire.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/188292/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsten-stevens-543619">Kirsten Stevens</a>, Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation.</a> Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/remembering-shirley-barrett-an-offbeat-and-generous-australian-director-and-writer-188292">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Covid memorial temple leaves visitors “overwhelmed”

<p dir="ltr">A huge Wickerman-style Covid memorial temple that has been erected in the UK town of Bedworth and is due to be set alight on May 28 has been covered in messages to loved ones lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-61572832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">David Best, the designer of the 20-metre-high wooden structure dubbed “<em><a href="https://sanctuary-event.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sanctuary</a></em>”, said he wanted people to “bring some of the worst things you have in your life and we’ll burn them”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a78f1681-7fff-5ff6-9eb6-9c5459f88ea2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Messages included: “We miss you mum”, and “To all my friends and family I love you so much”, while others thanked the National Health Service (NHS) for helping people in their “darkest moments”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/124903965_notes.jpg" alt="" width="976" height="579" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: BBC</em></p> <p dir="ltr">When local residents Maureen and Ann went to visit Sanctuary, a tearful Ann left a message of her own and said it was “very emotional” and “didn’t think it would affect me like that”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just think it’s wonderful. I have never seen anything quite like it, it’s quite overwhelming,” Maureen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Helen Marriage, the director of Artichoke Trust, which created the memorial, described it as a “rising temple of grief and loss that people have experienced over the last two years”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd6QN1lrMW5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd6QN1lrMW5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jon Gisby (@jongisby)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She added that the ceremonial burning would be an opportunity for everything to be let go, where “all that pain and grief is just up in the sky”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Best, who is well-known for his large scale wooden structures at the US Burning Man festival, collaborated with members of the local North Warwickshire community to create Sanctuary.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-26b64a02-7fff-8ad6-a06d-957ed06f48b3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @artichoketrust (Instagram) </em></p>

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Priceless find in Egyptian temple

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a historical set of artifacts at the Temple of Pharaohs of great cultural significance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The temple, an ancient structure </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">about 95 kilometres east of Alexandria, was used to perform religious ceremonies approximately 2,700 years ago. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The artifacts found were reportedly used in such ceremonies, and will help give researchers more insight into the complicated history of the temple. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The find was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and was hailed as an “important discovery”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, shared a statement about the discovery and how it will be important for the whole country. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among the objects found were pieces of ivory carved to resemble women carrying objects; statues of Taweret, the goddess of motherhood known as the “Great One”; incense burners crafted from faience, a kind of glazed ceramic; a piece of gold sculpted to resemble the eye of Wadjet, the goddess of Lower Egypt; and a maternity chair. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe the artifacts were involved in ceremonies honouring Hathor, the goddess of fertility. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Experts have been led to believe that the objects may have been stashed away beneath a stack of heavy stone blocks as the Persian Empire began its conquest of Egypt. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This conquest ultimately led to the collapse of the 26th Dynasty, the last native Egyptian dynasty to rule.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some objects are inscribed with the name of Psamtik I, who ruled as king of Egypt from 664 B.C.E. to 610 B.C.E, during the 26th Dynasty, as well as those of the kings Wahibre Ibiau, who ruled ca. 1670 B.C.E., during the 13th Dynasty, and Ahmose II, who died in 526 B.C.E. and is considered the last great king of the 26th Dynasty.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As well as the fertility artifacts, archeologists found a well that once contained holy water and was considered a sacred site. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities </span></em></p>

Art

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Rebecca Gibney’s emotional update on her sick mum Shirley

