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SecondBite's Feed the Future Program: cultivating hope, one meal at a time

In a world where food insecurity continues to plague communities, there shines a beacon of hope in the form of <a href="https://secondbite.org/">SecondBite</a>. Since its inception in 2005, SecondBite has worked tirelessly to rescue and redistribute surplus food, ensuring that no Australian goes to bed hungry. Now, with the launch of their Feed the Future program, they are taking their commitment to combating hunger and waste to new heights. The impact of SecondBite's efforts is truly staggering. Having already rescued and redistributed the equivalent of almost 300 million meals, they have become a lifeline for countless individuals and families facing food insecurity across the nation. But as the demand for their services continues to rise, so too does the need for support from generous donors and supporters. At the heart of SecondBite's purpose is the belief that every Australian deserves access to nutritious food, regardless of their circumstances. Through their Feed the Future program, they are not only addressing immediate hunger but also working towards a future where hunger and food waste are relics of the past. One individual who embodied this spirit of generosity was the late Frank Costa AO, a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist. His unwavering commitment to giving back to the community lives on through a generous $1 million donation to SecondBite's Future Trust, ensuring that his legacy of compassion and service will continue to make a difference for years to come. “Frank was so passionate about health and the role that nutritious food plays in keeping us healthy,” says his widow, Shirley Costa. “He always said that the best way to preserve your health is to put the right food in your body, in particular, fruit and vegetables. He felt genuinely proud to provide a service to people, but also to contribute to their health and happiness. And he hoped that his gift would allow SecondBite to continue this legacy.” <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-70396" src="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SecondBite_Hero_02.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="500" /> For those considering leaving a gift to SecondBite in their will, the Feed the Future program offers a unique opportunity to create a lasting impact. By becoming a member, supporters can join a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to building a future where no one goes hungry. Membership in the Feed the Future program comes with a range of exclusive benefits, including a certificate of recognition, a special lapel pin, invitations to events, and even a symbolic apple tree to plant in your garden as a testament to your commitment to ending hunger. But perhaps the greatest reward of all is the knowledge that your gift will help SecondBite continue their vital work, providing nourishment, hope and dignity to those in need. Together, we can create a future where every Australian has a place at the table, and no one is left behind. <img class="alignnone wp-image-70420 size-full" src="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cropped-Image_secondbite_770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="500" /> “If you share our vision of a place at the table for all Australians, so that every child, woman and man has access to a regular nutritious food supply,” says SecondBite co-founder Ian Carson, “please consider joining our Feed the Future program and making a gift to SecondBite in your Will.” To learn more about how you can support SecondBite's Feed the Future program and make a difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity, contact their team today at 1800 263 283 or visit <a href="https://secondbite.org/gifts-in-will/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secondbite.org/gifts-in-will</a>. Join us in cultivating a brighter future for all Australians, one meal at a time. Images: Supplied. This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with SecondBite.

Food & Wine

Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a> Loyalty programs enable firms to offer significantly lower prices to some of their customers. You’d think this would encourage strong competition. But that isn’t always what actually happens. <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">New research</a> shows that paradoxically, by changing the way companies target customers, loyalty programs can sometimes reduce price competition. The research also points to solutions. <h2>A win-win proposition?</h2> Joining a loyalty program is supposed to be a win-win. You – the customer – get to enjoy perks and discounts, while the company gains useful commercial insights and builds brand allegiance. For example, a hotel chain loyalty program might reward travellers for frequent stays, with points redeemable for future bookings, upgrades or other benefits. The hotel chain, in turn, records and analyses how you spend money and encourages you to stay with them again. Such programs are commonplace across many industries – appearing everywhere from travel and accommodation to supermarket or petrol retailing. But they are increasingly coming under scrutiny. In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">cautioned</a> consumers about the sheer volume of personal data collected when participating in a loyalty program, and what companies can do with it. Hidden costs – such as having to pay a redemption fee on rewards or losing benefits when points expire – are another way these schemes can harm consumers. But a larger question – how loyalty programs impact consumers overall – remains difficult to settle, because their effect on competitiveness is unclear. As the ACCC’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">final report</a> notes, on the one hand: "Loyalty schemes can have pro-competitive effects and intensify competition between rivals leading to competing loyalty discounts and lower prices for consumers." But on the other hand: "Loyalty schemes can also reduce the flexibility of consumers’ buying patterns and responsiveness to competing offers, which may reduce competition." <h2>How a two-speed price system can hurt everyone</h2> A new economic theory research <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">working paper</a>, coauthored by one of us (Kominers), suggests that on competitive grounds alone, loyalty programs can sometimes harm all consumers – both ordinary shoppers and the program’s own members. It’s easy to see how the ordinary shopper can be worse off. Since a firm’s loyalty program enables it to offer discounted prices to its members, the firm can raise the base prices it offers to everyone else. Those not participating in the program pay more than they otherwise would have, and the firm can respond by saying “join our program!” instead of having to lower its price. But sometimes, even the program’s own members can end up worse off. When a given customer’s loyalty status is not visible to a firm’s competitors – as is the case in many loyalty programs today – it’s hard for those competitors to identify them and entice them to switch. The main way to compete for those customers becomes to lower the base price for everyone, but this means missing out on the high base margins achieved through the existence of your own loyalty program – remember, having a loyalty program means you can charge non-members more. It’s often more profitable for firms to just maintain high base prices. This, in turn, reduces overall price competition for loyal customers, so firms can raise prices for them, too. <h2>What’s the solution?</h2> Despite these effects on competition, loyalty programs still offer benefits for consumers and an opportunity for brands to form closer relationships with them. So, how do we preserve these benefits while enabling price competition? The research suggests an answer: making a customer’s loyalty status verifiable, transparent and portable across firms. This would make it possible for firms to tailor offers for their competitors’ loyal customers. This is already happening in the market for retail electricity. While there aren’t loyalty programs there per se, a consumer’s energy consumption profile, which could be used by a competitor to calibrate a personalised offer, is known only to their current electricity supplier. To address this, in 2015, the Victorian government launched a <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au">program</a> encouraging households to compare energy offers. This process involved first revealing a customer’s energy consumption profile to the market, and then asking retailers to compete via personalised offers. By opening information that might have otherwise been hidden to the broader market, this approach enabled firms to compete for each other’s top customers, in a way that could be emulated for loyalty programs. Such systems in the private sector could build upon “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-status-matches-challenges/">status match</a>” policies at airlines. These allow direct transfer of loyalty status, but currently rely on a lengthy, individual-level verification process. For example, a design paradigm known as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2022/05/what-is-web3">Web3</a>” – where customer transactions and loyalty statuses are recorded on public, shared blockchain ledgers – offers a way to make loyalty transparent across the market. This would enable an enhanced, decentralised version of status match: a firm could use blockchain records to verifiably identify who its competitors’ loyal customers are, and directly incentivise them to switch. Both startups and established firms have experimented with building such systems. <h2>What next?</h2> New academic research helps us model and better understand when loyalty programs could be weakening supply side competition and undermining consumer welfare. A neat universal solution may prove elusive. But targeted government or industry interventions – centred on increasing the transparency of a customer’s loyalty status and letting them move it between firms – could help level the playing field between firms and consumers.<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/220669/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/loyalty-programs-may-limit-competition-and-they-could-be-pushing-prices-up-for-everyone-220669">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Qantas announces massive overhaul of frequent flyer program

