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Car crash claims the life of TV icon Leslie Jordan

<p dir="ltr">TV actor and social media sensation Leslie Jordan has died at the age of 67.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Will & Grace star crashed his BMW into the side of a building in Los Angeles on Monday morning, local time, with the <em>New York Post</em> reporting that he suffered from a medical emergency while behind the wheel.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement shared with the <em>Post</em>, Jordan’s manager confirmed the heartbreaking news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” his manager said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What he lacked in height he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Knowing that he has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 4’11” star rose to fame on television screens in the 1990s, with roles in <em>Reasonable Doubts</em>, <em>Ally McBeal</em>, <em>Boston Legal</em>, and<em> Judging Amy</em>, as well as guest appearances on <em>Dharma & Greg</em>, <em>Ellen</em>, and <em>Caroline in the City</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He became best-known for his comedic roles, including his starring role in the show<em> Hearts Afire</em> and as sassy socialite Beverly Leslie in <em>Will & Grace</em>, with his humour earning him fame and 5.8 million followers on social media during the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">His fame earned him a spot on CNN’s New Year’s Eve 2021 countdown, where he rang in the new year with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkG-tMgOI-y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkG-tMgOI-y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Leslie Jordan (@thelesliejordan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Jordan’s Instagram account, where he shared clips of himself singing gospel hymns and humorous stories about Hollywood, shared the news of Jordan’s passing and encouraged fans to “comfort each other” and share their memories of the actor.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The love and light that Leslie shared will never go out and we invite you to share your memories and comfort each other during this time,” the post read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the coming days we will be giving a glimpse of a project Leslie was really proud of and was looking forward to sharing with the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The star, who released his memoir <em>How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well-Lived</em> last year, was raised as a Southern Baptist and was openly gay, being widely revered as a queer icon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1955, Jordan previously said he struggled growing up in a traditional family and conservative city, though he was supported by his beloved mother, Betty.</p> <p dir="ltr">He moved to Los Angeles in 1982 to pursue a career in showbiz, but soon became involved in drugs and alcohol and had been arrested several times by his mid-20s.</p> <p dir="ltr">Overcoming his addictions by the 1990s, Jordan’s TV career quickly blossomed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jordan’s role in <em>Will & Grace</em> during the 2000s, which he reprised during the show’s reboot in 2017, earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of his death, his co-stars and others in Hollywood were among the first to pay tribute.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend. 😔❤️ <a href="https://t.co/RNKSamoES0">pic.twitter.com/RNKSamoES0</a></p> <p>— Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanHayes/status/1584620699473563648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Crushed to learn about the loss of <a href="https://twitter.com/thelesliejordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thelesliejordan</a>, the funniest & flirtiest southern gent I’ve ever known. The joy and laughter he brought to every one of his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WillandGrace?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WillandGrace</a> episodes was palpable. Gone about thirty years too soon. You were loved, sweet man. 💔</p> <p>— Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricMcCormack/status/1584614461511413760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Crushed to learn about the loss of Leslie Jordan, the funniest & flirtiest southern gent I’ve ever known. The joy and laughter he brought to every one of his #WillandGrace episodes was palpable. Gone about thirty years too soon. You were loved, sweet man. 💔” Eric McCormack, who played Will Truman on <em>Will & Grace</em> tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him,” fellow <em>Will & Grace</em> actor Sean Hayes wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend 😔❤️.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am stunned at the death of Leslie Jordan, who delighted us with his many roles on television and film. The cause of death was a car crash after he suffered a medical emergency. Leslie, we are heartbroken at your loss and will miss your mirth and your inimitable spirit.</p> <p>— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1584612609956884481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><em>Star Trek </em>actor George Takei paid tribute to Jordan for delighting viewers with his roles, writing: “Leslie, we are heartbroken at your loss and will miss your mirth and your inimitable spirit.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @thereallesliejordan (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Federer opens up on emotional moment with Rafael Nadal

<p dir="ltr">Roger Federer has spoken about the moment he was snapped holding hands with Rafael Nadal during his emotional final match at the Laver Cup, describing it as a “secret thank you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Nadal and Federer lost their doubles match, there wasn’t a dry eye in the arena as the reality of Federer’s retirement and completion of his final match sunk in.</p> <p dir="ltr">The icons have been both rivals and teammates over the years, winning a combined 42 Grand Slam singles titles.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the match emotions were high with the pair sitting next to each other and crying, with Federer then reaching out to hold Nadal’s hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a photo capturing the moment going viral, Federer told the New York Times the act was a “secret thank you” to Nadal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, I mean, it was a short moment,” Federer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think at one point, I was sobbing so hard, and I don’t know, everything was going through my mind about how happy I am to actually experience this moment right there with everybody.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I think that’s what was so beautiful about just sitting there, taking it all in while the music was playing, and the focus was maybe more on her (the singer Ellie Goulding). So, you almost forgot that you’re still being taken pictures of.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I guess at one point, just because obviously I couldn’t speak and the music was there, I guess I just touched him, and I guess it’s maybe a secret thank you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t know what it was, but for me, that’s maybe what it was and how it felt and some pictures came out of it. Different ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not just that one but other ones, too, that were just completely crazy, you know, so with different angles, and I hope to get those because they mean a lot to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The emotional moment comes after the 41-year-old announced his retirement earlier this month.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the potential to add more wins to his lengthy list of victories, Federer said he hopes he can continue to play in exhibition matches.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it would be beautiful to somehow have a goodbye exhibition game, you know, and thank the fans, because obviously Laver Cup was already sold out before I knew about retirement,” Federer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of people would have loved to get more tickets and couldn’t, so I just feel maybe it would be nice to have one more or several goodbye exhibitions, but I’m not sure if I could or I should do that now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But obviously I would love to play exhibitions down the road, take tennis to new places or take it back to fun places where I had a blast.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6ea1229-7fff-18f5-380c-255e00edf0b8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Lifestyle

“You feel free”: Meghan Markle opens up on life in her new home

<p dir="ltr">After leaving royal life for the celebrity haven of Montecito, California, two years ago, Meghan Markle has revealed that her new home has brought with it freedom, tranquillity and peace of mind.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, bought <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/take-a-peek-inside-harry-and-meghan-s-20-million-mansion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom home</a> for a hefty $US 14.65 million ($SG 20.2 million) in 2020, becoming neighbours with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview for <em><a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/meghan-markle-profile-interview.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cut</a></em>, the 41-year-old Suits star detailed how her California home is “healing” and allows her to “feel free”, feelings that pushed her and Harry to snap it up when they could.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We did everything we could to get this house,” she told writer Allison P. Davis. “Because you walk in and go … Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple bought the home - which comes complete with rose gardens, a tennis court, a tea house, and a two-bedroom guesthouse - shortly after leaving the royal family.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 1700 square-metre home is reportedly the first both Harry and Meghan have owned, with the pair now embarking on renovations including the fixing of pipes.</p> <p dir="ltr">With Harry and Meghan working on various projects through their company Archewell, they share a home office which includes two plush club chairs side-by-side in front of a desk.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the sitting room, cozy chairs and rosewater candles are included along with a grand piano, gifted to the couple by actor and director Tyler Perry as a housewarming present after they spent the pandemic living in his multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the couple initially resisted viewing the home when they were looking to establish themselves in the area, with Meghan revealing that it wasn’t within their means initially.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible,” Meghan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">When they did finally take a tour of the house, she said they had only seen the grounds when they told the realtor they had to have it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” Meghan recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He goes, ‘My love, it’s us’.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-66ba1c23-7fff-aa38-75e8-817e357bbc8d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @CampbellAddy (The Cut / Twitter)</em></p>