<p>Television actor Rebecca Gibney has shared an emotional update on her sick mum Shirley, who has been in hospital because of a heart problem.</p> <p>The <em>Packed to the Rafters</em> star revealed that after a scary few weeks, her mum is recovering from surgery and will be leaving the hospital soon.</p> <p>In a post on her Instagram account, Rebecca wrote: “Oh and thank you for the well wishes for Shirl. She’s going home TODAY! Yippee!”</p> <p>Rebecca has shared several posts about her mum’s recent health battle, asking for well-wishes and love to be sent to Shirley during this time.  </p> <p>Last week, the Gold Logie winner posted a photo with her mum and wrote: “This is my beautiful mum Shirley who is heading back to hospital this afternoon because her heart is in need of attention.”</p> <p>“Shirl gives so much of herself always and now I’d be really grateful if just for a moment you look at her beautiful face and send some of your love back to her. I truly believe she’ll feel it. Thanks.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm0IuFSg_Lb/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></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/Bm0IuFSg_Lb/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a> on Aug 23, 2018 at 1:25am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The next day, the actor thanked fans on behalf of her mum for all the encouraging message that were sent to her.</p> <p>“Shirley wanted me to update you all. She has been totally blown away by the love from around the world,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Seriously has meant SO much and has really boosted her spirits. She’ll be in hospital for a few weeks but is in the best possible hands being totally looked after. Thank you so much from us both. It has meant the world knowing there are so many kind hearted souls out there. We’ve read every comment… Bless you all.”</p> <p>Earlier this week, Rebecca explained that her mum had a procedure where the doctors restarted “her heart to make it work better”.</p> <p>Rebecca first hinted of her mum’s health battle earlier this year in May, when she asked loved ones and fans to pray for her mum who was in a Brisbane hospital having tests, after not feeling well.</p> <p>On Mother’s Day earlier this year, Rebecca shared a tribute to her mother saying, “Beautiful Shirley my mum who taught me that it’s always better to be kind than right, that compassion is our best quality and that love will always overcome. We are so blessed by you.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bic52vTAJTf/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></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/Bic52vTAJTf/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a> on May 6, 2018 at 2:47pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The actress has previously spoken out about how her mother suffered from domestic violence from Rebecca’s dad.</p> <p> “Home was safe because mum made it safe," she previously said.</p> <p>"She would shut the doors when she knew dad was coming home. And she would always come in after he'd beaten her and make sure we were OK."</p> <p>Rebecca is now an active campaigner against domestic violence as a patron of women's charity, Share the Dignity.</p>

Caring

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5 best James Bond theme songs

<p>There are few cultural icons as beloved as James Bond and the incredible cinematic adventures he’s had over the last 54 years, and as legendary as the actors who played 007 are, the theme songs behind the wildly popular films are just as memorable. Whether you’re a fan of Shirley Bassey’s classics or more recent Bond hits, you’ll love counting down these iconic songs with us.</p> <p><strong>5. “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran</strong></p> <p>This hit song, recorded for the 1985 film of the same name starring Roger Moore as Bond, was the only 007 theme to reach number one in the US. Written and performed by Duran Duran, the very-1980s tune succeeded in working around the somewhat nonsensical title, actually making it work. The English new-wave band reportedly only got the job after their bassist drunkenly asked a Bond producer, “When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?”</p> <p><strong>4. “Skyfall” by Adele</strong></p> <p>One of the most recent 007 themes, Adele’s “Skyfall” is the perfect modern take on the grandeur and drama of Bassey’s classics. It climbed to the top of the iTunes chart when it was released in 2012 and was the only Bond theme to win an Oscar, Golden Globe and a Brit Award. If you listen back to the song closely, you’ll notice its lyrics offer a glimpse at what’s to come later in the film: “Skyfall is where we start…”</p> <p><strong>3. “Nobody Does It Better” by Carly Simon</strong></p> <p>From the 1977 film <em>The Spy Who Loved Me</em> starring Roger Moore, Simon’s hit song earnt her nominations for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Laden with sexual overtones, “Nobody Does It Better” is one of the smuttier 007 themes, but we love it all the same. In recent years, it’s appeared in films like <em>Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith</em>,<em> Lost in Translation</em> and <em>Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason</em> and has been covered by such artists as Julie Andrews, Celine Dion and Radiohead.</p> <p><strong>2. “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney &amp; Wings</strong></p> <p>Written by Paul and Linda McCartney and produced by the iconic George Martin, “Live and Let Die” is often cited as McCartney’s greatest non-Beatles work. Recorded for the Roger Moore film of the same name, the song peaked in the top 10 in Australia, the UK, the US and Canada, and returned to the charts once more in 1991 when it was covered by Guns N’ Roses. Rolling Stone calls it, “one of those rare tunes that's worth the price of admission all by itself.”</p> <p><strong>1. “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey</strong></p> <p>Could there be any other theme song in the top spot? Bassey is the undeniable voice of the Bond film series, and as much as we love “Diamonds are Forever”, “Goldfinger” is simply iconic. Released more than 50 years ago, we think it’s just as wonderful as ever. In 2013 at the age of 76, Bassey asserted herself once more as the queen of 007 theme songs with a stunning performance at the Oscars. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eszhV1M3Dk8#t=3m12s" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Click here</span></strong></a> to watch it, she’s utterly incredible.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/09/actors-who-could-be-the-next-bond/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 actors who could be the next James Bond</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/07/7-best-james-bond-cars/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>7 best James Bond cars</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2015/11/sean-connery-is-the-best-james-bond/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 reasons why Sean Connery is our favourite Bond</strong></em></span></a></p>