Qantas, Australia's flagship airline, has unveiled significant changes to its frequent flyer program in response to ongoing feedback from millions of members. The announcement, made at the airline's headquarters in Sydney, marks one of the most substantial expansions in the 35-year history of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. During the event, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson, alongside Andrew Glance, the newly appointed Loyalty boss, outlined the updates to both the media and select members of the frequent flyer program. These changes aim to address longstanding concerns and enhance the overall experience for loyal customers. A key highlight of the overhaul is the introduction of Classic Plus Flight Rewards, providing members with access to an additional 20 million reward seats for booking flights. Vanessa Hudson said that this expansion is a direct response to member feedback. “The Qantas Frequent Flyer program is an integral part of Qantas and has always been about recognising our customers for their loyalty," Hudson said. "We’ve spent a lot of time listening to members about how we can better reward them . . . We’re adding over 20 million new flight rewards with the launch of a new type of reward seat called Classic Plus. It’s one of the biggest expansions we’ve made to the Frequent Flyer program in its 35-year history." With Classic Plus Flight Rewards, frequent flyer members can now access sought-after destinations such as London, Tokyo, New York and Singapore with greater ease, even during peak travel periods. This substantial increase in available seats – 20 million annually compared to the previous 5 million – represents a significant advantage for members seeking to redeem their points for travel. However, it's important to note that while Classic Plus Flight Rewards offer increased availability, they will require more points to book compared to the original program. This announcement follows recent speculation about a major revamp of the frequent flyer program, with Qantas hinting at changes aimed at allowing customers to maximise the value of their points. These changes come in response to feedback from program members, some of whom have voiced frustrations about the devaluation of points and difficulties in securing rewards seats. Qantas' announcement of sweeping changes to its frequent flyer program signals a significant step in the airline's ongoing efforts to prioritise customer satisfaction and loyalty. Images: Qantas

Money & Banking

"Pathetic": Council slammed after move against FREE health program

A woman who runs a free mental health yoga program has been ordered to pay the council $10,000 because her classes at St Kilda beach in Melbourne have become too popular. The City of Port Phillip Council was slammed for their actions after they told Eliza Hilmer she must pay them hundreds of dollars per session for her Feel Good Flows classes. Hilmer, who does not make a profit from the classes, said she started the program during the pandemic to help people manage their mental health. “I play by the rules as much as I can,” Hilmer told Yahoo News, adding that she acquired personal trainer permit as requested by the council. “We’ve been operating as an outdoor gathering for mental health practices more than anything, and it’s been really incredible." The classes, which initially attracted a few people, has gained a bit of traction with around 50 to 80 regular attendees. Hilmer encourages her attendees to leave a donation and provides free hot drinks and a live musician at the biweekly sessions. Because of its popularity, the council have classified Feel Good Flows as a commercial event, as the classes exceed the number of people covered by Hilmer's personal training license, and she was ordered to pay $400 a session. Hilmer was also given the option to cap the sessions at 15 people a time, but she said that "this isn't an option" as “many vulnerable people” rely on the service. With Hilmer having to pay three months upfront to keep classes running, the total adds up to $10,000, and locals are furious. "Another pathetic decision by useless bureaucrats,” one wrote on social media. “This council is being very mean spirited. Leave her alone!!” “Keep on going love don’t bow to the council,” a third added. Despite the outrage and being asked to pay to host her free yoga sessions, Hilmer remains positive. “I don’t want to fight,” she said. “The council can be the solution”. Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo replied saying that while she was "delighted" to see so many taking part in yoga sessions, "the business needs to adhere to its Personal Training Licence" to "ensure our popular public spaces remain available, safe and enjoyable for everyone." “We encourage Feel Good Flows to look at hosting additional yoga sessions on the foreshore to support its growing popularity," the Port Phillip mayor said. “Other businesses operating along the foreshore pay a licence fee for the use of public open space and adhere to the 15 person limit per session. "These capacity limits help provide fair access for many businesses operating with a Personal Training Licence, while minimising any potential disruption for visitors to our foreshore." She added that she has been in contact with Feel Good Flows, and are happy to discuss details further. "If the petition is sent to Council the matter will be heard in the Council Chamber.” Images: Instagram