Property

Anne Heche to be taken off life support

<p dir="ltr">US actress Anne Heche will be taken off life support days after she was reported to be brain dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision comes after the 53-year-old was matched with an organ recipient, per CNN, in line with her wishes, after Heche was pulled out of her burning car, which she had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/actress-fighting-for-her-life-after-horror-car-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driven into an LA home</a> while driving 104 km/h on August 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heche's publicist broke the news that the <em>Six Days, Seven Nights</em> star was "not expected to survive" on Friday, revealing that Heche had "suffered a severe anoxic brain injury".</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” her spokesperson told <em>Page Six</em> at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-02f14bcd-7fff-85ab-3ecc-d0d822147ddc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anne Heche (@anneheche)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The following day, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that the investigation into the crash would not move forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the LAPD said in a statement to <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/08/14/anne-heche-police-investigation-dismissed-following-stars-death/?_ga=2.230917663.184706205.1660479883-1122528718.1567945808" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the results for Heche’s blood test following the crash <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/anne-heche-s-blood-test-results-revealed-after-horror-smash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detected “the presence of drugs” in her system</a>, police investigations escalated to a “preliminary” felony DUI.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gossip magazine <em>TMZ </em>reported on August 10 that the investigation was escalated after a woman claimed she was injured and needed medical assistance due to Heche crashing into her home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a45620a-7fff-a523-348f-68564680d4f2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, an LAPD public information officer told <em>Page Six</em> that the felony was preliminary due to pending further toxicology testing.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Tupper (@mrjamestupper)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Heche, who never regained consciousness after the crash, is survived by her 13-year-old son Atlas, who she shares with actor James Trupper, as well as her 20-year-old son Homer, shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-661f6c10-7fff-c097-316a-6f5c947cb84c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">On Saturday, Tupper shared a sweet tribute to his late wife to Instagram, posting a single photo of Heche along with the caption: “love you forever 💔”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Coley Laffoon (@coleylaffoon)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Laffoon took to social media to wish his ex-wife peace on her journey, sharing a throwback photo of Heche with their son as a baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s important to remember the real love in the best times. Thank you Anne. Peace on your journey,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd5ef628-7fff-d8e9-c738-71dae7ec97e9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @anneheche (Instagram)</em></p>

News

10 old-time remedies that actually work

<p>These remedies have been known about for hundreds of years and you might have heard about some of these incredible tips from your grandmother! </p> <p>See the ten best remedies that actually work. </p> <p><strong>1. Old-time home remedies</strong></p> <p>Researchers have produced hundreds of studies in the past five years about the effectiveness of home remedies, but not all the old-time solutions really help. That’s why this list focuses on treatments with evidence to back them up. Remember that even natural cures can interact with medications. If you take pills regularly or have a chronic health condition, check with your doctor before trying these.</p> <p><strong>2. Buttermilk for age spots</strong></p> <p>You can skip the expensive skin creams. This rich by-product of butter contains lactic acid and ascorbic acid. One study showed that this combination lightened age spots more effectively than lactic acid alone. Apply to the spots with a cotton ball, then rinse with water after 20 minutes.</p> <p><strong>3. Comfrey for back pain</strong></p> <p>This medicinal plant has been used for centuries to treat joint and muscle pain. A study of 215 patients found that applying concentrated comfrey cream to the lower and upper back reduced muscle pain. You can buy it in health food stores and online.</p> <p><strong>4. Aloe for burns</strong></p> <p>“Aloe is a very soothing remedy for burns,” says dermatologist, Dr Purvisha Patel. One study demonstrated it was more effective than other treatments for second-degree burns. Make sure you use pure aloe, not a scented version. If you own an aloe plant, simply cut open a leaf and apply the liquid directly to the affected area. For serious burns, you should still see a doctor.</p> <p><strong>5. Ground flaxseed for constipation</strong></p> <p>“It’s almost as if nature tailor-made ground flaxseed to relieve constipation,” says gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. “It is a great source of both insoluble and soluble fibre, which add bulk to the stool and promote the growth of good bacteria.” Ground flaxseed is an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to help soften stool and relieve constipation. Aim for two to three tablespoons a day as part of a fibre-rich diet.</p> <p><strong>6. Thyme tea for coughs</strong></p> <p>Thyme is a natural expectorant that relaxes the respiratory tract and loosens mucus. Studies have found that using thyme in combination with primrose or ivy relieves the frequency and duration of coughs. To make thyme tea, place two tablespoons of fresh thyme (or one tablespoon dried) in a cup of hot water. Allow it to steep, then drain out the herb. Add honey to taste.</p> <p><strong>7. Blackberry tea for diarrhoea</strong></p> <p>Blackberries are rich in tannins, substances that can tighten mucous membranes in the intestinal tract. They have long been used as a treatment for diarrhoea. Make blackberry tea by boiling one or two tablespoons of fresh or frozen blackberries or dried blackberry leaves in one and a half cups of water for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink several cups a day. You can also buy blackberry tea, but make sure that it contains blackberry leaves and not just flavouring.</p> <p><strong>8. Lavender oil for foot odour</strong></p> <p>Lavender essential oil not only smells good but also has antibacterial properties that help kill germs. Before bed, rub a few drops of oil onto your feet and massage it in. Pull on a pair of socks to protect your sheets.</p> <p>9. Globe artichoke extract for GORD and heartburn</p> <p>Compounds in artichoke leaves called caffeoylquinic acids stimulate the release of bile from the gallbladder, which helps relieve nausea, gas, bloating, and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and heartburn. Since the leaves are mostly inedible, look for artichoke extract capsules in health food stores or online.</p> <p><strong>10. Cherries for gout</strong></p> <p>People who ate about 20 cherries every day were less likely to experience flare-ups of gout, according to a study of 633 patients with the condition. Cherries contain compounds that help neutralise uric acid.</p> <p><em>Written by Jen McCaffery and Tina Donvito. This <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/20-old-time-home-remedies-that-actually-work" target="_blank">article</a> first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p> <p></p>

