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Aussie billionaire's ambitious mission to recover family remains

Australia's richest man is undertaking an ambitious mission to bring the remains of a long-lost loved one home, to keep a promise he made to his father before he died. Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's uncle was one of many Australians who died during the conflict in Papua New Guinea in the 1940s. David Forrest was shot down piloting his RAAF Beaufort bomber into an attack on a Japanese-held airstrip at Gasmata in Papua New Guinea in 1943. The loss has haunted the family ever since, as David's remains were never found. "[We] got the letter, from the king in those days, saying that uncle David was missing and presumed killed in action," Twiggy told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/aussie-billionaire-andrew-twiggy-forrests-search-to-find-loved-ones-lost-in-world-war-ii/9c042a41-c3d1-4b73-af6e-af40c983b81b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a>. "Dad went through extreme emotions and grief and since that day he never cried for the rest of his life. "For the next 80 years he couldn't shed a tear it was just overwhelming for him." Twiggy's dad Donald had long said he wanted to hold his brother's dog tags before he died, but after passing away last year at the age 95, he was unable to fulfil his final wish. "Unfortunately we lost dad six months ago so I haven't fulfilled that, but it's really to put closure around something that really wrenched our family," he said. In order to bring closure to the family, Twiggy and his sister Janine have travelled to PNG onboard a purpose-built research vessel and joined by a crew of experts, including marine archeologists. The mission has been ongoing for many years with the blessing of the PNG government and the assistance of RAAF members, but has remained under wraps until now. In 2021, the family thought they had a breakthrough with their mission. "It was really emotional, very heart-wrenching as you went down into the depths thinking, 'Am I going to dive on uncle David's plane and be part of solving the mystery maybe of his remains maybe even his dog tags?' The serial number on David Forrest's Beaufort bomber was A9-188, but the bomber they'd found was A9-186. "I had to tell Dad I can confirm it was a Beaufort bomber, I can confirm it was Australians, but I have to confirm it wasn't your brother's. That was tough." While Twiggy admitted that the chances of finding his uncle's remains are slim, he said he owed it to his father to keep looking. "For my kids and myself, the standard I hold myself to is doing your absolute best," he said. "It's not whether or not you achieve it, it's did you do your best?" Image credits: A Current Affair

International Travel

Mission: Impossible Sydney mansion sells for eye-watering price

One of Sydney's most iconic properties, known as the Boomerang in Elizabeth Bay, has sold for $80 million. The mansion is featured in the second instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, with the 2000 movie starring Tom Cruise being set and filmed in Sydney. It was the first house to officially sell for above $1 million in 1978, before setting another record in 2002 when it fetched $20.7 million. Now, multiple sources have confirmed it has been snapped up by a purchaser, originally from Asia, for four times what it last sold for. The property has long been rated as one of Sydney’s Top 50 homes, and has been in the name of Katrina Fox, the daughter of Melbourne-based billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, since 2005. The impressive home was put up for sale by Ray White in 2017 with hopes of selling for $60 million and then again with Brad Pillinger of Pillinger for $80 million in 2021 — the last agent to have it listed. Pillinger couldn’t be contacted ahead of publication, but other sources have confirmed the property has sold for the $80m asking price, while speculation from other sources that the result was $105 million have been dismissed. Boomerang sits on 4233 square metres of waterfront land, and features 25 rooms including a private cinema modelled on the State Theatre. Image credits: realestate.com.au / Paramount Pictures