Music

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I was deaf for most of my life

<p><strong><em>Shirley Ackehurst, 74, became deaf as a young girl then returned to the world of sound after having a cochlear implant at the age of 44. She rejoices in being able to hear her family again and one of her favourite sounds, rain drumming on the roof.</em></strong></p> <p>As I walk in my garden I can hear the quiet clucking of the yellow-tailed black cockatoos as they feed on the hakea nuts. I remember a time when I couldn't hear them at all or any other sound. I had lived in a silent and isolated world after losing half of my hearing when I had the mumps at 11 years of age and the rest had slowly dwindled away until at the age of 36, I was profoundly deaf in both ears. Even with a hearing aid I could no longer hear the voices of my husband and children and our social life became very limited. This illness was to change my life forever.</p> <p>I had once been a happy and confident child growing up on a wheat and sheep farm near Elmore, in central Victoria. I loved the sounds on our farm but most of all I loved to hear the rain drumming on our iron roof at night while feeling safe and cosy tucked up in bed. However, deafness sapped my confidence and I became a shy and lonely teenager, struggling to keep up with my friends in social situations and keeping up at school only by lip reading. For as long as I could remember I wanted to be a nurse when I left school and was devastated when told I was too deaf to cope with nursing and the wonderful Nursing Bursary I had won was cancelled. I felt I lived in my own isolated world apart from everyone else and this made me very miserable and depressed.</p> <p>After Graham and I married we lived in Geelong where two of our daughters were born then later on we moved to Adelaide where our third daughter was born. As a very deaf mum my life was difficult and I was exhausted by evening from the energy required to lip read constantly and having to check on the children all the time because I couldn't hear them.</p> <p>Then at the age of 44 a miracle happened, I had a cochlear implant in my right ear. It is almost impossible to describe my great joy in being able to hear my husband and children again and later on, my adorable grandchildren. And once again I could hear my favourite sound, the rain drumming on the roof.</p> <p>My cochlear implant has given me back my life, it has given me self-confidence and self-worth, it has returned me to the hearing world and it has given me once again, the ease of communication, especially with my loved ones. I know I am very fortunate and I feel a deep sense of gratitude every day for this wonderful invention.</p> <p>It saddens me that many older people do not realise they may be eligible for a cochlear implant, thinking that it is only available for small children. I have friends who were in their 80's when they received their implants and it has made such a difference to their lives. I have heard them say, “Oh! I wish I'd had this implant years ago!”</p> <p>Sometimes hearing impairment can creep up on us so slowly we don't realise how many sounds we cannot hear any more. We struggle to understand when using the phone or in noisy situations and at family gatherings and frequently need to ask others to repeat themselves. We strain to hear in social situations and come home tired out and lacking in confidence and we feel isolated and sometimes embarrassed.  Often our loved ones plead with us to have our hearing checked because a hearing loss impacts on all the family too.</p> <p>In recent years the cochlear implant and hearing aids have improved immensely so help is out there, we just need to take the first step and have a hearing check. Above all, we need to protect our hearing at all times by using hearing protection when operating noisy machinery and avoiding prolonged loud noise.</p> <p>Cherish your hearing, it is so very precious.</p> <p><em><strong>If you have a story to share please get in touch at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="mailto:melody@oversixty.com.au" target="_blank">melody@oversixty.com.au</a></span>.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/06/understanding-long-term-hearing-damage/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Understanding long-term hearing damage</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/05/different-kinds-of-hearing-aids/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The different kinds of hearing aids explained</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/04/importance-of-hearing-tests/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Study highlights importance of hearing tests</span></em></strong></a></p>