Lifestyle

Woman celebrates 100th birthday in jail cell

<p>Ruth Bryant celebrated her centennial birthday by crossing off a wish on her bucket list: to be arrested and sent to jail.</p> <p>The US woman was celebrating her 100<sup>th</sup> birthday on Wednesday at her assisted living community in North Carolina when deputies from the Person County Sheriff’s Office showed up and served her a warrant for “indecent exposure” at a fire department.</p> <p>Friends and family members present at Bryant’s birthday celebrations weren’t aware of the plan, <em>WRAL </em>reported.</p> <p>“I know that she is a hundred years old, but I didn’t know ... they’d be going this far,” the 100-year-old’s daughter Marian Oakley told the outlet.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKATVChannel7%2Fvideos%2F2729937517059685%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="445" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Police handcuffed Bryant to her walker and loaded her into the front seat of the police car before driving her to prison.</p> <p>She spent a few minutes inside a cell and was given a free phone call, a mug shot and an orange jail t-shirt.</p> <p>“I’m in the jailhouse now! I finally got here!” she said.</p> <p>She was released after paying bail in the form of a hug to the chief jailer and returned to her residence for cakes with friends.</p>

Lifestyle

World’s oldest man dies days after revealing secret to long life

<p>The world’s oldest living man has died at age 112 – just 13 days after he was told a Guinness Book of Records Ceremony the secret to living a long life.</p> <p>Chitetsu Watanabe, a retired Japanese farmer, died at his care home in Niigata, the city in northern Japan. The same city where he was born in March 1907.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iNJ4vhK_T/?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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iNJ4vhK_T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">#chitetsuwatanabe est le nouveau doyen de l'humanité Âgé de 112 ans, le japonais s'est vu décerner par le Guinness des records le mérite de la personnalité masculine la plus âgée au monde. #Watanabe est né en le 5 mars 1907 à #niigata dans le nord-ouest du #japon. Il a reçu son mérite ce mercredi dernier dans la maison de retraite où il vit. Le Précédent détenteur de ce record fut aussi un #japonais du nom de #masazononaka qui est décédé le mois dernier à 122ans et 266 jours. #people #celebrity #celebrities #guinness #guinnesworldrecord #japan #japanese #old #oldest #humanity #kazekarta</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kazekarta/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> KAZE KARTA</a> (@kazekarta) on Feb 13, 2020 at 8:49pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The father-of-five had developed a fever and struggled to eat after celebrating his record on February 12.</p> <p>His eldest son’s wife Yoko told Japan’s<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200225/p2a/00m/0na/015000c" target="_blank">Mainichi</a></em><span> </span>newspaper that in the days before his death, he slightly struggled.</p> <p>For a long part of his life, Mr Watanabe worked on a sugar plantation and in his death left behind not only his five children, but 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchildren.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8e13Ybjjid/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8e13Ybjjid/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Junta Hispana (@juntahispana)</a> on Feb 12, 2020 at 1:27pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Sweetly enough, he grinned happily as he received his award and admitted while he did not have any teeth, he could still not resist custard and cream tarts.</p> <p>He told people listening at the Guinness Book of Records ceremony that the secret to a long life was to smile and never be angry.</p> <p>A wake will be held for Mr Watanabe at 6 pm on February 27, organised by his grandson Tetsuya, and a funeral will take place at 10.30 am the next day at Ceremony Hall Heian.</p> <p>The oldest living man is now 110-year-old Issaku Tomoe, according to Jiji Press. The previous oldest living man was Masazo Nonaka, also Japanese, who died last year aged 113.</p> <p>Mr Watanabe's daughter-in-law - wife of his eldest son Tetsuo, said: “I've never seen him raise his voice or get mad. He's also caring.</p> <p>“I think having lived with a big family under one roof, mingling with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren helped keep a smile on his face as well.”</p> <p>Only a little more than a decade ago, Mr Watanabe used to grow bonsai trees and had amassed a glorious collection of about 100 which he used to exhibit for interested tourists and curious travellers.</p> <p>With all his might and will, he proved age was not much more than a number and kept growing fruits and vegetable on his family home he had built with his son Tetsuo in 1974.</p> <p>He did not stop until he was 104 years old.</p> <p>The record for the oldest man ever was held by Jiroemon Kimura, of Japan, who was born in April 1897 and passed away aged 116 years 54 days in June, 2013.</p>

Health

10½ commandments of writing

<p>Every author is asked by new writers for advice. There is, however, no all-encompassing, single answer that also happens to be correct. Quite a lot of commonly offered suggestions (“write every day”) don’t work for everyone and must be approached with caution.</p> <p>A few years ago, I set out to create a list that will benefit all new writers. I put ten commandments through the wringer of my peers, who suggested modifications and noted that this list applies not just to new writers but to writers at every stage of their career. Indeed, I’ve needed reminding of more than one myself.</p> <p>Here, then, are the 10½ commandments of writing – with an extra one for free.</p> <p><strong>1. Read widely</strong></p> <p>To succeed as a writer, you must occasionally read. Yet there are wannabe-novelists who haven’t picked up a book in years. There are also, more tragically, writers too busy to engage with the end-product of our craft. If the only thing you’re reading is yourself you are bound to miss out on valuable lessons.</p> <p>The same applies to reading only within a favourite genre. A varied diet will strengthen your literary muscles.</p> <p><strong>2. Write</strong></p> <p>No need to thrash out 1,000 words a day or pen a perfect poem before breakfast, but you do have to write. The fundamental qualification for being a writer is putting words on the page.</p> <p>If you aren’t doing that now, it’s possible you never will.</p> <p><strong>3. Follow your heart</strong></p> <p>When you really want to write literary fiction, but the market wants paranormal romance, write literary fiction. Chasing paranormal romance will be futile. Writing well is hard enough without cynicism getting in the way.</p> <p>Passion doesn’t always pay, but it increases the odds of your work finding a home.</p> <p><strong>4. Be strategic</strong></p> <p>But the choice is never between just literary fiction and paranormal romance. You might have poetry and narrative non-fiction passion projects as well, and it’s possible narrative non-fiction will appeal to the widest audience. If a wider audience is what you want, narrative non-fiction is the one to choose.</p> <p>If, however, you don’t give two hoots about your audience, write what you like.</p> <p>There are lots of different kinds of writers and lots of different paths to becoming the writer you want to be.</p> <p><strong>5. Be brave</strong></p> <p>Writing is hard, intellectually and physically. It also takes emotional work, dealing with exposure, rejection, fear and impostor syndrome. It’s better you know this upfront, in order to fortify yourself.</p> <p>These crises, however, are surmountable. We know this because there are writers out there, leading somewhat normal lives, even healthy and happy ones. You can too, if you don’t give up.</p> <p>The ones who persist are the ones who prevail.</p> <p><strong>6. Be visible</strong></p> <p>Many writers would prefer they remain hidden in a dark cave for all eternity. But stories demand to be communicated, which means leaving that cave. Whether it’s you or your written word, or both, broaching the bubble of self-isolation is important.</p> <p>This doesn’t mean assaulting every social platform and attending every festival and convention. Find the kind of engagement that suits you and embrace it, and don’t overdo it. Remember: you still have to write.</p> <p><strong>7. Be professional</strong></p> <p>Don’t lie. Don’t belittle your peers and don’t steal from them. Keep your promises. Communicate. Try to behave like someone people will want to work with – because we all have to do that, at some point.</p> <p><strong>8. Listen</strong></p> <p>Heed what people you’re working with are saying, because you never know what gems of knowledge you might glean – about craft, about the market, about something you’re working on – among the knowledge you (think you) already possess.</p> <p><strong>9. Don’t settle</strong></p> <p>Every story requires different skills. You’ll never, therefore, stop learning how to write. The day you think you’ve worked it out is the day the ground beneath you begins to erode, dropping you headlong into a metaphorical sinkhole – and nobody wants that. Least of all your readers.</p> <p>Readers can tell when you’re getting lazy, just like they can tell when you’re faking. You’re one of them. Deep down, you’ll be the first to know.</p> <p><strong>10. Work hard</strong></p> <p>Put in the hours and you’re likely to get some return on your investment. How many hours, though?</p> <p>There’s a wonderful saying: “Even a thief takes ten years to learn her trade.” Writing is no different to any other career. Hope for overnight success; plan for being like everyone else.</p> <p><strong>The bonus commandments</strong></p> <p>When I put this list to my friends, several raised the importance of finding your people. Although I agree this is an important principle, I would argue it is implicit in commandments 6-8: these have no meaning without engaging. I decided to encapsulate this as <strong>10.5. Embrace community</strong></p> <p>After I’d been teaching and giving talks on this topic for several years, someone suggested another commandment that lies beneath the rest. It is so fundamental none will work unless you have this in spades. It is <strong>0. Really want it</strong>, which sounds so obvious that it barely needs stating – except it does.</p> <p>One day, I may no longer want to write. If that happens, I will take every mention of writing from this list and substitute the name of a new vocation – because this list applies to everything.</p> <p><em>Written by Sean Williams. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/10-commandments-of-writing-129069">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Lifestyle