Real Estate

Almost half of Moon missions fail. Why is space still so hard?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gail-iles-761554">Gail Iles</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> In 2019, India attempted to land a spacecraft on the Moon – and ended up painting a kilometres-long streak of debris on its barren surface. Now the Indian Space Research Organisation has returned in triumph, with the Chandrayaan-3 lander <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-counts-down-crucial-moon-landing-2023-08-23/">successfully touching down</a> near the south pole of Earth’s rocky neighbour. India’s success came just days after a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02659-6">spectacular Russian failure</a>, when the Luna 25 mission tried to land nearby and “ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface”. These twin missions remind us that, close to 60 years after the first successful “soft landing” on the Moon, spaceflight is still difficult and dangerous. Moon missions in particular are still a coin flip, and we have seen several high-profile failures in recent years. Why were these missions unsuccessful and why did they fail? Is there a secret to the success of countries and agencies who have achieved a space mission triumph? <h2>An exclusive club</h2> The Moon is the only celestial location humans have visited (so far). It makes sense to go there first: it’s the closest planetary body to us, at a distance of around 400,000 kilometres. Yet only four countries have achieved successful “soft landings” – landings which the spacecraft survives – on the lunar surface. The USSR was the first. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_9">Luna 9</a> mission safely touched down on the Moon almost 60 years ago, in February 1966. The United States followed suit a few months later, in June 1966, with the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/1966-the-real-first-moon-landing-118785850/">Surveyor 1</a> mission. China was the next country to join the club, with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_3">Chang'e 3</a> mission in 2013. And now India too has arrived, with <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/23/india-chandrayaan-3-moon-landing-mission">Chandrayaan-3</a>. Missions from Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, the European Space Agency, Luxembourg, South Korea and Italy have also had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_missions_to_the_Moon">some measure of lunar success</a> with fly-bys, orbiters and impacts (whether intentional or not). <h2>Crashes are not uncommon</h2> On August 19 2023, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced that “communication with the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02659-6">Luna 25 spacecraft</a> was interrupted”, after an impulse command was sent to the spacecraft to lower its orbit around the Moon. Attempts to contact the spacecraft on August 20 were unsuccessful, leading Roscosmos to determine Luna 25 had crashed. Despite more than 60 years of spaceflight experience extending from the USSR to modern Russia, this mission failed. We don’t know exactly what happened – but the current situation in Russia, where resources are stretched thin and tensions are high due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, may well have been a factor. The Luna 25 failure recalled two high-profile lunar crashes in 2019. In April that year, the Israeli <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beresheet">Beresheet lander</a> crash-landed after a gyroscope failed during the braking procedure, and the ground control crew was unable to reset the component due to a loss of communications. It was later reported a capsule containing microscopic creatures called tardigrades, in a dormant “cryptobiotic” state, may have survived the crash. And in September, India sent its own Vikram lander down to the surface of the Moon – but it did not survive the landing. NASA later <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/03/indias-crashed-vikram-moon-lander-spotted-on-lunar-surface">released an image</a> taken by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the site of the Vikram lander’s impact. Debris was scattered over almost two dozen locations spanning several kilometres. <h2>Space is still risky</h2> Space missions are a risky business. Just over <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/success-rate-of-lunar-missions-is-a-little-over-50-as-per-nasa-database/articleshow/101774227.cms">50% of lunar missions succeed</a>. Even <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190002705/downloads/20190002705.pdf">small satellite missions</a> to Earth’s orbit don’t have a perfect track record, with a success rate somewhere between 40% and 70%. We could compare uncrewed with crewed missions: around <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230518-what-are-the-odds-of-a-successful-space-launch">98% of the latter are successful</a>, because people are more invested in people. Ground staff working to support a crewed mission will be more focused, management will invest more resources, and delays will be accepted to prioritise the safety of the crew. We could talk about the details of why so many uncrewed missions fail. We could talk about technological difficulties, lack of experience, and even the political landscapes of individual countries. But perhaps it’s better to step back from the details of individual missions and look at averages, to see the overall picture more clearly. <h2>The big picture</h2> Rocket launches and space launches are not very common in the scheme of things. There are <a href="https://www.pd.com.au/blogs/how-many-cars-in-the-world/">around 1.5 billion cars</a> in the world, and perhaps <a href="https://www.travelweek.ca/news/exactly-many-planes-world-today/">40,000 aeroplanes</a>. By contrast, there have been fewer than <a href="https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/derived/launchlog.html">20,000 space launches</a> in all of history. Plenty of things still go wrong with cars, and problems occur even in the better-regulated world of planes, from loose rivets to computers overriding pilot inputs. And we have more than a century of experience with these vehicles, in every country on the planet. So perhaps it’s unrealistic to expect spaceflight – whether it’s the launch stage of rockets, or the even rarer stage of trying to land on an alien world – to have ironed out all its problems. We are still very much in the early, pioneering days of space exploration. <h2>Monumental challenges remain</h2> If humanity is ever to create a fully fledged space-faring civilisation, we must <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/02/space-is-cold-vast-and-deadly-humans-will-explore-it-anyway/">overcome monumental challenges</a>. To make long-duration, long-distance space travel possible, there are a huge number of problems to be solved. Some of them seem within the realm of the possible, such as better radiation shielding, self-sustaining ecosystems, autonomous robots, extracting air and water from raw resources, and zero-gravity manufacturing. Others are still speculative hopes, such as faster-than-light travel, instantaneous communication, and artificial gravity. Progress will be little by little, small step by slightly larger step. Engineers and space enthusiasts will keep putting their brainpower, time and energy into space missions, and they will gradually become more reliable. And maybe one day we’ll see a time when going for a ride in your spacecraft is as safe as getting in your car. <hr /> Correction: a typing error in the original version of this article put the Surveyor 1 mission in 1996, rather than its actual year of 1966.<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/211914/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gail-iles-761554">Gail Iles</a>, Senior Lecturer in Physics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/almost-half-of-moon-missions-fail-why-is-space-still-so-hard-211914">original article</a>.

International Travel

Robert Irwin makes red carpet debut with girlfriend

Robert Irwin looked crazy in love as he made his red carpet debut with his new girlfriend Rorie Buckley. The 19-year-old conservationist and Buckley could not keep their eyes off each other as they posed for the cameras outside Sydney’s International Convention Centre, ahead of the Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning premiere. The couple looked stunning in their colour-coordinated outfits, with Irwin looking dapper in a black suit as he wrapped his arms around Buckley, who is the niece of late Aussie actor Heath Ledger. Buckley, 18, charmed the crowd with her bright smile and looked chic in a black long-sleeve dress with a cutout at the midsection. In a few pictures Irwin could be seen looking proudly at his girlfriend and eliciting a few giggles as they shared private jokes together. The glamorous event also saw the Mission Impossible stars Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Hayley Atwell rock the red carpet for the franchise’s seventh instalment. This is the first time Irwin and Buckley have walked the red carpet together after first being spotted cuddling on a Queensland beach late last year. The pair are currently dating long distance with Buckley based in Perth and Irwin in Queensland. Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

"I saw that!": Tom Cruise reacts to Shirvo's 100m Olympic sprint

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, known for his association with A-list celebrities – and of course for his energetic, high-speed running in almost every film he's ever made – found himself captivated by Sunrise host Matt Shirvington's Olympic Games history. Appearing on the Channel 7 breakfast show on Monday morning, Cruise was greeted by enthusiastic fans outside the Sydney studio who chanted his name and displayed banners. However, it was a particular video showcasing Shirvo's performance in the 100-metre sprint at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games that truly caught Tom's attention. "Tom, I have to be honest with you, as a kid growing up, I was a sprinter and went to the Olympic Games," began Matt during the segment. "Did you? Wow, what year were you?" an intrigued Tom inquired. Matt went on to reveal that he had competed in the 100-metre sprint at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Tom, clearly impressed, responded, "I saw you run in that Olympics. I saw that!" As Tom gazed at the screen, he witnessed Matt, donning yellow and green attire, sprinting patriotically in the competition, juxtaposed with footage of the actor's own running scenes in his action movies. "Look at that. You're a great runner. I'm a good runner," remarked Tom. He then went on to explain that while he often runs in his films, he doesn't receive much assistance with training. "I've been an athlete my whole life, participating in gymnastics and sprinting. I was like that little kid who would get a new pair of sneakers and then joyfully sprint, splashing through puddles. "I haven't had extensive training, you know, but throughout the years, I've received some coaching and worked with different coaches as I grew up." Tom continued, "You know what I do? I observe people, study them, and then try different things on my own. "I'm the kind of person who watches someone, imitates them, and reads about other people's training. I've trained with different Olympians, constantly studying." At this point, Matt chimed in, saying, "If you ever need a coach, let me know." Amidst giggles, Nat Barr interjected, "We'll arrange a training session for you guys." Tom went on to reveal that earlier that morning, he had engaged in sprints around his hotel room in Sydney, as he always makes an effort to stay fit. "I've trained my whole life. You never take a break," he emphasised. Images: Sunrise