Legal

Can’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> With the rising cost of living, gyms memberships and fitness classes are becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the good news is you can make <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28655559/">just as much progress at home</a>. Cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility are the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4">most important</a> components of fitness. And each can be trained with little or no equipment. Let’s look at why – and how – to fit them into your DIY exercise program. <h2>1. Cardiovascular endurance</h2> Cardiovascular endurance exercise (or “cardio”) forces the heart and lungs to increase the supply of oxygen to the working muscles. Heart disease is a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">leading cause of death</a> and cardiovascular endurance exercise helps keep the heart healthy. The best thing about cardio is you don’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Walking, jogging and running are great options, as are cycling, skipping rope and swimming. There are two approaches to maximise cardiovascular endurance: <ul> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897392/">high-intensity interval training</a> (HIIT) – short bouts of hard exercise (around 80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate) interspersed with lower intensity recovery periods (around 40% to 50% of your maximum heart rate) </li> <li> <a href="http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26664271/">low-intensity steady-state</a> (LISS) exercise – aerobic activity performed continuously at a low-to-moderate intensity (around 50% to 65% of your maximum heart rate) for an extended duration. </li> </ul> Both are great options. While high-intensity interval training can be more time efficient, low-intensity steady-state training might be more enjoyable and easier to sustain long-term. No matter what you choose, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">aim for</a> a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. For example, you could try 30 minutes, five days per week of low intensity cardio, or 25 minutes, three days per week of high-intensity activity, or a combination of the two. How do you know if you’re exercising at the right intensity? Smart watches that measure heart rate can help to monitor intensity. Or you can rely on the good old-fashioned <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25536539/">talk test</a>. During low-intensity activity, you should be able to speak in full sentences. Conversely, short phrases (initially) or single words (towards the end) should be all that’s manageable during high-intensity exercise. <h2>2. Muscle strength</h2> Next is muscle strength, which we train through resistance exercise. This is important for bone health, balance and metabolic health, especially as we age and our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276173/">muscle mass and strength declines</a>. Aim for two days per week of whole-body resistance exercise performed at a moderate or <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">greater intensity</a>. Try to build two weekly sessions that target the major muscle groups. This could include: <ul> <li>squats – lower to the ground from standing by bending the hips, knees, and ankles while keeping the chest up tall before returning to standing by straightening the hips, knees and ankles</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hip_Hinge">hinges</a> – fold forward at the hips by pushing your bottom back to the wall behind you, keeping your back straight. A slight bend in the knees is fine but aim to keep your shins vertical </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7196742/">push-ups</a> – if a full push-up is too difficult, you can place your hands on a raised surface such as a step or a chair </li> <li> horizontal and vertical pull ups – using something like a portable chin up bar, which you can buy from sports supply stores </li> <li> vertical pushes – pushing an object (or weight) vertically from the top of your chest to an overhead position. </li> </ul> Once you have selected your exercises, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35873210/">perform</a> 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions at a moderate to greater intensity, with about 90 seconds rest between each set. As you progress, continue to challenge your muscles by adding an extra set to each exercise, or including dumbbells, changing body position or wearing a backpack with weights. The goal should be to progress slightly each session. However, if you have any underlying health conditions, disabilities, or are unsure how best to do this, see an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. <h2>3. Flexibility</h2> Improved flexibility can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">increase your range of motion</a> and improve your ability to manage daily life. While we don’t know the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">best means of increasing flexibility</a>, the most basic and readily accessible is static <a href="https://www.topendsports.com/testing/flex.htm">stretching</a>. Here, we lengthen the muscle – for example, the hamstrings, until we feel a “stretching” sensation. Hold that position for 15–30 seconds. While the precise intensity of this stretching sensation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26347668/">remains elusive</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29506306/">around 5–10 minutes</a> per week per <a href="https://exrx.net/Lists/Directory">muscle group</a>, spread across five days, seems to provide the best results. <h2>How to stick with it?</h2> The best exercise is the one that gets done. So, whatever you choose, make sure you enjoy it. After all, it’s about creating an ongoing commitment to exercise that will deliver long-term health benefits. It’s also important to ensure you’re ready to exercise, especially if you have any underlying health issues, have been previously inactive, or are unsure how to start. A <a href="https://www.ausactive.org.au/apss">pre-exercise screening</a> can help you to determine whether you should see a doctor or allied health professional before starting an exercise program and for guidance on the next steps. <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/206204/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, Lecturer in Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, Professor in Allied Health and Health Services Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-afford-a-gym-membership-or-fitness-class-3-things-to-include-in-a-diy-exercise-program-206204">original article</a>.