Global trust crisis as people no longer believe hard work will bring a better life

<p>Many people no longer believe that <span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/2020-edelman-trust-barometer-shows-growing-sense-of-inequality/11883788">hard work will lead to a better life</a></span>, a new survey found.</p> <p>In its <span><a href="https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2020-01/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report_LIVE.pdf">20<sup>th</sup> annual Trust Barometer</a></span>, which polled more than 34,000 people in 28 countries, public relations firm Edelman found that despite strong economic performance, the majority of people in developed markets said they believe they and their families will not be better off in five years’ time.</p> <p>“We are living in a trust paradox,” said the agency’s CEO Richard Edelman.</p> <p>“Since we began measuring trust 20 years ago, economic growth has fostered rising trust. This continues in Asia and the Middle East but not in developed markets, where national income inequality is now the more important factor in institutional trust.</p> <p>“Fears are stifling hope, as long-held assumptions about hard work leading to upward mobility are now invalid.”</p> <p>Trust in government also continued to decline as people grappled with concerns over job insecurity and income inequality.</p> <p>More than four out of five (83 per cent) employees said they worry about losing their job due to a range of factors, including gig economy, looming recession, foreign competitors and automation.</p> <p>Government was viewed as the most unethical and least competent institution, with only 42 per cent of respondents saying they have confidence that government leaders will be able to address the challenges int their country.</p> <p>Media was also considered incompetent and unethical, with 57 per cent saying the media they consume contain untrustworthy information.</p> <p>Business ranked the highest in competence but was deemed unethical, with the majority of respondents agreeing that capitalism does more harm than good in the world today. No institution was seen as fair in the survey’s index of public perception.</p>

Finance

What you should do before bed so you get ahead in life

<p><strong>Make a prioritised to-do list</strong></p> <p>Writing out a to-do list each night is a great way to streamline your morning and get you off to a good start, but you can supercharge your to-do list by making one little tweak, according to Jeff Petro, CEO of Cool Beauty Consulting. “Each night, I draft a to-do list for the next morning, and then I prioritise the top three items that must get done,” he says. “This keeps me focused on what’s really important without getting side-tracked by smaller tasks.” And resist the urge to mark everything as a top priority. Sticking to just three will help keep you from getting overwhelmed, and you’ll still feel like you’ve accomplished a lot at the end of the day.</p> <p><strong>Take some deep breaths</strong></p> <p>Bedtime meditation has a slew of powerful health benefits, including better sleep – so it’s no surprise that it’s a habit practised not just by CEOs but also professional athletes, celebrities, scientists and other people at the top of their fields. But it’s all too easy to forget or to brush off at the end of a long day, which is why Keith Cushner, CEO of Tuck, keeps his meditation practical and simple. “I spend 10 to 20 minutes using one of a few different meditation techniques, including guided meditations and breathing exercises on my own,” he says. “Using apps like Headspace and Buddhify make it easy. I just have to follow the directions.”</p> <p><strong>Spend one-on-one time with their partner</strong></p> <p>Raise your hand if you’ve ever laid in bed with your partner, playing on your phones or watching movies, side-by-side but not interacting? (That’s everyone, right?) You’ll sleep better and have a better relationship if you follow the lead of Rachel Pedersen, CEO of the Viral Touch. “Every night before bed, I make sure to have a little flirty time with my husband,” she says. This could mean talking about your day, snuggling, or any other activity (ahem) that helps you bond. “This keeps us connected daily throughout the challenges of our work and personal lives,” she adds.</p> <p><strong>Use a smart plug to shut off all screens</strong></p> <p> “I shut down my phone, laptop, TV and tablet at least two hours before bed, which is tough when you have a lot to do or are in the habit of checking email and other notifications,” says Michael Alexis, CEO of Team Building Hero. “My pro tip for making the no-screens effort easier: I have my Wi-Fi router connected to a smart plug that shuts off at 10pm and turns itself back on at 8am when I wake up. When the Wi-Fi stops, so does my access to the Internet.”</p> <p><strong>Block out all noise and light</strong></p> <p>You never realise how loud your refrigerator is or how bright your neighbour’s porch light is until you’re trying to fall asleep. Eliminate these distractions simply by using ear plugs and a sleep mask, like Alexis does. “This combination is, of course, helpful for blocking out light and noise, but I find it helpful even in quiet dark rooms,” he explains. “Putting the sleep mask on feels like a trigger to go to sleep, and I usually fall asleep within five minutes or so.”</p> <p><em>Written by Charlotte Hilton Anderson. This article first appeared in </em><em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/conditions/sleep/16-things-ceos-always-do-before-bed?pages=2">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a><span><em> , </em></span><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a></p>