Movies

Inside the frantic rescue mission to save woman who went overboard

A woman has been saved from waters near the Dominican Republic after going overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The 42-year-old American citizen was rescued by the US Coast Guard, after she fell from the 10th deck of the ship. The Mariner of the Seas cruise ship was about 50 km south of Punta Cana on its way to Willemstad, Curaçao, when the passenger went overboard, a statement from the Coast Guard said. “The passenger was recovered alive and reported to be in good health, after reportedly falling into the water from the 10th deck of the ship,” it said. “No medical evacuation of the passenger was requested by the cruise ship.” “The passenger was being kept on the cruise ship’s medical facility and later transferred to the Hospital in Willemstad, Curacao for evaluation.” The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident, looking into how and why the woman went overboard. Matthew Kuhn, who was on the cruise ship with his family, told a Florida news station that he watched rescue efforts from his balcony. “I think it was amazing to see everyone was on their balcony. Everyone was trying to help, and the crew was very receptive to everyone,” he said. In a statement released on Wednesday, Royal Caribbean confirmed a passenger went overboard but was rescued as was being cared for onboard. “The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and began searching for the guest. Thankfully, the guest was successfully recovered and was brought on board. Our Care team is now offering assistance and support to them and their travelling party. Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share,” the statement said. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

"You always shone through": PM's fond farewell to Carrie Bickmore

Aussie PM Anthony Albanese has come forward to praise Carrie Bickmore during her last appearance on The Project. Carrie, 41, was quite emotional as the PM offered a heart-felt farewell tribute, delivered live via video link. Anthony Albanese gushed with sincerity and pride, as he told Carrie how her work on the Channel 10 panel has meant the world to viewers. "I just wanted to say just a big shout out for your warmth and your humanity that just shone through," Mr. Albanese began. “You talk about stories, but you always shone through with the people behind the stories, and what it really meant,” he said. “And that made a difference.” The Prime Minister continued: "That's why people feel like they know you, because you weren't frightened of showing people a lot of yourself on screen and in the way that you interviewed people" A montage played early in the show, which paid homage to Carrie's outstanding efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight brain cancer, after her husband Greg passed away with the disease in 2010. The Prime Minister praised Carrie's advocacy work, telling the star that her efforts in the health area were "extraordinary". She used her reply to thank Mr. Albanese, before urging the PM to keep funding "the brain cancer mission". The beloved TV presenter fought back tears as she told viewers last month that it was the hardest decision she has had to make in her professional life. Image: Network 10

Tom Cruise celebrates his 60th!

Tom Cruise has turned 60! In honour of his 60th birthday on July 3, Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie shared a rare photo of Cruise performing a crazy stunt. The actor, known to perform his own insane stunts, could be seen hanging on from an airborne red biplane. Mission: Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning Part One is due to be released in 2023. Cruise however spent his actual birthday watching the F1 Grand Prix in the UK, with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Lewis Hamilton’s family. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Anthony Hamilton, Antonio Pérez Garibay and Tom Cruise watching the podium celebrations together is everything ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/KvtgU19ssH">pic.twitter.com/KvtgU19ssH</a> — ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1543665585913008128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Hamilton and Tom Cruise showed love after the race 🤝❤️ <a href="https://t.co/TDHCHh8FFh">pic.twitter.com/TDHCHh8FFh</a> — ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1543640030354329601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The one and only Maverick. Happy birthday, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopGun?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopGun</a> <a href="https://t.co/OWSUMwVWJY">pic.twitter.com/OWSUMwVWJY</a> — Top Gun (@TopGunMovie) <a href="https://twitter.com/TopGunMovie/status/1543640720216510466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote> Also, an avid Adele fan, Cruise was spotted singing and dancing to Adele at Hyde Park where he was also surprised with a birthday cake backstage. "Tom looked like he had an absolute blast. He was really going for it with his dancing and seemed to know all the words to sing along,” an onlooker said. "After the set finished, staff brought the cake out for him and he couldn't stop saying thank you. He hugged his favourite hostess as they sang Happy Birthday. "Then he gave a speech about how nice it was for everyone to be able to come together for events again after Covid. "And Tom said Adele was phenomenal. He was so upbeat and living his best life." Image: Getty

Movies

Sheep rescued from 40kg fleece

A bushwalker enjoying a walk along a mountain top came across a sheep burdened by its heavy 40kg fleece. The sheep, named Alex, was found on Mt Alexander in Victoria unable to walk and could hardly lift his head. The walker contacted Edgar’s Mission who came and rescued the sheep who was in a “worse state of health”. "So weak was he that he could not stand. Not even when assisted to do so, and struggle we did to find a passage in through his felt-like fleece to administer life-enhancing fluids,” the rescuers wrote on Facebook. "Truth be told, too, we wondered at first blush with Alex: Could his life even be saved, and would the kindest thing have been to let him pass from this world? “And then we lifted the shroud of wool from his face and our eyes met, and in that instant, it was so strikingly clear he wanted to live.” <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fedgarsmission%2Fvideos%2F654275415827887%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Alex was taken back to the sanctuary where his fleece which was “sodden with rain, urine, twigs, bark, beetles and maggots” was removed. ”A fleece so matted and dense that at first it stubbornly refused to cede to the shears,” they revealed. “But somehow it miraculously did. All 40 kg of it!” Alex will remain at the sanctuary for the rest of his hopefully long life. Images: Facebook