Hearing

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Where are they now: The Partridge Family

<p><span>They were the singing family that took the world by storm in the 1970s, and although it was cancelled after four seasons in 1974, <em>The Partridge Family</em>’s musical legacy lives on. Let’s take a look back at the show’s stars and find out what they did next. Take a look at how much they’ve changed in the gallery above, the photos correspond to the list below.</span></p> <p><strong>Shirley Jones (Shirley Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>Eighty-two-year-old Jones was already an established film star before she took on the role of the Partridge family matriarch but mostly stuck to television after the show ended. She had her own short-lived comedy-drama called Shirley and appeared in episodes of <em>The Love Boat</em>, <em>Murder, She Wrote,</em> <em>Melrose Place</em> and more. She has ten grandchildren.</span></p> <p><strong>David Cassidy (Keith Douglas Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>Cassidy became a teenage heartthrob thanks to his portrayal of the eldest child in the Partridge family. After the show was cancelled, the now-66-year-old mostly focussed on music, returning to TV several times throughout the years on shows such as <em>CSI</em> and <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em>. He has since committed several drunk driving offences and filed for bankruptcy last year.</span></p> <p><strong>Susan Dey (Laurie Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>Dey, now 63, played the eldest daughter in the Partridge family. After the show, she appeared in several TV movies before finding fame once more on the drama series <em>L.A. Law</em>, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She had one daughter with late husband Leonard Hirshan before remarrying TV producer Bernard Sofronski in 1988.</span></p> <p><strong>Danny Bonaduce (Danny Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>After several movie and TV appearances post-<em>The Partridge Family</em>, 56-year-old Bonaduce turned to radio, becoming a hit presenter on several stations around the US and also dabbling in wrestling and boxing. He was arrested back in 1990 after trying to buy cocaine at an anti-drug even he was hosting. Today he splits his time between Los Angeles and Seattle with wife Amy Railsback.</span></p> <p><strong>Brian Forster (Chris Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>Fifty-six-year-old Forster took over the role of Chris after the original actor, Jeremy Gelbwaks, moved away from Los Angeles after the first season. Forster, who is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, became a racecar driver after <em>The Partridge Family</em>. He reprised the role of Chris in 2008 in the online sitcom Break a Leg.</span></p> <p><strong>Suzanne Crough Condray (Tracy Partridge)</strong></p> <p><span>Condray, who played the youngest member of the Partridge family, made a few more television appearances before retiring from the entertainment industry in 1980. She went to college and ran her own book store until 1993. She married William Condray and the couple had two daughters before sadly passing away last year at the age of 52 from a rare heart condition.</span></p> <p><strong>Dave Madden (Reuben Kincaid)</strong></p> <p><span>After <em>The Partridge Family</em>, Madden, who played the family’s band manager, appeared on shows such as <em>Bewitched</em>, <em>Happy Days</em> and <em>The Love Boat</em>. After divorcing from first wife Nena Arnold (with whom he had a son and adopted a daughter) in 1985, Madden married his old college sweetheart in 1998. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 82.</span></p> <p><span>What was your favourite show from the ‘70s? Tell us about it in the comment section below.</span></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/06/the-waltons-where-are-they-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Waltons: where are they today?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/05/happy-days-cast-where-are-they-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Where are they now: cast of Happy Days</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/04/where-are-the-cast-of-mash-now/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>MASH: Where are they now?</strong></em></span></a></p>

TV

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After years of deafness, 74-year-old Shirley Ackehurst celebrates 30th hearing anniversary