Health

The royal family responds to rumours of Queen’s retirement

<p><span>A Clarence House spokesman has issued a statement amid rumours that Queen Elizabeth II will step back from her role at the age of 95.</span></p> <p><span>The 93-year-old monarch will continue her reign until the end of her life, the press office for Prince Charles confirmed. “There are no plans for any change in arrangements at the age of 95 – or any other age,” the spokesman told <em><a href="https://people.com/royals/is-queen-elizabeth-planning-to-retire-when-she-turns-95-in-favor-of-son-prince-charles/">People</a></em>.</span></p> <p><span>The statement came after reports emerged that the Queen considered pulling back from public life in 2021 following her 95<sup>th</sup> birthday in favour of Prince Charles. The Duke of Cornwall was said to be in the process of taking over the reins after <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/prince-charles-office-issues-statement-about-queen-s-retirement-1.4719891" target="_blank">allegedly taking leadership</a> in the fallout from the scandal involving his brother Prince Andrew.</span></p> <p><span>The claim first came up in Robert Jobson’s 2018 biography of Prince Charles, <em>Charles at Seventy: Our Future King</em>. Jobson wrote that the Queen is likely to “trigger a period of regency”, in which she will grant her eldest son the “full power to reign”.</span></p> <p><span>The Queen’s husband Prince Philip retired as a working royal in 2017 when he was 96 years old.</span></p> <p><span>A palace source told <em>People </em>that the Queen will continue to have a full schedule. “The Queen is as busy as ever in terms of audiences, investitures and meetings. It is business as usual,” the source said.</span></p>

Lifestyle

Appreciating the 50-year-old brain: “Ages like fine wine”

<p>It’s no secret that the big five-oh may come with a few unwanted health complaints. A few more jiggly bits that weren’t there a decade ago. Some aches and pains, perhaps. Definitely more hair in unwanted places.</p> <p>But like a fine wine (and hopefully if you haven’t quaffed too much of it over your time on the planet), there is one part of the body that’s actually doing better in a lot of ways than it did when you were younger.</p> <p>Believe it or not, it’s your brain. Sure, you’re not as good at multitasking as you used to be, and things are possibly operating a little slower up there too – which can be annoying when grappling with a particularly tricky Sudoko or trying to remember Cousin Janet’s daughter’s name. But your brain has learned to compensate for its slightly slower processing speed by using more of itself, according to studies – something it simply couldn’t or didn’t do when you’re younger. Pretty amazing, right?</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3359129/">one study</a>, an MRI taken of a teenager working through a problem shows mainly activity on one side of the brain, the area used for conscious reasoning. The amazing upshot of doing the same test on a middle-aged person? It shows both sides of the brain sharing the task equally.</p> <p>And, research involving air-traffic controllers and airline pilots found that those between the ages of 50 and 69 took more time to learn new equipment than their younger counterparts, but once they had, they made fewer mistakes while using it.</p> <p>Experts also say the 50-year-old brain is more adept at making rational decisions and has better judgement – helped, no doubt, by a lifetime of memories and experiences. You’re also far more likely to make smarter financial decisions, and enjoy better impulse control (something many of us probably couldn’t lay claim to in our youth).</p> <p>The 50-year-old brain can reportedly also adapt, absorb new information and gain new skills and wisdom, too. Your reasoning is better. When faced with a problem, you may be slower to come up with a solution, but the one you put on the table will no doubt be more elegant and shrewder than that of a younger person. Research shows you’re better able to articulate in your 50s and you continue expanding your vocabulary as you age, too. (Clearly, there are good reasons why the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-is-what-you-need-to-become-a-ceo-of-an-asx-200-company-2014-10">average age of CEOs</a> in Australia – men and women – is 54).</p> <p>So, you’re probably feeling smarter, wiser, calmer and more mature right about now. Rightly so; you and your brain have earned it. But that’s not to say you should rest on your, er, noggin.</p> <p>In fact, if you want to keep your brain in its prime for as long as possible, maintaining a healthy weight and doing as much as you can to challenge your grey matter are key in staying sharp and strong upstairs. <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110">Exercise is huge too</a>: it’s well documented some daily cardiovascular activity can go a long way towards maintaining good brain function (particularly the area involved in verbal memory and learning). Lifting weights may work your guns, but it seems you’ve got to break a sweat for your brain to enjoy the knock-on effects.</p> <p>The best news, though, is that you’ve got a heap of ammo to whip out next time a younger family member starts joking about your doddery ‘senior moments’. You now know better than anyone that you’re far more of a braniac than they are, and actually, it’s all thanks to your age. Who would’ve thought?</p> <p><em>Written by Rachel Smith. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/in-praise-of/in-praise-of%E2%80%A6-the-50-year-old-brain.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Lifestyle

Couple dies 33 hours apart after being married for 68 years

<p>A husband and wife who had been married for 68 years have passed away within hours of each other.</p> <p>Minneapolis couple Robert and Corinne Johnson were laid to rest together after dying 33 hours apart, <em><a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/life/married-68-years-husband-and-wife-die-one-day-apart/89-fba881e6-5178-4e9a-9c0d-c9838523c1b4">KARE11</a> </em>reported.</p> <p>Corinne died on November 24 at the age of 87 from congestive heart failure. Her husband Robert, 85, followed soon on November 25 after months of battle with cancer.</p> <p>The couple’s youngest son Brent Johnson said his parents passed “on their own terms”.</p> <p>He said his father was known for his chivalrous acts, including letting others ahead through doors or buffet lines. “So it was only fitting that in the end he waited for mother to go first and then he passed away,” he told <em><a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/life/married-68-years-husband-and-wife-die-one-day-apart/89-fba881e6-5178-4e9a-9c0d-c9838523c1b4">KARE11</a></em>.</p> <p>Brent said it was not a coincidence that his father’s death came shortly after his mother’s. “When I asked him what his wishes were if mom passed away, he said he couldn’t imagine life without her. And in the end, he was right,” Brent told <em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/04/us/minneapolis-couple-married-68-years-dies-day-apart-trnd/index.html">CNN</a></em>.</p> <p>The pair’s other son Bruce Johnson, <a href="https://people.com/human-interest/minnesota-couple-die-33-hours-apart/">who works as a doctor that specialises in cancer</a>, said he thought his father had more time.</p> <p>“I sort of thought he looked like he could go for weeks,” Bruce said. “As soon as mom died, he went downhill and died in a day. It’s hard to imagine it’s a coincidence.”</p> <p>Robert and Corinne’s relationship began when they grew up beside each other on a farm in Nicollet County, according to their obituaries.</p> <p>The pair tied the knot in October 1951 and raised seven children together. They also shared 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.</p> <p>The secret to the couple’s long-lasting marriage was strong faith and commitment, Brent said.</p> <p>“Dad would say, if mom isn’t happy, no one’s happy,” he said. “He understood what it took to make a marriage work.”</p>

Health

“He picked the wrong house to break into”: 82-year-old bodybuilding grandma beats home intruder