Travel Trouble

How tiny AJ Elfalak survived in the bush for three days

The Australian public has been amazed at the miraculous story of three-year-old AJ Elfalak who survived three days and three cold nights in rugged bushland near Putty, 150km north-west of Sydney. Specialist bush survival experts have stated one of the reasons 'miracle boy' AJ Elfalak coped so well while lost in bushland was because his autism kept him in a calm state of mind. Survival expert Bob Cooper, who works with the SAS, added AJ’s youth was also an advantage: “Children are better than adults at surviving sometimes because they haven't got the preconceived idea of what the bush is like.” “When they feel tired they sleep, when they're cold they seek shelter, when they're thirsty they drink,” Cooper said. “A human can survive for three weeks without food provided they can keep warm, drink water and stay safe from the elements,” he noted. AJ was found with minor injuries only Little AJ was found with some minor scratches and bruising to his body. He'd been bitten by ants and had a case of nappy rash, but he was otherwise in high spirits - all of which seems to point to the truth in what Cooper and other experts have said. Wild conspiracy theories continue to circulate on social media concerning AJ's disappearance saying it was staged and that a child could not survive alone with food or water in such rugged terrain - where overnight temperatures were as low as two degrees. But detectives on Strike Force Jaylang - which was set up to investigate the circumstances of the toddler's disappearance - said AJ's injuries and condition when he was found were all consistent with him being in the bush the entire time. Police have worked with bush survival experts to develop a full picture of AJ's time away from home - and they suggest his autism actually largely helped him maintain a calm state of mind. “The reality is he didn't know he was lost… so he wasn't scared, he didn't panic,” an investigator said. “If he was tired, he slept... he had access to water, which is a big thing for survival in the bush.” The toddler ate ravenously when rescued When AJ was rescued and loaded into a waiting ambulance, paramedics said he ravenously ate an entire pizza and “guzzled” water - typical traits of someone who hasn't eaten for days. “He was starving... it's all consistent with him being in the bush the entire time,” a paramedic said. The Child Mind Institute says children with autism often have 'a weaker sense of danger' than others and enjoy exploration. They're also more likely to 'wander off' or look to remove themselves from overwhelming sensory experiences. Epic family party to celebrate his rescue With AJ safe and sound - back in the arms of his mother - his family hosted an epic party to celebrate. The local store was cleared out of all booze in stock, a cow was freshly slaughtered and carved up for a BBQ and the music blared. Grey Gums Cafe owner Kim Grace watched on as all the alcohol she had left in stock - about $700 worth - was packed into a ute and taken back to the Elfalek's property. In the back seat was a freshly slaughtered sheep, which was being taken back to AJ's godfather Alan Hashem, who is renowned for his 'famous' lamb. Meanwhile back at the farm, two freshly-killed cows were already on the barbecue and AJ's elated dad had extended an invitation to the party to anybody back in locked-down Sydney who was prepared to make the journey. “See that hill back there,” he told media at his home. “There's going to be a big party on that hill. Anybody who wants to come on down from Sydney is welcome.” Celebrations were well underway on Tuesday afternoon at the Yengo Drive property in Putty - and the party lasted into the night. AJ returned from Maitland Hospital later that evening AJ and his mother returned home from Maitland Hospital later that night - telling the guests party time was over because the toddler needed to sleep. AJ, meanwhile, watched on from the safety of his home, clinging to his mother. Relatives say he is yet to leave her side. A professional tracker has been brought in to help The Elfalak family is relying on the opinion of a professional bush tracker to help them understand how the toddler spent three nights alone in the unforgiving terrain behind their home. Professional tracker Jake Cassar has been at the family home for some time, AJ was found sitting in a shallow, muddy creek at the base of what appeared to be a barely visible path, but the question remains as to how he made it down such a steep track safely. Cassar explained it was very possible that, even with hundreds of volunteers, little AJ avoided detection while in the bush. He said search parties tended to stay in straight lines and follow a near perfect trajectory from point A to point B, whereas somebody who is lost intuitively does the opposite. “When we're lost, we almost always walk at a slight curve to the right or left, therefore it's easy to travel in directions that might be missed by search parties,” Cassar said. He hoped to provide the family some further guidance as to whether AJ likely wandered off on his own or was abducted, which is what the family initially believed. Image: NSW Police

Family & Pets

“You’re f***ing gone”: Furious Tom Cruise lashes out on set of Mission Impossible

Furious Tom Cruise has ripped into workers who broke COVID rules on the set of Mission: Impossible, screaming: “If I see you doing it again, you’re f***ing gone.” The Hollywood superstar has gone the extra mile to make sure tight social-distancing rules were being implemented during the filming, which is taking place in Britain. And after coming across two of the crew members standing within two metres of each other, he quickly flew into a rage. The Sun published the audio recording, which heard Cruise shouting: “If I see you do it again, you’re f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it, that’s it — and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f***ing do it again.” 50 staff members at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Herts, were left shocked by the angry outburst. The 58-year-old was furious that his efforts to keep filming going during a pandemic could be at risk. He went on: “They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. “We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf***ers. “That’s it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down. “ “We are not shutting this f***ing movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f***ing gone.” A source said: “Tom has taken it upon himself, along with the health and safety department, to try to force the safety precautions, with a view to keeping the film running. “He does daily rounds to make sure that everything is set up appropriately, that people are behaving and working as safely as they can. He is very proactive when it comes to safety.” They added: “Everyone was wearing masks. It was purely that these people were standing under a metre away from each other. “It isn’t known whether he saw those guys breaking the rules before or whether this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “People make mistakes and they slip up, but Tom is just on it.” Tom’s rant, in full: “We want the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we’re doing! I’m on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers. I don’t ever want to see it again, ever! And if you don’t do it you’re fired, if I see you do it again you’re f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it – that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f***ing do it again. That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night. The future of this f***ing industry! So I’m sorry I am beyond your apologies. I have told you and now I want it and if you don’t do it you’re out. We are not shutting this f***ing movie down! Is it understood? If I see it again you’re f***ing gone — and you are — so you’re going to cost him his job, if I see it on the set you’re gone and you’re gone. That’s it. Am I clear? Do you understand what I want? Do you understand the responsibility that you have? Because I will deal with your reason. And if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired. That’s it. That is it. I trust you guys to be here. That’s it. That’s it guys. Have a little think about it …[inaudible]. That’s what I think of Universal and Paramount. Warner Brothers. Movies are going because of us. If we shut down it’s going to cost people f***ing jobs, their home, their family. That’s what’s happening. All the way down the line. And I care about you guys, but if you’re not going to help me you’re gone. OK? Do you see that stick? How many metres is that? When people are standing around a f***ing computer and hanging out around here, what are you doing? And if they don’t comply then send their names to Matt Spooner. That’s it.”