Body

Why you should beware spending rewards and BNPL programs

Malware is software designed to disrupt and destroy, and there are plenty of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ financial programs doing just that to people’s financial futures. Some that come to mind are programs (yes, they’re called ‘programs’) that make it easier to spend and / or reward and incentivise spending, and harder to make good financial decisions. When you get tricked into spending, or spending more than you otherwise would, you transfer your wealth to someone else. The more wealth you consume, the less you have for later on. Let’s consider two marketing malware culprits to avoid wherever possible. Rewards Programs Beware programs that trick you into thinking that spending is good. Consider Flybuys for example. It is a rewards program where you generally receive one Flybuys point for every dollar spend. Therefore, to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points, you need to spend $1 000 000. What if I told you that the cash value of one Flybuys point is 0.5 cents? That would mean to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points you’d have to spend $1 000 000, yet that $1 000 000 is really only ‘worth’ $5000. They’ve actually created a system where you think you’re being rewarded on a one-for-one basis (i.e. one dollar spent equals one point) when really you’re being rewarded at the rate of half of one cent for every dollar spent. Additionally, when it comes time to redeem your points, the products you can ‘purchase’ are valued at top dollar, rather than at any discounted price you might be able to find if you shopped around. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Back in the day, department stores offered something called lay-by. This was where you could grab a product off the shelf, take it to the store’s lay-by counter and enter an arrangement with them to pay it off over two or three instalments. Once you’d made the final payment, the product was yours to own and take home. Lay-by was a great option for people who couldn’t access or didn’t want to use credit cards. There were no upfront fees associated with lay-by, and there was certainly no interest charged. Lay-by has been reborn and rebadged as BNPL; you pay by instalments, and you can take the product with you immediately. You won’t pay any fees provided you make the required instalments in full and on time. If you don’t, then you’ll be slugged with establishment fees, late fees, account-keeping fees and payment processing fees. The danger is that BNPL is easier to access than traditional debt options such as credit cards because BNPL is not technically credit since providers don’t charge interest. But BNPL is consumer debt with instant gratification, and that makes it credit in my book. Afterpay is one of the biggest BNPL providers on the planet. It advertises that it is a ‘free service’, provided you pay on time. If you don’t, their late fee is $10 per missed payment, plus an additional $7 if the payment is still outstanding after a week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you had bought something that only cost $20 and forgot to make a $5 instalment, then the $10 fee is 200 per cent of the missed payment. Ouch! Don’t forget that the fee is per missed payment. If there were other purchases made, then the fee would compound. Late fees, however small, can quickly cascade into a significant sum of money, potentially many times more than the instalment due or even the price of the item purchased. Plus, there are other consequences of missed payments—black marks on credit records, difficulties borrowing for other debt such as a home loan, and the possibility of additional fees as debts are passed over to debt collectors. BNPL organisations profit from users who fail to meet their repayment obligations, and so part and parcel of running a successful business and growing profits would involve them doing well when their customers do poorly. You can’t expect corporate behemoths to do the right thing by you if it’s the wrong thing by them. The best you can do is gain the skills and awareness you need to know when you’re being played. Marketing malware disrupts your ability to accumulate wealth by tricking you into believing you are getting a better deal than is the case. Ideally, you’d avoid using it at all, but if it’s too late for that, then you need to clean up your code as soon as you can. Being rewarded for spending money you haven’t yet earned is a toxic combination that will poison your efforts to attract and keep a fortune that counts. Make sure you are a good shepherd of your financial flock by being vigilant in keeping an eye out for marketing malware wolves, and not falling for their enticing yet financially disempowering charms. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers. Visit www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

The music program rehabilitating inmates

While a lot of prison inmates are not given the luxuries of life outside jail, one rehabilitation program is giving inmates one of life’s greatest pleasures: music. For Oli Firth, who was sent to Broken Hill Correctional Centre on drug-related offences, the Songbirds program changed his life. "[Music] was a real beacon of light for me. It was the one thing that carried me through," he told ABC<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/songbirds:-rehabilitation-and-music-behind-bars/13934620"> RN's Life Matters</a>. “It was the toughest time in my life.” The director of the Songbirds program, musician Murray Cook, has played with bands such as Midnight Oil, Mental as Anything and Mixed Relations. But for more than 20 years, Mr Cook has run music classes in different NSW prisons, including a stint as a music teacher in the psych ward of Sydney's Long Bay Correctional Centre. The Songbirds program, a project of the non-profit <a href="https://www.crcnsw.org.au/">Community Restorative Centre</a>, brings music and other art forms into prisons, with a focus on songwriting as a means of rehabilitation. "If you're in jail, it's a jungle. It really is. I'd hate to go there," Mr Cook says. "Because if you show any emotion, if you let on that you really love your daughter or something like that, [other prisoners] can use that against you. That's a bargaining chip for them to stand over you and get money — threaten to kill your kids, that sort of stuff." But he says, "Somehow within the context of a song, it's OK to say stuff like that, to say something like, 'I love my partner.'" As a way of dealing with feelings they believe they can’t vocalise, Mr Cook tries to get inmates to write about their feelings and experiences. However, he admits this process isn’t always straightforward. In the first session of a songwriting class, he talks about tolerance, about "not putting anyone else down, [not] being too critical". "[I also] always say in the first workshop, 'Look, your lives are really valuable … your music is so valuable.'" He says the classes can be made up of a fairly diverse group, which makes for an accepting and tolerant environment. "When you look at a group, you've got Islanders, Kooris, Middle Eastern people, bikies … They'd probably kill each other in the yard, as they tend to segregate into their own groups," Mr Cook says. "[But soon] you see a Koori guy over there working with an Asian guy and a bikie, trying to write a song, it's fantastic." It’s then over to the prisoners to perfect their songs and, if they choose, perform them for other inmates. "Once they've got it out and sung it, it's very cathartic. Just to know that somebody's listening to their story," Mr Cook says. If the inmates choose, Mr Cook helps them record their new tracks, which have been released on a series of Songbird albums over the years. "Like I always say to people in jail, music is a great way of letting off steam without hurting anyone … [But] I think the core of this is the personal transformation that comes through music," Mr Cook says. Image credits: Getty Images