<p><span>An 82-year-old award-winning female bodybuilder turned the table – literally – on a home intruder as she fought and dragged the unwelcome guest out of her property.</span></p> <p><span>Retired social worker Willie Murphy said she was getting ready for bed Thursday night at her home in Rochester, New York when a man pounded on her door, asking her to call an ambulance for him, <em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/24/us/82-year-old-bodybuilder-grandma-intruder-trnd/index.html">WHAM</a> </em>reported.</span></p> <p><span>Murphy said the man broke through the door when she wouldn’t let him in her house.</span></p> <p><span>“It’s kind of semi-dark and I’m alone, and I’m old. But guess what, I’m tough,” said Murphy, who won a weightlifting competition earlier this year. “He picked the wrong house to break into.”</span></p> <p><span>Murphy said she used various household items to attack the intruder, starting with her table.</span></p> <p><span>“I took that table and I went to working on him, and guess what? The table broke,” she said, adding that she used the metal table legs to keep hitting the man afterwards.</span></p> <p><span>She said she also used a bottle of baby shampoo and a broom to attack the man before dragging the man out of the house.</span></p> <p><span>“He wants to get the heck out of there. And I’m trying to help him get out of the house, but he’s too heavy. I can’t move him. He’s dead weight.”</span></p> <p><span>When police officers arrived a few minutes later, the intruder was apprehended.</span></p> <p><span>“He’s laying down already because I had really did a number on that man. I’m serious. I think he was happy when he went in the ambulance,” Murphy said.</span></p> <p><span>“The officers that came wanted to go on my front porch and take selfies with me.”</span></p> <p>Murphy has made headlines before for her record-setting participation in the World Natural Powerlifting Federation. Speaking to the American <em><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/a-drunk-man-broke-into-her-house-this-82-year-old-bodybuilder-did-a-number-on-him-she-says/ar-BBXjW6M?li=BBU4PL8">Today</a> </em>show, she said she began powerlifting in her mid-70s to stay healthy and fit.</p>

Lifestyle

Incredible but true: Terminally ill scientist extends life for decades by becoming "world's first full cyborg"

<p>A British scientist who is terminally ill said he has transformed into “the world’s first full cyborg”.</p> <p>61-year-old Peter Scott Morgan, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2017, said he decided to extend his life using technology.</p> <p>This week, the roboticist emerged after 24 days in intensive care to reveal that “Peter 2.0 is now online”.</p> <p>“All medical procedures now complete and a huge success,” Scott-Morgan wrote on a Twitter post. “Long research road ahead but in great spirits.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Just home from 24 days in Intensive Care. All medical procedures now complete and a huge success. My mini-ventilator keeping me breathing is a LOT quieter than Darth Vader’s. All speech is synthetic but at last sounds like me again. Long research road ahead but in great spirits. <a href="https://t.co/JPjwjagDLT">pic.twitter.com/JPjwjagDLT</a></p> — Dr Peter B Scott-Morgan (@DrScottMorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrScottMorgan/status/1193923007045132289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The processes Scott-Morgan underwent during his intensive care included a laryngectomy to avoid the danger of saliva potentially entering his lungs – which he described as trading his natural voice for “potentially decades of life”.</p> <p>He also had a laser eye surgery and developed a life-like avatar of his face, which was designed to respond using artificially intelligent body language.</p> <p>The scientist, who was told by experts he might only have until the end of this year to live, said last month: “I’m not dying, I’m transforming. Oh, how I love science.”</p> <p>Scott-Morgan said the transition, which turned him into “the most advanced human cybernetic organism ever created in 13.8 billion years”, would not be his last.</p> <p>“It won’t stop there; I’ve got more upgrades in progress than Microsoft,” he wrote on his website. “Mine isn’t just a version change. It’s a metamorphosis.”</p> <p>Scott-Morgan said MND, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, should be seen as an opportunity to “upgrade” rather than a death sentence.</p> <p>“Over time, more and more with MND, with extreme disability, with old age, with a passion simply to break free from their physical straightjacket, will choose to stand beside me,” he wrote.</p> <p>He is now lobbying British MPs for support for his Right to Thrive campaign, which calls for increased access for people with MND to life-sustaining technologies, including tracheostomy and cough-assist machine.</p>