Movies

Climate change is the most important mission for universities of the 21st century

Universities are confronting the possibility of <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3392469/Australian-Universities-COVID-19-Financial-Management.pdf">profound sector-wide transformation</a> due to the continuing effects of COVID-19. It is prompting much needed debate about what such transformation should look like and what kind of system is in the public interest. This is now an urgent conversation. If universities want a say in what the future of higher education will look like, they will need to generate ideas quickly and in a way that attracts wide public support. This will involve articulating their unique role as embedded, future-regarding, ethical generators of crucial knowledge and skills, well-equipped to handle coming contingencies and helping others do the same. And this means higher education changes are entangled with another major force for transformation – climate change. How can universities credibly claim to be preparing young people for their futures, or to be working with employers, if they do not take into account the kind of world they are helping to bring about? A vital role in a climate changed world Whether indexed by the continual climb in <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heat-and-humidity-are-already-reaching-the-limits-of-human-tolerance/">extreme heat and humidity</a>, the <a href="http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/">melting of Arctic ice</a>, the eruption of <a href="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/news-and-media-releases/australian-bushfires-why-they-are-unprecedented">unprecedented mega-fire events</a> or the <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/">rapid degradation of ecosystems</a> and <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/05/26/2008198117">disruption of human settlements</a>, climate change is here. It is rapidly exacerbating environmental and social stress across the globe, as well as directly and indirectly impacting all institutions and areas of life. And worse still, global greenhouse gas concentrations are moving in exactly the opposite direction to what we need, with <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html">carbon emissions growing by 2.0% in 2019, the fastest growth for seven years</a>. Much-needed transitions towards low carbon and well-adapted systems are emerging. But they are too piecemeal and slow relative to what is needed to avoid large scale <a href="https://www.deepsouthchallenge.co.nz/projects/climate-change-cascade-effect">cascading</a> and <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/compound-costs-how-climate-change-damages-australias-economy/">compounding impacts to our planet</a>. Universities, along with all other parts of our society, will feel the effects of climate change. The cost of the devastation at the Australian National University due to the summer’s fires and hailstorm, for instance, is estimated to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-27/coronavirus-hail-bushfires-cause-225m-loss-at-anu/12290522">be A$75 million dollars</a>. Failure to appropriately adapt to the increasing likelihood of such events <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0715-2">threatens to undermine research of all sorts</a>. Whether due to climate impacts (such as <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/09/06/npr-coastal-labs-studying-increased-flooding-consider-moving-due-to-increased-floodin">the effects of sea level rise on coastal laboratories</a>) or policy and market shifts away from carbon-intensive activities (such as coal powered energy), research investments face the risk of becoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-stranded-assets-matter-and-should-not-be-dismissed-51939">stranded assets</a>. Not only could expensive infrastructure and equipment be rendered redundant, but certain skills, capabilities and projects could too. Universities are key to enabling Australian society to transition to a safer and lower emissions pathway. They are needed to provide the knowledge, skills and technologies for this positive transition. And they are also needed to <a href="https://climateoutreach.org/system-change-vs-behaviour-change-is-a-false-choice-covid-19-shows-how-theyre-connected/">foster the social dialogue and build the broad public mandate</a> to get there. This means old ideas of universities as isolated and values-free zones, and newer notions of them as cheap consultants to the private sector, fundamentally fail to fulfil the role universities now need to play. They must become public good, mission-driven organisations devoted to rapidly progressing human understanding and action on the largest threat there has ever been, to what they are taken to represent and advance – human civilisation. Universities must become more sustainable… Inaction will erode the trust on which universities rely, especially among the key constituencies universities are meant to serve – young people and the private, community and public sectors. <a href="https://globalclimatestrike.net/">Students</a>, <a href="https://www.asyousow.org/report/clean200-2019-q1">businesses</a>, <a href="https://en.unesco.org/events/climate-change-and-ngos-eight-international-forum-ngos-official-partnership-unesco">not-for-profit organisations</a> and certain <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/climate-change-report-card-co2-emissions/">governments</a> are already acting far more forcefully than universities, even as the latter claim to be intellectual leaders. Who universities invest in, fund, partner with and teach, and how, will increasingly be judged through a climate change lens. All actors in the fossil fuel value chain – including <a href="https://www.marketforces.org.au/marsh-mclennan-present-greenwash-at-agm/">insurance brokers</a> and <a href="https://gofossilfree.org/australia/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/09/ExposeTheTies_digital.pdf?_ga=2.89096216.248025022.1590905170-1969762787.1590905170">researchers</a> – are coming under pressure to stop facilitating a form of production that enriches a few while endangering all. Networks such as the <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/03/universities-form-global-network-climate-change">International Universities Climate Alliance</a>, the <a href="http://www.gauc.net/about/about.html">Global Alliance of Universities on Climate</a> and <a href="https://www.acts.asn.au/">Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability</a> are pushing for change in and by the sector. In 2019, <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190710141435609">three global university networks organised an open letter</a> signed by more than 7,000 higher and further education institutions. It called for the sector to reduce emissions and invest in climate change research, teaching and outreach. Even more have signed the <a href="https://www.sdgaccord.org/climateletter">SDG (sustainable development goals) Accord’s climate emergency declaration</a>, which calls for: <ul> <li>mobilising more resources for action-oriented climate change research and skills creation</li> <li>committing to going carbon neutral by 2030 or 2050 at the very latest</li> <li>increasing the delivery of environmental and sustainability education across curriculum, campus and community outreach programs.</li> </ul> Some universities are already starting to build aspects of climate change into their operations. Most prominent have been efforts to divest university finances from direct support of fossil fuels. While some institutions are still dragging their feet, the University of California has announced it will <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-19/uc-fossil-fuel-divest-climate-change">fully divest </a> its US$126 billion endowment from fossil fuels. Pressure is similarly growing for <a href="https://unisuperdivest.org/">Unisuper to stop investing</a> Australian university staff superannuation into corporations that endanger the very future staff are saving for. University campuses are being refigured as sites of energy production and consumption. <a href="https://www.strathmore.edu/serc/">Strathmore University in Kenya </a>and <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2019/nov/rmit-leads-the-way-on-renewable-energy">RMIT University in Australia</a> are among those who produce their own renewable energy. Although <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-universities-are-not-walking-the-talk-on-going-low-carbon-72411">few universities are working towards absolute reductions in emissions</a>, or have appropriate climate adaptation plans, initiatives such as the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/top-universities-climate-action">Times Higher Education Impact Index</a> are increasing interest in visible climate action. … and they must change teaching and research Teaching and research too must change. University students can <a href="https://study.curtin.edu.au/offering/course-pg-masters-of-environment-and-climate-emergency--mc-envclm/">choose programs and optional modules dedicated to climate change</a>. But this isn’t enough. Climate change has to be integrated in all disciplines. It is essential universities do not quarantine climate change as some kind of specialist topic. A <a href="https://journals.aom.org/doi/full/10.5465/amp.2018.0183.summary">recent analysis of management studies</a> found a profound lack of engagement across the discipline with the implications of climate change. As Cornell University’s Professor of Engineering Anthony Ingraffea argues, when it comes to educating the future generation, <a href="https://www.enr.com/articles/48389-a-call-to-action-for-engineers-on-climate-change">“doing the right thing on climate change should be baked into an engineer’s DNA”</a>. This means recognising the strong overlap between work that has instrumental value for climate change action and work that celebrates the intrinsic value of human understanding. The intellectual and social challenges presented by climate change are perhaps the greatest justification yet for why we need open-minded, open-ended exploration and dialogue of the sort universities can provide. Universities produce the knowledge galvanising others to act. It is time for them to act too. It is time for all of us who work in or with universities to reappraise our institutions in light of the changes needed, the changes coming, and the changes already here. This is the public mission of universities in the 21st century. And it is the most pressing mission there is. Written by Lauren Richards and Tamson Pietsch. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-the-most-important-mission-for-universities-of-the-21st-century-139214">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Harry and Meghan’s heart-warming secret LA mission amid COVID-19 pandemic