Music

The unbeatable poker-playing program

<div class="copy"> When it comes to games, machines have left us in the dust – we’ve been trounced at draughts, chess, even the TV quiz show Jeopardy. But clever humans still had an edge when it came to poker – until now. A new program, Cepheus, plays the game so well you could play against it your whole life and, unless you were unbelievably lucky, still not finish on top. It is the brainchild of Michael Bowling and colleagues at the University of Alberta who published the algorithm behind their winning result in Science. And yes – Cepheus can even bluff. “It will almost certainly leave human opponents in its wake,” says David Dowe, a machine learning and artificial intelligence expert at Monash University. Computer algorithms are very good at cracking those games where players know everything that has occurred before making their move – this is known in game theory as “perfect information”. Examples are Connect Four and draughts – each player can see where all pieces lie on the board. These games were solved by computers in 1998 and 2007 respectively. But poker is an imperfect-information game. A player doesn’t know what cards their opponent holds or what cards their opponent thinks they hold. Not surprisingly, it’s these unknowns that make poker extremely challenging for computers to handle. So in 2008, Las Vegas was a little shaken up when a computer program, Polaris, beat some of its best poker pros at Texas hold ’em. But Polaris was not perfect – it occasionally lost. By rejigging its algorithm, Bowling and his poker research group have upped the ante and “solved” the game of poker while they were at it. “Solving” a game is not quite the same as beating your opponents. When it comes to chess or Jeopardy, all IBM’s Deep Blue or Watson had to do was provide a solution superior to their human opponents – but not necessarily the perfect one. By contrast, Cepheus’s algorithms were derived as rigorously as any mathematical proof. Its solutions are unbeatable by any opponent. So poker can be said to have been solved in a way that neither chess nor Jeopardy have. To get to its virtually unbeatable state, Cepheus had to “learn” from experience. It played the equivalent of a billion billion hands over two months, “… more poker than has been played by the entire human race,” says Bowling. And in a classical example of machine learning, it reviewed every decision, learnt which did or didn’t pay off and used that information to play as perfectly as possible. Cepheus’s strength lies in its ability to solve problems where there is a great deal of uncertainty. A human opponent might win individual hands if they get lucky with the cards, but Cepheus always comes out on top in the long run. Texas hold ’em is the most popular form of poker played today and Bowling’s group restricted Cepheus to a simple version called “heads-up limit hold ’em” – it’s played with two players (heads-up) and has fixed bet sizes and number of raises (limit). But when faced with a decision in real life, people aren’t usually limited to a set number of choices. So might a future version of Cepheus solve a no-limit version of poker? “Out of the question, ” says Bowling. “No-limit poker is considerably more complex. The heads-up limit game has 1014 (100 trillion) possible decision points and heads-up no-limit hold ’em has 10140 decision points.” To put that number in context, there are around 1070 atoms in the universe. If every atom contained its own universe you’d have as many atoms as decision points in heads-up no-limit hold ’em poker, well beyond the capabilities of any computer. Bowling believes the decision-making strategies Cepheus has mastered will have their greatest impact outside of the games room. Artificial intelligence has a history of beating humans at games and then going on to bigger and better things. For example, IBM’s Jeopardy-winning computer system Watson now helps optimise cancer treatment at Sloan Kettering and provides financial advice at Citicorp and ANZ. Cepheus’s strength lies in its ability to solve problems where there is a great deal of uncertainty. For instance, if you have diabetes, calculating the wrong amount of insulin needed day-to-day can be life threatening, particularly when you take into account unforeseen changes in physical activity or diet. Working with clinicians, Bowling is already using Cepheus-like strategies to develop diabetes management policies, although he says it will be years before they are implemented. Despite heading the poker research laboratory, Bowling says he’s not much of a poker player and has only played a few hands against his “perfect player” program. “The first time I ran for about 20 hands and I was in the lead and ready to quit, but then I played another 20 hands and lost a bunch of money, so now I’m behind,” he laughs. You can try your hand against Cepheus at <a rel="noopener" href="http://poker.srv.ualberta.ca/play" target="_blank">http://poker.srv.ualberta.ca/play</a> Image credits: Shutterstock <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=6287&title=The+unbeatable+poker-playing+program" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mathematics/the-unbeatable-poker-playing-program/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Belinda Smith. </div>

Technology

$1500 a fortnight JobKeeper wage subsidy in massive $130 billion program

The Morrison government will provide a flat $1,500 a fortnight JobKeeper payment per employee for businesses to retain or rehire nearly six million workers, in a massive $130 billion six-month wage subsidy scheme to limit the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus. Describing the initiative as “unprecedented action” for “unprecedented times”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this was a “uniquely Australian” solution to keep enterprises and their workers connected through to “the other side” of the crisis. He said no Australian government had ever made such a decision “and I hope and pray they never have to again.” The payment, made through the tax system, applies for workers of large, medium and small enterprises, and not-for-profits. It will start flowing from May 1, but will be backdated to March 30. It will be a flat rate for all those eligible, who include full-time, part-time, and casual workers (provided they have been with their employer for a year). Self-employed individuals will also be eligible. The payment is about 70% of the national median wage. For workers in the accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors - sectors hardest hit by the crisis - it will equate to a full median replacement wage. To be eligible, enterprises with an annual turnover of less than $1 billion must have lost at least 30% of their revenue after March 1, relative to a comparable period a year ago. For businesses with turnovers of more than $1 billion the reduction in revenue has to be at least 50%. Where workers have already lost their jobs, they can be rehired by their employer, provided they were attached to the enterprise on March 1. This will mean some people who have applied for a Centrelink payment will reconnect with their firm and will move to the JobKeeper payment. Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the scheme at 4 pm and almost 8000 businesses had registered by 5 pm. The $1,500 a fortnight will be paid whether the employee is working (in the case of an enterprise still operating) or not (if the business is not trading). Businesses that keep operating will have to pay each employee at least the $1,500, but there may be discretion about what’s paid above that, depending on whether there is an award. The $130 billion JobKeeper scheme is the third tranche of emergency assistance the government has unveiled since March 12. “This is about keeping the connection between the employer and the employee and keeping people in their jobs even though the business they work for may go into hibernation and close down for six months,” Morrison said. “We will give millions of eligible businesses and their workers a lifeline to not only get through this crisis, but bounce back together on the other side,” he said. The latest initiative brings the total support made available in the crisis to $320 billion, including $90 billion assistance from the Reserve Bank. The total amounts to the equivalent of 16.4% of GDP. Frydenberg said Australia was “about to go through one of the toughest times in its history”. The government had doubled the welfare safety net and now had gone even further, he said. Parliament - in a “mini” form - will sit to pass the package as soon as the legislation has been drafted. Business welcomed the scheme. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it was a “game changer”. The Business Council of Australia said the government had “made the right choice to work through the systems we already have in place to get assistance where it is needed as soon as possible.” But ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, expressed concern that $1,500 a fornight might not be enough. She said the full median wage of $1,375 a week “is what is needed”. The government is also temporarily liberalising access to income support. The JobSeeker payment has been subject to a partner income test of about $48,000. This is being temporarily relaxed so an eligible person can receive the JobSeeker payment and the associated new Coronavirus supplement of $550 a fortnight provided their partner earns less than $79,762 a year In other coronavirus developments on Monday, Victoria announced it had moved to “stage 3” of the response to the crisis, with the two-person restriction on gatherings to become legally enforceable. The two-person rule was announced by Morrison on Sunday but it was left up to the states to decide whether to make it enforceable. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said: “If you are having friends over for dinner or friends over for drinks that are not members of your household, then you are breaking the law”. “You face an on-the-spot fine of more than $1,600.” NSW is also announced it will enforce the rule. Queensland, which has closed its border, is toughening border controls. Federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly flagged modelling the government is using in its response will be made available later this week. Morrison has faced pressure for the modelling’s release. Kelly told a news conference he had asked his staff “to organise a meeting later this week where the modelling and the epidemiology and the public health response will be unlocked, and people will be able to ask questions about that. "I think we have been quite open with components of the modelling, but I respect that there is a large number of ways that modelling can be done, and so we need to be more transparent, and we will be.” Written by Michelle Grattan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-500-a-fortnight-jobkeeper-wage-subsidy-in-massive-130-billion-program-135049">The Conversation.</a>