Health

What a mass extinction is and what it means for you

<p>For more than 3.5 billion years, living organisms have thrived, multiplied and diversified to occupy every ecosystem on Earth. The flip side to this explosion of new species is that species extinctions have also always been part of the evolutionary life cycle.</p> <p>But these two processes are not always in step. When the loss of species rapidly outpaces the formation of new species, this balance can be tipped enough to elicit what are known as “mass extinction” events.</p> <p>A mass extinction is usually defined as a loss of about three quarters of all species in existence across the entire Earth over a “short” geological period of time. Given the vast amount of time since life first evolved on the planet, “short” is defined as anything less than 2.8 million years.</p> <p>Since at least the <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/215/4539/1501">Cambrian period</a> <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122654">that began</a> around 540 million years ago when the diversity of life <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/105/Supplement_1/11536">first exploded</a> into a vast array of forms, only five extinction events have definitively met these mass-extinction criteria.</p> <p>These so-called “Big Five” have become part of the scientific benchmark to determine whether human beings have today created the conditions for a sixth mass extinction.</p> <p><strong>The Big Five</strong></p> <p>These five mass extinctions have happened on average every 100 million years or so since the Cambrian, although there is no detectable pattern in their particular timing. Each event itself lasted between 50 thousand and 2.76 million years. The first mass extinction happened at the end of the Ordovician period about 443 million years ago and wiped out over 85% of all species.</p> <p>The Ordovician event <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pala.12397">seems to have been the result</a> of two climate phenomena. First, a planetary-scale period of glaciation (a global-scale “ice age”), then a rapid warming period.</p> <p>The second mass extinction occurred during the Late Devonian period around 374 million years ago. This affected around 75% of all species, most of which were bottom-dwelling invertebrates in tropical seas at that time.</p> <p>This period in Earth’s past was characterised by high variation in sea levels, and rapidly alternating conditions of global cooling and warming. It was also the time when plants were starting to take over dry land, and there was a drop in global CO<sub>2</sub> concentration; all this was accompanied by soil transformation and periods of low oxygen.</p> <p>The third and most devastating of the Big Five occurred at the end of the Permian period around 250 million years ago. This wiped out more than 95% of all species in existence at the time.</p> <p>Some of the suggested <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018216306915">causes</a> include an asteroid impact that filled the air with pulverised particle, creating unfavourable climate conditions for many species. These could have blocked the sun and generated intense acid rains. Some other possible causes are still debated, such as massive volcanic activity in what is today Siberia, increasing ocean toxicity caused by an increase in atmospheric CO₂, or the spread of oxygen-poor water in the deep ocean.</p> <p>Fifty million years after the great Permian extinction, about <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248289771_Triassic-Jurassic_boundary_events_Problems_progress_possibilities">80% of the world’s species</a> <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/292/5519/1148">again went extinct</a> during the Triassic event. This was <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319680088">possibly caused</a> by some colossal geological activity in what is today the Atlantic Ocean that would have elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, increased global temperatures, and acidified oceans.</p> <p>The last and probably most well-known of the mass-extinction events happened during the Cretaceous period, when an estimated 76% of all species went extinct, including the non-avian dinosaurs. The demise of the dinosaur super predators gave mammals a new opportunity to diversify and occupy new habitats, from which human beings eventually evolved.</p> <p>The <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/350/6256/76">most likely cause</a> of the Cretaceous mass extinction was an extraterrestrial impact in the Yucatán of modern-day Mexico, a massive volcanic eruption in the Deccan Province of modern-day west-central India, or both in combination.<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301159/original/file-20191111-178484-1e7unnm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /><strong>Is today’s biodiversity crisis a sixth mass extinction?</strong></p> <p>The Earth is currently experiencing an extinction crisis largely due to the exploitation of the planet by people. But whether this constitutes a sixth mass extinction depends on whether today’s extinction rate is greater than the “normal” or “background” rate that occurs between mass extinctions.</p> <p>This background rate indicates how fast species would be expected to disappear in absence of human endeavour, and it’s mostly measured using the fossil record to count how many species died out between mass extinction events.</p> <p>The most accepted background rate estimated from the fossil record gives an average lifespan of about one million years for a species, or one species extinction per million species-years. But this estimated rate is highly uncertain, ranging between 0.1 and 2.0 extinctions per million species-years. Whether we are now indeed in a sixth mass extinction depends to some extent on the true value of this rate. Otherwise, it’s difficult to compare Earth’s situation today with the past.</p> <p>In contrast to the the Big Five, today’s species losses are driven by a <a href="http://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s5_8879.pdf">mix of direct and indirect human activities</a>, such as the destruction and fragmentation of habitats, direct exploitation like fishing and hunting, chemical pollution, invasive species, and human-caused global warming.</p> <p>If we use the same approach to estimate today’s extinctions per million species-years, we come up with a rate that is between <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/66/9/785/1753703">ten and 10,000 times higher than the background rate</a>.</p> <p>Even considering a conservative background rate of <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/5/e1400253">two extinctions per million species-years</a>, the number of species that have gone extinct in the last century would have otherwise taken between 800 and 10,000 years to disappear if they were merely succumbing to the expected extinctions that happen at random. This alone supports the notion that the Earth is at least experiencing many more extinctions than expected from the background rate.</p> <p>It would <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11018">likely take several millions of years</a> of normal evolutionary diversification to “restore” the Earth’s species to what they were prior to human beings rapidly changing the planet. Among land vertebrates (species with an internal skeleton), <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6195/401">322 species have been recorded going extinct</a> since the year 1500, or about 1.2 species going extinction every two years.</p> <p>If this doesn’t sound like much, it’s important to remember extinction is always preceded by a loss in population abundance and shrinking distributions. Based on the number of decreasing vertebrate species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">Red List of Threatened Species</a>, 32% of all known species across all ecosystems and groups are decreasing in abundance and range. In fact, the Earth has lost about <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/all_publications/living_planet_index2/">60% of all vertebrate individuals since 1970</a>.</p> <p>Australia has one of the worst recent extinction records of any continent, with <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9ca4/f10e7349b6618dfbbfeb118a0954ab0643b8.pdf">more than 100 species of vertebrates going extinct</a> since the first people arrived over 50 thousand years ago. And more than 300 animal and 1,000 plant species are <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">now considered threatened with imminent extinction</a>.</p> <p>Although biologists are still debating how much the current extinction rate exceeds the background rate, even the most conservative estimates reveal an exceptionally rapid loss of biodiversity typical of a mass extinction event.</p> <p>In fact, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12210-013-0258-9">some studies show</a> that the interacting conditions experienced today, such as accelerated <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35068-1">climate change</a>, changing atmospheric composition caused by human industry, and abnormal ecological stresses arising from human consumption of resources, define a perfect storm for extinctions. All these conditions together indicate that a sixth mass extinction is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09678">already well under way</a>.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederik-saltre-220925">Frédérik Saltré</a>, Research Fellow in Ecology & Associate Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/corey-j-a-bradshaw-9183">Corey J. A. Bradshaw</a>, Matthew Flinders Fellow in Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-mass-extinction-and-are-we-in-one-now-122535">original article</a>.</em></p>

Lifestyle

Husband and wife named oldest living couple in the world

<p><span>An American couple with a combined age of 211 years has been named the world’s oldest living couple by the Guinness Book of World Records.</span></p> <p><span>Charlotte Henderson is 105 and her husband, John is 106. The pair will celebrate their 80<sup>th</sup> marriage anniversary on December 15.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">With a combined age of 211 years, one couple in Austin, Texas, has been named the oldest living couple in the world, according to Guinness World Records. John Henderson is 106 and his wife, Charlotte, is 105. <a href="https://t.co/3piaX2cPak">pic.twitter.com/3piaX2cPak</a></p> — The Desi Times (@TheDesiTimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDesiTimes/status/1192887507144368129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span>The two met in class at The University of Texas in 1934, where Charlotte was studying to be a teacher and John played football for the Longhorns. They tied the knot five years later during the Great Depression.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Oldest living couple in the world live in Texas. On December 15, John Henderson, 106, and his wife, Charlotte, 105, will celebrate 80 years of marriage. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! <a href="https://t.co/OXtUoIOHli">https://t.co/OXtUoIOHli</a> <a href="https://t.co/PgXrBO0N7F">pic.twitter.com/PgXrBO0N7F</a></p> — Day Trippin' Texas (@DayTrippinTexas) <a href="https://twitter.com/DayTrippinTexas/status/1192881208813854721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span>Ten years ago, the Hendersons moved into the Longhorn Village, a senior living community associated with a University of Texas alumni group.</span></p> <p><span>According to John, the secret to the longevity of their marriage is to live in moderation and be cordial to each other.</span></p>

Lifestyle

How to: Dating with confidence

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marina’s advice on dating with confidence will assist you to begin to make changes in the way you believe, think and feel about yourself so you can begin moving towards fulfilling your love goal with confidence.</span></p> <p><strong>Confidence equals attraction</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Confidence has been attributed to the greatest attraction factor for both men and women. So let’s start by becoming clear about what confidence is. Basically confidence is being comfortable in your own skin – confidence reflects what you think and feel about your abilities. Therefore, I know my worth, I know my life matters, I know how to promote my internal assets and more importantly I pursue my goals with passion and purpose. Confidence is not about trying to be like others – confidence is accepting yourself as you are and allowing your uniqueness to shine.</span></p> <p><strong>Know your worth</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, what it is the fastest way to increase your confidence? Knowing that your life has meaning and that your contributions to the world are of value is one of the quickest and fastest ways to increase your confidence. But confidence is not something we can fake. It is a feeling we give out to others – people feel what we think and believe about ourselves. A common mistake many people make when they begin dating is that they only focus on their external assets; their hair, going to the gym, losing weight, buying a new wardrobe or a new car, Botox and the list goes on. Although good looks, sexy clothes and a great body may attract men and women to you it is no guarantee that they will fall in love with you or want to establish a long term relationship. Research informs us that men do not necessarily fall in love with the prettiest and sexiest of women and not all women fall for the best looking guy (or the one with the most money).</span></p> <p><strong>Tips to increase your Dating Confidence</strong></p> <p><strong>Let go of past relationships and attachments: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is one of the biggest reasons why people prevent the right partner from finding them. They are still emotionally attached to a past love/s.</span></p> <p><strong>Make a list of your strengths and your good qualities:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Become clear about why you are a great catch and more importantly why you will no longer accept anything less than what you deserve. Remember having something is not better than having nothing; particularly when it comes to love.</span></p> <p><strong>Break free from your comfort zone: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you still doing the same thing you always have to find the love of your life? Then the chances are high that you will keep attracting the same type of person or situation.</span></p> <p><strong>Re-evaluate and then re-create your “must-list”:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think about what is on your ‘must have’ list when it comes to a partner. Then look honestly at yourself and identify what qualities you could still do some work on to strengthen. Then take positive steps to become the best you can be to attract the person you would like in your life. Remember, like attracts like!</span></p> <p><strong>Spend time with friends that celebrate you:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The calmer and happier you are, the more confident you will feel about attracting your special person. The way people treat us directly impacts on our self-esteem.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read more from Marina about how to find new love </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/lifestyle/boomer-life/preparing-for-love-in-your-50s.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here.</span></a></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Marina Bakker. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/dating-with-confidence.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