Dan Tyrell says when he opened his door to what was expected to be a package from Project Angel Food, he did not prepare to come in contact with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Mr Tyrell, located in West Hollywood was shocked when he found Meghan Markle and Prince Harry standing there in masks. “They had masks on, and they were dressed down with jeans, but very nice jeans," Dan told Wehoville. “I thought that tall red-headed guy looked pretty familiar, and that girl was very pretty. Then I saw the large black SUVs with the security guards behind them.” <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/tv/B_EF48-Hxvw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_EF48-Hxvw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Meghan Markle Brasil (@marklecombra)</a> on Apr 16, 2020 at 6:43pm PDT </div> </blockquote> He went on to joke: “If they had given me the heads up, I would have worn my tiara." Harry and Meghan reportedly spent the morning distributing supplies for Project Angel Food, a non-profit organisation that provides meals for those too ill to cook. Richard Ayoub, Project Angel Food’s executive director, said he was delighted at Harry and Meghan’s offer to help, which he hadn’t intended to make public. The charity also helps those with illnesses such as AIDS, cancer and kidney failure and has continued its tireless work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Ayoub said the royal couple extended a helping hand when they heard there was a volunteer shortfall.

Caring

Jamie Oliver's final mission before he retires

All good things must come to an end, and in an interview with UK’s Balance magazine the celebrity chef has indicated his plans to hang up the apron for good. And it’s happening sooner than you might think. The 42-year-old said his current plan is to, “go all out for the next 12 years to get things where they should be.” “And then I will happily f****** retire. I could throw the towel in now and see my kids growing up and that would be lovely,” he said. The celebrity chef has indicated his plans to also continue fighting the junk food industry. “It’s perception to say I’m middle class and telling people what to do,” he explained. “To be honest I haven’t spent 20 years doing that; I’ve spent 20 years getting passionate about things I think are wrong.” What are your thoughts? Would you be sad to see Oliver go?