Caring

National pen-pal program launched to help seniors stay connected

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Many older Australians are feeling lonely and isolated as they’re staying inside due to the coronavirus pandemic. To combat these symptoms, care provider Home Instead Senior Care is launching an electronic pen-pal program to more than 40 franchises across the country. The program aims to connect members of the public with elderly Australians who are self-isolating in their homes or who are in aged care facilities. "I think there is a great need for community relations during this time, particularly with our most vulnerable," Home Instead's Karen Buckley told <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a200330rktbg/national-pen-pal-service-launched-to-help-elderly-stay-connected-in-isolation-20200330" target="_blank">10 daily</a>. “This is about kindness and joy, and making these people still feel like valuable members of the community.” The idea started when a local business offered to deliver toilet paper to elderly people in Sydney, and the gesture sparked interest on the Facebook page “Viral Kindness Eastern Suburbs”. Donations and notes were printed off and delivered to residents of Regis Aged Care Rose Bay. "We trialled it locally in the eastern suburbs and within a few days, we got 20 cards, notes or emails," Buckley said. From Thursday, a new Facebook page and website will be launched for people who want to be a pen-pal. You’re able to register as a sender or a receiver. The public are also able to send an email directly or scan and attach a handwritten letter, which carers will print and share to the elderly in their care. "If there is a response, they will scan it and send it on accordingly," she said. "Loneliness is emerging as big a threat as dementia for our vulnerable, elderly people," she said. "This crisis we are facing brings home the fact they’re even more limited in terms of community connectedness. They could be quite well but the social isolation -- though warranted -- is another barrier to them retaining that sense of community." <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://homeinstead.com.au/penpals/" target="_blank">If you want to register for a penpal, you can do so here.</a> </div> </div> </div>

Caring

Get your voice heard on ABC’s 7.30 program

If you are going through trying times and would like to share your story, the 7.30 Program (ABC TV) has reached out to OverSixty with a very special invitation. The program is looking to connect with Australians over the age of sixty in order for you to represent your circumstances and experiences on the show. Grandparents in particular are of interest to the program producers, especially those who occasionally look after their grandchildren but will be looking after them in a larger capacity if the national directive goes out from Canberra to close schools across the board. The 7.30 Program is reaching out to the community as much as possible to keep everyone informed. Currently they are producing a story about multi-generational households and looking to hear from people that fit the following criteria: <ul> <li>Living in multi-generational households, where grandparents, children and grandchildren live together.</li> <li>Grandparents who occasionally look after their grandchildren but who may be looking after them increasingly if schools close.</li> </ul> If you or someone you know are in either of these situations and would like to speak to 7.30 and potentially share your story on the program, please contact 7:30 producer Nikki Tugwell via <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:Tugwell.Nikki@abc.net.au" target="_blank" class="c-link" aria-describedby="slack-kit-tooltip">Tugwell.Nikki@abc.net.au</a>

News

"Get with the program guys": Coles shopper not happy with plastic bag overload

A “disgruntled” shopper has expressed anger over the excessive packaging in her Coles online order. The woman said on a Facebook post that despite having ticked the ‘No bags’ option in her Click & Collect order, her groceries still came in individual plastic bags. “When there is an option for No Bags for Click & Collect (which I always tick) and then you put every single piece of fruit or vegetable in said plastic bags it kinda defeats the purpose of “no plastic bags”,” she wrote. “Having one onion or one lemon in a plastic bag is really not necessary and makes me quite furious about the waste and blatant disregard for the climate. Get with the program guys. The general public are becoming way more vigilant about saving our planet. It’s time for you guys to start making some changes too.” The “disgruntled customer” said she “can quite easily shop at Woolworths or Aldi next door”. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcoles%2Fposts%2F2743332352397429&width=500&show_text=true&height=695&appId" width="500" height="695" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> In its response to the woman’s post, Coles said the plastic bags are “necessary for health and safety reasons”. “We can advise that plastic bags are essential to keep your items together during the shopping process, and are necessary for health and safety reasons with some products,” the response read. Single-use plastic bag ban was introduced in Coles and Woolworths in June 2018. The change had led to an 80 per cent drop in plastic bag consumption nationwide within three months, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-03/supermarket-ban-sees-80pc-drop-in-plastic-bags-nationwide/10576554">according to the National Retail Association</a>. However, the lack of statistics on the supermarkets’ sales of reusable plastic bags suggests that there is no significant reduction in plastic bag use, according to the University of Melbourne’s behaviour change and environmental sustainability expert Geoffrey Binder. “I think that we’ll find that certainly when people go shopping there are people who are now taking bags to the supermarket, but does that mean there has been a net decrease in plastic bag use? Probably not,” Binder told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/coles-woolworths-reusable-plastic-bags-ban-failing-040305984.html">Yahoo News Australia</a>.