Health

What the royals would earn if they had real-life jobs

<p><span>As members of the royal family, the Dukes and Duchesses might be <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/the-world-s-richest-royal-in-2019-revealed/">worth millions of dollars</a> – but how much would they earn as a commoner?</span></p> <p><span>Training and qualifications provider <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/" target="_blank">The Knowledge Academy</a> has analysed the royals’ skills and qualifications to discover the job and the salary they would have if they were part of today’s job market.</span></p> <p><span>Duchess Meghan came out as the top earner with an expected annual salary of £350,000 thanks to her acting experience, while Prince Harry and Prince William could earn between £21,000 and £55,000 as a charity worker or a major in the army.</span></p> <p><span>Duchess Kate – the first royal bride with a university degree – could earn up to £23,000 in a corporate administrative or marketing role, considering her experience working for high-end retailer Jigsaw and her parents’ party supplies company Party Pieces.</span></p> <p><span>Sophie, Countess of Wessex would earn £40,000 with her secretarial training and PR experience. Her husband Prince Edward, who had worked in production for theatre and television, could earn up to £28,000 as an experienced production assistant.</span></p> <p><span>Princess Anne and Duchess Camilla, who had limited work experience, were expected to have a salary of £19,000 and £17,500 as a charity worker and a secretary respectively.</span></p>

Finance

10 key questions to ask your parents today

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As your parents get older, it’s important you have a clear understanding of their end-of-life wishes and their financial situation. Why? Because as their future guardian, it’s vital you have all of this information at your fingertips so you can help them as they get older. Then you know your family is prepared for the unexpected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biggest trap you can fall into is putting off these important questions until it’s too late. As we all know, it’s so easy for time to slip by and then you’ll find these important questions haven’t been asked. So what’s the best way to go about asking your parents these important questions?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, you need to make a time to sit down with them and check they have all of their legal documents in place. Second, ask them if it is okay that you have access to all of these documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next step is to sit down with your parents and go through it step-by-step. It’s never going to be easy to ask your parents questions about their end-of-life wishes, but if you keep in mind this will be a huge help to them in the later stages of their lives, this should make it a bit easier.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 1. Do your parents have an enduring power of attorney?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your parents will need to fill out an enduring power of attorney, which is a legal document that designates who will take care of their affairs if they are unable to decide for themselves, for example if they become mentally or physically incapacitated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More than one person can be designated to take care of your parents’ affairs on this form. So you need to decide who these people are going to be – more than one person is probably best if possible. The power of attorney form must be signed by these designated people and your parents, and then it has to be witnessed by a lawyer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You need to get this form completed as soon as possible as you are not legally able to help your parents with their financial affairs without it.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 2. What are your parents' end-of-life wishes?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An advanced care directive – also known as a living will – is a document which states your parents’ end-of-life wishes. For example, they can state whether they’d like a ventilator and feeding tube to keep them alive in the event of an irreversible coma. They can also choose how long they would stay on a ventilator in this situation. They can also choose if they want to have CPR initiated if their heart stops. There are other directives they can give as well such as whether they would like to donate their organs once they pass on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If your parents haven’t made these choices and they don’t have an advanced care directive yet, be sure to ask the questions and keep a record their wishes. You’ll also need to ensure the people named on your parents’ power of attorney are aware of these decisions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is important to discuss your parents' end-of-life wishes to be aware of what they want. </span></p> <p><strong>Question 3. Do your parents have a will?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A will is the legal document used to designate what happens to your parents’ money and possessions after they pass on. Your parents should have one already but check to make sure they are happy with it and it has been updated recently.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 4. Do your parents have enough funds for aged care?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moving into aged care is not cheap but there’s help from the government if your parents qualify. You need to be aware of your parents’ financial situation so if something happens to their health, you know how much money is available.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 5: Do your parents have a preference for an aged care facility?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s best to ask your parents if they have some preferences for aged care before a crisis hits. This gives them the opportunity to be involved in the process, rather than just having to hand everything over to you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There may be an aged care facility they’ve seen which they like and if you know this, it’ll make everything a whole lot easier later on.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 6: Is someone advising your parents on financial matters?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Older parents can be very independent regarding their finances and this is totally understandable. But at the same time, it’s important you ask your parents if they are getting advice from anyone about their financial situation and if they are following any sort of program. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are a lot of scams around so if you find out they do have an advisor or an accountant they deal with regularly, make sure you check them out to see if they’re reputable. This will also make it easier to get in touch with this person in the case of an emergency.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As your parents get older, it’s important you have a clear understanding of their financial situation</span></p> <p><strong>Question 7: Who are the medical professionals your parents are currently seeing?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You need to know the names of the medical specialists your parents are seeing as well as their main doctor. If one of your parents becomes hospitalised, information from one of these doctors could be critical so you will need all of their contact details.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 8: Can your parents cope with their medications?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many older people end up on some complicated protocols involving a number of medications. If you sit down with them and ask them to let you know exactly what they’re on, this should help you gauge whether your parents are able to manage their medications themselves or not.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You need to have this information just in case you need to provide it to hospital staff in case of an emergency.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 9: Are all of these documents current?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of the documents we’ve mentioned so far need to be up-to-date for them to work properly. Encourage your parents to keep all of these documents together and it’s best you go through these documents with them once each year, just to check that everything is up-to-date.</span></p> <p><strong>Question 10: Where are these documents kept so they can be accessed if needed?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Probably one of the most important things to keep in mind in all of this is where all of these documents are going to be kept so you can find them in an emergency. It’s best that a few people know where these documents are kept in case something happens to your parents while you are away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many people decide to keep the original documents in a safe or a designated safe place – so that everyone who needs to know where they are can access them when needed.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Pamela Connellan. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/preparing-for-the-unexpected-important-questions-to-ask-your-parents.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

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