Retirement Life

Maggie Beer’s mission to stop Alzheimer’s one recipe at a time

A cook, food author, restaurateur and food manufacturer, Maggie Beer is a force to be reckoned with. But her latest cookbook Maggie’s Recipe for Life may be her most important project yet. Teaming up with one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers Professor Ralph Martin, Maggie is on a mission to stop Alzheimer’s one delicious and life-enhancing meal at a time. Each of the 200 recipes uses food scientifically proven to be good for your brain, with Professor Martin providing the scientific explanations and advice to back it up. With an estimated 34,000 Australians currently living with Alzheimer's, and the figure expected to rise dramatically as Australia’s population ages, the simple idea behind Maggie’s book is to eat well to age well. Over60 sat down with the 72-year-old former Senior Australian of the Year to find out more about her latest cookbook. You’ve written many cookbooks in your time, what prompted you to co-write a recipe book with Professor Martin that focuses on preventing Alzheimer’s and other lifestyle diseases? It was entirely meeting Professor Martin [at the Australian of the Year awards in 2010 and connecting over a love of food]. It was understanding so much more from him – it was his idea, not mine! This cookbook really has something for all of us. It's not just for over-60s, it's for every age in life. Because there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s right now but what has been shown by Professor Martin and others in the field is lifestyle has a huge impact – our diet, our physicality, our engagement in life and mental acuity. So let's give people lovely ideas of beautiful tasting food that's all good for you. There’s a lot of focus on healthy eating these days but many people seem more confused than ever as to what healthy eating means and looks like. What does eating well mean to you? It’s about going back to basics but it's also about variety. Meat is very important for us but it shouldn’t be the first thing we think of, which is often the case in the Australian diet. I haven't put a lot of meat in the book because everyone knows how to cook a steak or a lamb chop. What I've done is concentrate on a plant-based diet full of vegetables and fruits and grains and fish. And show how you can make a truly delicious and inexpensive meal around vegetables as the hero! You worked closely with Professor Ralph Martin on this cookbook. What did you learn from him? I learnt so much from him, especially the importance of variety in food. I've always had a good food life and I've lived the rhythm of the seasons but you can so easily get in to a rut so what I learnt from him was the importance of huge variety. Don't just have the same thing every day! Get out of your comfort zone. Look at whatever is in season. I also learnt things that I knew instinctively, like for instance the huge antioxidants in spices, the great nutrition in Australian native ingredients and how good pomegranates are for you. I always knew that but from now on I understand why they’re so good for you. So that drives me to think, “Well I love them and they're so good for you so why not use more of them?” The “why” is what I’ve learned and it’s opened my world. Why is this cookbook so important to you? <img width="140" height="187" src="http://www.oversixty.com.au/media/45129/image__140x187.jpg" alt="Image_ (18)" style="float: right;"/> This is a really important book for us on many, many levels. Ralph [Professor Martin] sees it as the conduit for his science to get out to the public because, as he often says he’s published 300 academic papers all over the world but it never gets through to the public. Plus the fact that it's important to both our foundations because the author royalties are being shared and going entirely half and half to fund research for Ralph's <a href="http://lionsclubs.org.au/foundations/lions-mccusker-alzheimers-research-foundation/" target="_blank">Lions Alzheimer’s Foundation</a> and my <a href="https://www.maggiebeerfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank">Maggie Beer Foundation.</a>This has been our driver and we so believe in it and we need it. You just never stop learning, you never stop needing research. Want to try Maggie’s new recipes? Here is a selection from her new cookbook Maggie’s Recipe for Life: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/10/maggie-beer-chocolate-cloud-cake-with-nut-cream-and-rose-petals/">Chocolate cloud cake with nut cream and rose petals </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/10/maggie-beer-sweet-potato-fritters-with-smashed-avocado-and-salmon/">Sweet potato fritters with smashed avocado and salmon </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/10/maggie-beer-buckwheat-crepes-with-roasted-rhubarb-and-cinnamon-yoghurt/">Buckwheat crepes with roasted rhubarb and cinnamon yoghurt </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/11/maggie-beer-turmeric-soy-and-ginger-chicken/">Turmeric, soy and ginger chicken </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/11/maggie-beer-beetroot-with-thyme-walnut-goats-cheese-salad/">Roasted beetroot salad with thyme, walnut and goat’s cheese </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/10/maggie-beer-spiced-sweet-potato-with-black-barley-and-honey-turmeric-walnuts/">Spiced sweet potato with black barley and honey turmeric walnuts </a></li> </ul>

Mind

Maggie Beer’s mission to stop Alzheimer’s

Maggie Beer is on a mission to stop one of the biggest killers in Australia, Alzheimer’s disease. Maggie has launched her new cookbook <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/maggie-s-recipe-for-life-maggie-beer/prod9781925596953.html" target="_blank">Maggie's Recipes for Life</a> with the help of one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers, Professor Ralph Martins. Each recipe in the book uses food scientifically proven to be good for the brain. <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/maggie-s-recipe-for-life-maggie-beer/prod9781925596953.html" target="_blank"><img width="264" height="352" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/uEFxnQV5puJ4IoLGEEYK6A--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/cv/ae/default/171003/cover.jpg" class="article-figure-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></a> “Every green you can imagine is great for the brain, every coloured vegetable, the purples, the oranges, the reds… They just have that extra edge to them,” Maggie told Sunday Night. “The foods that we look at are those in the Mediterranean diet, those are the foods one needs to follow,” Professor Martins said. “Probably more important ones are the fruits and vegetables and within them are cabbage, kale, parsley, and fruit such as pomegranates and spices such as turmeric." <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F7sundaynight%2Fvideos%2F1844427708901468%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Although all ingredients are proven to be powerful brain food, Maggie stresses they are not a cure for Alzheimer’s. “It’s to help protect our brains and Ralph’s science says all of that,” she said. “These are recipes for life, this is for every age. This isn’t a health book, it’s a life book.”

Books

One man’s mission to get all over-60 Aussies healthy and active

<img width="177" height="180" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43064/capture_177x180.jpg" alt="Capture (2)" style="float: left;"/>Today on World Alzheimer’s Day, seniors health expert Taylor Harrison is launching his new book "Active Seniors – Staying Healthy and Having Fun in Retirement". Based on 15 years worth of research and experience, and with all of the proceeds from the book (except the costs of making the book) being donated to <a href="https://www.dementiaresearchfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank">Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation</a>, Taylor is a passionate advocate for healthy and happy ageing. As the owner and director of Active Seniors Health Centre, a leader in seniors exercise and health services in Australia, Taylor has helped many over-55s in their journey to great mind and body health. And he wants to help you on your health journey too. Over60 sat down with Taylor to find out more about his first book and what you need to know to remain active and healthy for years to come. What prompted you to write a book about healthy ageing? I have wanted to write a book for a number of years as I feel there is so much positive information that can be given to over 60's on how they can stay healthy that people aren't aware of. We have had great success with our health workshops at Active Seniors Health Centre, but I wanted a way that can reach more people to spread the message further and a book is one of those ways. What can readers expect to learn? You will learn different strategies on how to improve physically, mentally and nutritionally. In particular, you’ll learn what are the keys to living long and healthy lives. All of the advice and information in the book is written in plain English (no technical jargon), simple to implement and easy to maintain. Simple tricks like how to improve your balance in 30 seconds a day or how much water should you be drinking in a day! <a href="http://book.oversixty.com.au/" target="_blank"><img width="350" height="499" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43065/active_seniors_cover_350x499.jpg" alt="Active _Seniors _cover" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></a> From your experience, why do you believe it so important for seniors to take their physical and mental health seriously? We have seen over the past 11 years, those who remain more physically active have a better life. They are happier, have more energy, are less stressed, sleep better, feel better about themselves and have better relationships with others. I have seen this hundreds if not thousands of times, plus the research shows this. Also, there is a direct link to how physically active someone is and their mental health and wellbeing. As a side note, we take health seriously at Active Seniors, but we aren't too serious. Having a laugh and not worrying too much is also an important factor in good health. Why did you decide to donate the money made from the book to Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation? Yes, $15 of the $20 of the book will go to the foundation (basically everything but the cost of having the book printed). There are three reasons for my choice. Firstly, there is amazing research being done every day on Alzheimer's and dementia in general with very good progress being made. Every dollar counts in turning this potential research into a cure. Secondly, all of the messages about preventing dementia agree with our philosophies at Active Seniors around healthy ageing, so it was a natural fit. Lastly, my grandmother suffers from dementia and I see the impact that has on not only her, but my family as well. Lastly, what do you hope to achieve with your book? There are approximately 2.5 million people over the age of 65 in Australia who are not doing enough exercise, according to the research. Over half of this group is doing absolutely no exercise at all. In my lifetime, I want to make an impact on this number. My goal is to get every Aussie over 60 exercising. It is a big commitment and it may not happen in my lifetime, but I will do my best to see it happen. I am dedicated to helping 50,000 people over 60 become more active over the next year and grow that number each year.