<p>Shirley Ackehurst is 74. A mother and grandmother who loves working in her garden. She's also a medical pioneer whose story is one of perseverance, loss, heartbreak and triumph that she relays with such poignancy, humour and courage it is impossible not to be moved and inspired by her.</p> <p>Thirty years ago, on 15 April 1986, Shirley (then 44) became South Australia’s first Cochlear implant recipient. She was very much a pioneer, at a time when Professor Graeme Clark’s invention was still a bit of a mystery.</p> <p>But her story began three decades earlier, in 1956, when she contracted mumps at the age of 11. Shirley didn't know it immediately, but her world had changed forever. "I didn't realise I had lost my hearing at first," she recalls. "When I went back to school, everyone seemed to be mumbling and I couldn't understand them. I thought something had happened to everyone else. Not for one minute did I think something had happened to me."</p> <p>It was the adaptability of childhood that allowed her deafness to remain undetected for several years. "Although I didn't realise it, I started to lip read straight away and really no-one noticed that I couldn't hear very well," Shirley says. "I still passed my tests and kept up with my school work."</p> <p>As a country kid from Corop West in Victoria, Shirley attended a boarding school for two years. It was when she returned home that her parents began to notice that she didn't answer them if she wasn't looking at them. "They decided to take me to a hearing specialist and I believe we were all shocked when he told us I was very deaf and I had only been coping by lip reading," she recalls.</p> <p>Then came the blow. For as long as Shirley could remember she had wanted to be a nurse. "I was due to have a medical exam after I won a Nursing Bursary. When the doctor tested my hearing, of course he found out how deaf I was and my treasured bursary was cancelled. I was shattered."</p> <p>Shirley was now very shy, self-conscious and began to feel isolated, lonely and miserable. "Social outings were fraught because I couldn't lip read in poor light in the evening," she says. "I started to hide my deafness and pretended I could hear, which led to all kinds of misunderstandings and even more embarrassment."</p> <p>Shirley received her first hearing aid at 15. "It was large and heavy, like a metal cigarette box," she recalls. "I wouldn't wear it, partly because it didn't help at all and partly because I felt too ashamed to wear it. After I was married I tried out a more modern aid and it still did not help me to hear much better. I eventually gave up on it as my hearing gradually got worse."</p> <p>Then came the 1980s and Shirley read about Professor Graeme Clark's early work with Cochlear Implants. "I was unable to hear my daughters' and husband's voices by now, so this information about the implant gave me hope." So when a cochlear implant clinic opened at Flinders Medical Centre in 1985, Shirley couldn't wait to get a referral to implant surgeon. "I saw Dr Beaumont in late 1985 and received my implant April 15, 1986."</p> <p>That first sound processor was a heavy metal container, a little larger than a packet of cigarettes that Shirley wore on a belt. A far cry from the small, light, unobtrusive Cochlear implants she wears behind her ear today. But it gave her the gift of sound.</p> <p>"It wasn't until I arrived home and I heard my footsteps on our polished wooden floors and that I felt very excited," she recalls. "The sound anchored me back into the hearing world. My hearing came in slowly and I remember on the third morning after switch-on I was buttering the toast for breakfast and I could hear the crackling sound that makes. Small everyday sounds filled me with so much excitement. The environmental sounds were the ones I loved most in those early days, rain on the roof, the birdcalls, the click of my little dog's toenails on the polished wooden floor."</p> <p>As South Australia's first Cochlear implant recipient, Shirley was asked to do a lot of public speaking about her experience. "I would run a mile from this before my implant," she says. "In fact, I'd never made a speech in my life before. I wrote a book, Broken Silence and I went on an author's tour of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney with numerous radio, newspaper and TV interviews including the Ray Martin Show. I volunteered for committees and helped to start up a support group, the Cochlear Implant Club and Advisory Association, South Australia. With my friend Rhonda Smith (another implant recipient), we spoke to people before their implants, visited them in hospital and supported them in the early weeks after their implant. I also helped to raise funds for Better Hearing Australia.”</p> <p>Shirley says her life would have been very different during the past 30 years if she did not have her Cochlear Implant. "I would have been isolated and lonely," she says. "I would have avoided social situations. I would have existed in my own silent world."</p> <p><img width="500" height="250" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/23917/shirley-and-grandson-02_500x250.jpg" alt="Shirley And Grandson 02"/></p> <p>She says the greatest gift her implant has given her is the ease of communication with family and friends as well as the sounds of nature. "One of my greatest joys is to have my breakfast outside every morning and listen to the birds," Shirley says. “It has given me the joy of hearing the birds, rain on the roof, wind in the trees and music. It has given me confidence and self-worth. It has anchored me back in the real world. It has made my life warm and happy.”</p> <p>But for Shirley the most beautiful sounds of all are those of her grandchildren's voices. "My youngest grandson, Harrison, who is three years old, inspects my processor every time I see him and tests it out by saying different words in my ear. He is quite fascinated with it."</p> <p><em>For more information on cochlear implants, visit the hearing experts <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/au/home" target="_blank">Cochlear</a>.</span></strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/05/quotes-about-hearing-for-first-time/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Quotes about hearing for first time</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/health/hearing/2016/05/man-proposes-to-girlfriend-with-cochlear-implants/">Man proposes to girlfriend with cochlear implants</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/05/take-the-first-steps-towards-better-hearing/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Take the first steps towards better hearing</strong></em></span></a></p>