Food & Wine

Biggest overhaul in 32 years: Qantas announces major changes to its Frequent Flyer program

Qantas has just made the biggest announcement in the 32-year history of its Frequent Flyer program, with massive changes benefiting the customer into paying less fees and having access to more seats along with the opportunity to earn points while on the ground. Speaking to the media on Thursday, CEO Alan Joyce and divisional head Olivia Wirth made the revelation which will affect 13 million members. It is expected for the changes to take place over the next 12 months, with the airline investing $25 million into the scheme. The biggest changes will be access to more seats, with over 1 million seats reserved for Frequent Flyers. Destinations that will benefit the most will be London, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Singapore. Another plus is reduced fees and carrier charges when redeeming points. If you’re someone who tends to travel in economy, you will now be using less points for a Classic Rewards seat. But if you prefer to fly first class, business class and premium economy, then the news is slightly bleaker as you will be paying an increased fee of 15 per cent – which is a first for the airline. You will also be paying more for an upgrade to a premium cabin – up to 9 per cent. “While the points required for business class seats on international and domestic flights will increase slightly, it is the first increase in 15 years and the product has improved a lot in that time,” said Mr Joyce. “There’s a lot about the Qantas Frequent Flyer program that our members tell us they love but there are also areas of the program that have increasingly come under pressure as a result of rapid expansion,” added Ms Wirth. “What we’re announcing today is all about investing more into the heart of our program, the member experience.” However, the most exciting change is the new “Points Club” program which helps members earn points when they aren’t up in the air. The club is comprised of two tiers and entry gained based on members meeting an annual criteria. Once travellers gain access to the exclusive club, they will receive lounge entry and bonus star credit, as well as bargain deals across their “partner” network. “The combination of the new Points Club, the introduction of our most elite tier in Lifetime Platinum, and the increase in seats across our network means the revamped program should offer something for everyone,” said Ms Wirth.

Travel Tips

Channel 7 cancels My Kitchen Rules bonus season

My Kitchen Rules was unfortunately up against Channel Nine's Married at First Sight and was crushed in the ratings this year, despite MKR being in its 10th season. As a result, Channel Seven has now ditched plans to air a 10-year anniversary bonus season, which was scheduled for later this year. Instead, the cooking show will return to screens early next year for season 11. Seven’s head of programming Angus Ross confirmed to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mediaweek.com.au/angus-ross-seven-network-back-at-1-after-battle-with-nine-in-q1/" target="_blank">Mediaweek</a> that Channel Seven is looking to reinvigorate the cooking show. “We won't be bringing in a stunt series at the end of this year. It is coming back in [the first quarter] next year,” Ross said. “We think we've got a few ideas about how to reinvigorate and re-imagine the show.” The decision not to air two MKR seasons in 2019 is one that has surprised fans, as the network has been promoting a “10th Anniversary Special” since October 2018. “How things played out [with the ratings for the 2019 season], the smarter thing to do was to consolidate next year,” Ross added. When Ross was asked whether or not he was pleased with the performance of MKR, he gave a clear answer. “Would I have liked My Kitchen Rules to have done better numbers? Of course I would,” Ross said. However, Ross was quick to point out that Seven is not a one show network. “But we are not a one show network at Seven. We are always on, there is no Easter or summer [breaks]. “We are driven by our three key pillars – news, entertainment and sport. We are the sum of our parts on not reliant on a single show.”

RSPCA’S rehoming program gives peace of mind to worried pet parents

For Susan Koleda and her husband, their West Highland Terriers are more than dogs. They consider the two of them, Bonnie and Chloe, their “fur children”. But they’re reaching a time in life where they need to think about the future, about all those uncertainties that tend to accompany getting older. What will happen to their home? Their belongings? Their dogs? “My biggest fear is that if something happens to us, they won’t be looked after in the way that they are used to,” Susan told RSPCA NSW. So, in order to dispel that worry, Susan signed up for the RSPCA NSW Home Ever After program. The program aims to rehome the pets of people who have passed away or become permanently incapacitated, ensuring they’re looked after and cared for well into the future. The Home Ever After process begins with a preliminary interview with the owner to create a pet profile. Our team endeavours to learn everything there is to know – which toys are their favourite, preferred treats, sleeping habits, whether they like to be scratched behind the ear – all the things only a doting parent would know after years of love and care. Then, in the event that the owner is no longer able to care for their pets, the Home Ever After team springs into action. They collect the pets and take them into the care of RSPCA NSW. They are then rehomed with an appropriate family using all the information provided by the owner, ensuring the pets retain all the things they are accustomed to. The Home Ever After team also keeps in touch with the adoptive family to make sure everything is running smoothly. “When pet owners enrol in the program, they are safeguarding their pet’s future by creating their next forever home with the knowledge of the person who knows them best,” Home Ever After Coordinator Maria Natera said. “The program may never be needed but it’s so important to be prepared just in case it ever is.” The RSPCA doesn’t ask for payment for this service but asks supporters to consider leaving a gift in their Will, so they can continue its vital work helping animals in need around the state. “You know their vet history and their special personalities,” Susan said. “It just gives me great peace of mind knowing that I now have a plan in place, and my girls will be placed in a loving home if I am no longer able to look after them.” If you’ve ever asked yourself the question, “If something happens to me, what will happen to my pet?”, <a href="https://www.rspcansw.org.au/what-we-do/home-ever-after/">Home Ever After</a> is able to provide an answer.

Family & Pets

The REAL winner of frequent flyer programs – and it’s not loyal customers

They were originally designed to give back to loyal passengers but frequent flyer programs reward airlines more than customers, analyists say. The immense popularity of frequent flyer programs prompted airlines to start making money off them. "About 10 years ago Qantas realised that there was an opportunity for them to commercialise this more widely and it was largely because of how consumers value those points both as a status symbol and as the opportunity to get flights," Credit Suisse director of equity research, Paul Butler, told <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-11/frequent-flyer-program-helping-airlines-more-than-customers/9977272">ABC</a>. Qantas, the most popular rewards program in the country, has 12 million members that earned more than 120 billion points last year. Its frequent flyer program brings in more than $400 million a year in profit, which is more than it makes flying people overseas. Credit Suisse calculates the frequent flyer business is worth about $4 billion to Qantas. Tony Webber, the chief executive of Airline Intelligence and Research, said airlines are the big benefiters of rewards programs as they control the entire process – airlines determine the value of points, what the points are redeemed for, when the points are redeemed, how many points are needed for an upgrade, and can add additional fees the customers must pay. "The dominant reason it's exceptionally good for the airlines' cash flow is that they're really getting a revenue stream for a very little cost stream," Tony Webber told ABC. Dr Webber also point out that airlines wants customers’ points to expire. "They really want the points to expire, they have a strong incentive to expire the points. As soon as the points expire there is no cost associated to the airlines with these points being earned," Dr Webber said.