Caring

Martin Landau’s top 5 movie roles

We were extremely saddened to hear that legendary Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau passed away unexpectedly over the weekend at the age of 89 after a brief stay in hospital. To celebrate the life of this incredible actor, best known for his work on TV series Mission: Impossible and Space: 1999, join us as we reflect on the best five movie roles of his career. 1. Ed Wood Landau, who played Bela Lugosi in this acclaimed 1994 biographical film, won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and an Oscar for his efforts. “I began to respect this guy and pity him,” Landau said at the time. “I saw the humour in him. This, for me, became a love letter to him.” 2. North by Northwest This 1959 Alfred Hitchcock thriller marked Landau’s first major film appearance, playing the role of Leonard, criminal sidekick to Phillip Vandamm (played by James Mason). 3. Crimes and Misdemeanours Landau’s starring role as Judah in this 1989 Woody Allen film earned him his second Oscar nomination. Reflecting on the casting process, Allen described Landau as “completely natural”. “Of all the actors I've ever worked with, he gives expression to my dialogue exactly as I hear it.” 4. Rounders Despite receiving mixed reviews and underperforming at the box office, this 1998 film has since become a cult classic. Starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Malkovich, Landau’s character Professor Petrovsky is one of the most beloved figures in the movie – not to mention the poker world. 5. Tucker: The Man and His Dream This 1988 film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, marked something of a comeback for Landau and even earned him an Oscar nomination. “I've spent a lot of time playing roles that didn't really challenge me,” he said of the film. “You want roles that have dimension. The role of Abe Karatz gave me that.” Tell us in the comments below, what was your favourite Martin Landau role?

Movies

Canberra café’s mission to foster community spirit

Canberra resident Warren Gray shares the story of how he came to be part of a great community initiative that began at his local café. His tale will inspire you to do the same in your area. I would like to share a story with the Over60 community. It is all about volunteering and how you could and should get involved. This is just some of the ways you can “give back” to the community and get a bit of self satisfaction. Now to give you a bit of background about me! I volunteer with the Special Olympics (athletes with an intellectual disability) and mentor them in the game of golf whenever I can. I also have a favourite coffee shop I frequent and I have gotten to know the staff there. Well one day I was sitting there have my usual coffee and cake and the owner of the shop, Emma, asked if she could sit with me and have a chat. Who am I to say no? During these discussions, Emma said she was trying to think of ways of reducing her carbon footprint. She said she was thinking of offering the coffee grounds to people who wanted them instead of putting them into land fill. Apparently, coffee grounds are a great fertiliser for roses, azaleas and a few other plants as well (you learn something new every day!) and, make an excellent body scrub. If you want them you are more than welcome to take an ice cream container home with you (please return the container so it can be reused.) The discussion then turned to how can she give back to the community and, generate a bit of “community spirit” back into the local area. She said she was thinking of asking a group of ladies that were weekly regulars who had formed a knitting circle. She spoke with the ladies and they said that all the wool was donated and anything knitted (beanies, scarves, crocheted blankets etc) would be passed back into the community for the homeless in Canberra to keep them warm during winter. Believe me, it gets really cold here in winter. While this is not solving the problem of homelessness, it does show those less fortunate, that there are people out there that care and want to help. She also had a few other ideas and, asked if I had any ideas. I asked her if she recycled the cans from the beetroot, pineapple etc? She said she did put them in the recycling bins but that was about as far as it went. I suggested that these could be used for craft activities and could be made into a few different things. I asked her to keep the cans for me over the next few weeks and I would play around and show her a few different ideas. The point of this suggestion was, to perhaps get a market stall going at some stage in the future and any money raised could be donated to charity or a worthy cause. Emma has since set up a “Community Hub” at her coffee shop and managed to get a few other activities happening as well. She has another retired lady who runs a Card Making workshop once every few weeks. Another lady is teaching AUSLAN (sign language) classes and this skill can then be used in the wider community. All these activities are run at the coffee shop and participants get a discount rate on their coffees for participating. Emma and I have also started a Community Book Swap club that is run out of the shop. This is where you can bring a book you have read and swap it for book you want to read. No cost involved (just a little bit of time keeping the book shelf neat and tidy.) We are trying to promote reading for all generations and hope this idea is a success. Now what is the point of all of the above? It just demonstrates that if you have a skill or a knack you would like to share with others, it is NEVER too late and volunteer and, help others. I applaud Emma on this initiative and will continue to help where I can. You can volunteer as much or, as little time as you like but it does get you off the couch, perhaps meeting like minded people with similar interests to you and, you have the satisfaction in knowing you have given back to the community or, helped someone less fortunate than ourselves. Most of the activities Emma has so far got up and running are organised or run by mostly us, the over-60s. If you too have a favourite coffee shop or some other place you go, have a chat with the owner and see if you can start to give your local area a sense of “Community”, it is well worth it. Do you live in Canberra? Do you have some spare time and skills to share? If you’d like to join Emma’s great initiative, visit her at the Coffee Guru café (outside the Good Guys) at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome. Or you can join the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/1199281240189626/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">Facebook group here</a> (it’s a closed group, so you’ll have to ask to join).

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