Hearing

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Thailand's infamous tiger temple fights to keep big cats

<p>Thailand's controversial Tiger Temple, dogged for years by talk that it supplies the black market and mistreats its animals, is fighting to keep the big cats after wildlife authorities rejected a bid to extend a zoo license that expired in 2013.</p> <p>The Buddhist temple, home to more than 100 tigers, has been investigated for suspected links to wildlife trafficking and wildlife activists have accused it of illegal breeding of the animals</p> <p>Thai wildlife authorities have sent ten of the temple's tigers to a wildlife sanctuary.</p> <p>But the temple, which bills itself as a wildlife sanctuary, has denied links to illegal trafficking, and wants to hold on to its tigers.</p> <p>"This is their home. They are happy here," said Supitpong Pakdijarung, an official of the foundation that runs Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, as the temple is known in Thailand.</p> <p>"The government has to find a budget to take care of them," Supitpong, the body's deputy chairman, told Reuters. "Here, the money comes from donations. It is about giving and generosity."</p> <p>Supitpong denies accusations that tigers bred at the temple have been sold on the black market.</p> <p>But the allegations of mistreatment of tigers had dented Thailand's tourism image, said Teunchai Noochdumrong, director of the country's Wildlife Conservation Office.</p> <p>"The world is looking at us," he added. "The temple did not allow officials to enforce the law. The temple has affected Thai tourism."</p> <p>In the past, attempts by wildlife officials to inspect the tigers have been blocked by the temple and its abbots.</p> <p>Thailand has long been a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, as a place where everything from exotic birds to reptiles, and even bears, is for sale, driven by international demand for exotic meats and rare pets.</p> <p>Successive governments have launched campaigns to curb the trade in illegal wildlife, but with varying degrees of success.</p> <p>One visitor to the temple said the tigers should be left there, rather than being confiscated.</p> <p>"These animals are used to being around people," said Victoria Carpenter, an American tourist</p> <p><em>Image credit: KAMONRAT / Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>Written by Jutarat Skulpichetrat. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/03/three-tigers-born-at-columbus-zoo-and-aquarium/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Three Siberian tigers born at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium</em></strong></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/02/worlds-best-restaurant-locations/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>8 best restaurant locations in the world</em></strong></span></a></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/02/holiday-ideas-for-animal-lovers/"><em><strong>8 holiday ideas every animal lover needs to experience</strong></em></a></span></p>

International Travel

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Welcome to the Shirley Club, where you must be named Shirley to join