Money & Banking

Embarrassing mistake spotted in Commonwealth Games official program

In an embarrassing blunder ahead of tonight’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, England is a listed as an African nation in the official program. According to the glossy 130-page program which includes an official welcome from the Queen, England’s capital is not London but Banjul. The nation that created the Commonwealth, not to mention the Commonwealth Games, is also listed as having over two million people. England’s actual population is of more than 66.5 million people. The program also lists England’s first Commonwealth Games were in 1970, when in fact it was 1930. <img width="316" height="421" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8b220ec866ea65722569a1297d1173ab?width=316" alt="Oops! England has been described as an African nation in a Commonwealth Games program." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> It seems publishers of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) have mixed up England’s profile with Gambia, a small African nation. The $10 program includes profiles on the 71 Commonwealth Games nations, as well as official welcome messages from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin. “It’s a pretty embarrassing clanger,” a Games volunteer who discovered the blunder told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/england-listed-as-african-nation-in-official-commonwealth-games-program/news-story/dca02240ca4ae5be581ed5496c550de1?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=News.com.au&utm_medium=Facebook">News Corp.</a> “This is the official program that thousands of people will buy as a keepsake and the details on the country that created the Commonwealth are wrong. “If GOLDOC knew about the mistake, it must have been too late or too expensive to reprint the magazine.”

News

5 good reasons to join a hotel loyalty program

There are lots of good reasons to get with the program. 1. Earn loyalty points Just like airline frequent flyer points, hotel loyalty programs give you points every time you make a booking. These add up and can be used to book hotel nights at any property in the group or you can spend them on extras within the hotel, like the restaurant or spa. You’ll actually find that hotel loyalty points are much easier to accrue and redeem than airline points, so you can take advantage of them straight away. 2. Get extra discounts Everyone loves saving money! Members will be offered exclusive discounts or special rates that aren’t available to the general public. These could be sent out in a members-only email or there might be a special members’ area you can access on their website when booking direct. Never pay full price again. 3. Enjoy exclusive freebies Even if you are just paying the standard room rate, that loyalty card still has value. Most hotels will offer members things like free Wi-Fi access, welcome drinks, breakfast, lounge access and more. These are the little extras that can quickly add up during a hotel stay, so it pays to be a member and get them at no extra charge. 4. Take advantage of the perks Hotels want you to stay loyal to them, so they will sometimes offer members special perks when they stay with them. That could be room upgrades, a bottle of champagne in the room, free breakfast or even things like spa treatments if you are one of their top frequent sleepers. 5. Get the royal treatment Every time you book, the fact that you are a member of the loyalty program will be noted in the system. Hotels want to keep their members happy (and keep them coming back), so they will go out of their way to make sure you have a pleasant stay. Are you part of a hotel loyalty program? Do you think it’s worth it? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Tips

This annoying computer program is about to be scrapped

Adobe is planning to remove its Flash Media Player by the end of 2020, the company announced in a blog post on Tuesday. Adobe Flash Player is still being used by a number of gaming, education, and video sites, but the company is encouraging businesses and people that use Flash to migrate to other platforms. <img src="http://cdn.arn.com.au/media/8340179/flashupdate.jpg" alt="undefined" style="width: 354px; height: 223px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Say goodbye to annoying update messages like this. “We will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats,” Adobe said in a statement. In the past few years, web browsers Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari have all blocked Flash ad used HTML5 instead. Adobe Flash was crucial in enabling early websites to run videos and online games. But as the web has evolved and improved, there's little need for Flash now. The full migration to HTML5 will likely result in more secure experiences and longer battery life.

Technology

Centrelink robo-debt program creating "climate of fear"

The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) has accused the Government of creating a “climate of fear” in the rollout of its <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/centrelink-concedes-debt-review-system-too-slow/" target="_blank">automated debt recovery process</a>. Appearing before a parliamentary committee investigating the highly criticised robo-debt program, ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/mp-alan-tudge-says-no-flaw-in-centrelink-system/">criticised the Government</a> for the manner in which the new process has been announced and installed. Ms Goldie told the committee, “What this system has done is create a climate where people have been frightened, indeed people have been bullied, into complying. “The impact of this rob-debt system, as it has come to be known, has been to cause extensive distress and suffering right across the community with thousands of people affected. In the lead-up to this program being unleashed there was a perception created that if you do not comply, you may go to jail. We believe the actions of the government has culminated in creating a serious climate of fear around this program.” The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents Centrelink workers, also appeared before the inquiry, warning that staff in the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/03/28-million-centrelink-calls-got-an-engaged-signal/" target="_blank">branches were under increasing pressure</a> from upper management and aggressive clients. CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said, “It isn't an exaggeration to say that the Department of Human Services is an agency in crisis.” At the same time, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) tried to distance itself from the debacle. ATO Deputy Commissioner Greg Williams also appeared before the hearing, but argued, “We are involved in identity matching and the provision of data, but we are not involved in the data-matching that occurs on the DSS/DHS side. We are trying to maintain the level of integrity in the role of the ATO in this exercise.” What’s your take on this whole debacle? Do you think it’s been overblown by the media? Have people been unfairly targeted? Do you feel for Centrelink staff? Let us know what you think. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/government-expanding-debt-program-to-target-pensioners/">Pensioners next on Centrelink’s hit list</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/centrelink-concedes-debt-review-system-too-slow/">Centrelink concedes debt review system is too slow</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/government-knew-of-potential-centrelink-problems/">Government knew of potential Centrelink problems</a>

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