<p>What’s in a name? Well, a lot if you’re named Shirley. And if you’re at the Shirley Club.</p> <p>At the Shirley Club, everyone must bear the name Shirley. You even have to show your birth certificate as proof.</p> <p>“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a first name or second name,” said Shirley Brushaber, the club’s New South Wales co-ordinator in Australia. “We have a Mr and Mrs Shirley in Western Australia. “It can even be your middle name, just as long as it’s on your birth certificate.”</p> <p>Now entering its 16th year with over 200 members, the Shirley name is still thriving.</p> <p>“At one time we thought the name was starting to die out but we’re getting a lot of people now who have it as their second name in honour of their mothers and grandmothers. We’ve got a few younger ones whose membership is paid by their grandmas.”</p> <p>The idea for the exclusive Shirley Club started out in Australia's state of Western Australia from a woman named, you guessed it, Shirley Brown. The idea exploded in popularity and there’s a Shirley Club in every state and territory in Australia, as well as three here in New Zealand. In the US, there are almost 400 members.</p> <p>Members of the Shirley Club often meet every one or two months.</p> <p>“Our motto is fun, food and friendship, and we have lots of it,” Brushaber said.</p> <p>But what happens when all Shirley’s are in a room and you need to find someone? The members have already figured that out.</p> <p>“If someone calls across the room, they use your surname,” explained Brushaber. “And of course all the surnames are shortened so Robertson is Robbo, Brushaber is Brushy and so on.”</p> <p><em>To find out more about the Shirley Club, visit their <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.shirleyclub.com.au/clubs/clubs_d.htm" target="_blank">website here.</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/soulpancake-what-is-love-video/">People aged 0 to 100 define what is love</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/old-school-dating-expressions/">Old school dating expressions that have different meanings now</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/octogenarian-couple-get-married/">83-year-old couple prove it's never too late to tie the knot</a></em></strong></span></p>

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450-year-old church emerges from water as water levels drop

<p>Drought conditions in southern Mexico have caused water levels to fall so far that the remains of a 450-year-old, 16th-century church are now visible above the waterline.</p><p>The Temple of Santiago normally rests 100 feet below water, in the Nezahualcoyotl Reservoir that was created with the completion of a dam in 1966. But water levels have fallen so far (roughly 80 feet) in Chiapas that the church has now emerged from the depths of the river.</p><p>Adventures have jumped at the opportunity to explore the ancient ruins, with local fisherman reportedly taking tourists on tours of the church via their fishing boats.</p><p>Local Leonel Mendoza commented on the tourist interest: "The people celebrated. They came to eat, to hang out, to do business. I sold them fried fish. They did processions around the church."</p><p>The Temple of Santiago was originally build in the mid-16th century by a group of monks, but was abandoned due to a series of plagues from 1773 to 1776 and never quite reached the grandeur its creators had originally intended it to showcase. Architect Carlos Navarete elaborates: “It was a church built thinking that this could be a great population centre, but it never achieved that. It probably never even had a dedicated priest, only receiving visits from those from Tecpatan.”</p><p><em>Image Credit: Instagram / exploringchiapas</em></p><p><em>Image Credit: Instagram / jpsaenger29</em></p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/10/glass-walkway-shatters-china/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Glass walkway in China shatters</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/10/holiday-shopping-mistakes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Mistakes to avoid while shopping on holiday</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/09/best-places-in-world-for-weather/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 places in the world that have the best weather</strong></em></span></a></p>

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450-year-old church emerges from water as water levels drop

<p>Drought conditions in southern Mexico have caused water levels to fall so far that the remains of a 450-year-old, 16th-century church are now visible above the waterline.</p><p>The Temple of Santiago normally rests 100 feet below water, in the Nezahualcoyotl Reservoir that was created with the completion of a dam in 1966. But water levels have fallen so far (roughly 80 feet) in Chiapas that the church has now emerged from the depths of the river.</p><p>Adventures have jumped at the opportunity to explore the ancient ruins, with local fisherman reportedly taking tourists on tours of the church via their fishing boats.</p><p>Local Leonel Mendoza commented on the tourist interest: "The people celebrated. They came to eat, to hang out, to do business. I sold them fried fish. They did processions around the church."</p><p>The Temple of Santiago was originally build in the mid-16th century by a group of monks, but was abandoned due to a series of plagues from 1773 to 1776 and never quite reached the grandeur its creators had originally intended it to showcase. Architect Carlos Navarete elaborates: “It was a church built thinking that this could be a great population centre, but it never achieved that. It probably never even had a dedicated priest, only receiving visits from those from Tecpatan.”</p><p><em>Image Credit: Instagram / exploringchiapas</em></p><p><em>Image Credit: Instagram / jpsaenger29</em></p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/10/glass-walkway-shatters-china/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Glass walkway in China shatters</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/10/holiday-shopping-mistakes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Mistakes to avoid while shopping on holiday</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/travel/international-travel/2015/09/best-places-in-world-for-weather/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 places in the world that have the best weather</strong></em></span></a></p>

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