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Shock over op shop item listed for $2,000

<p>An Aussie charity shop has come under fire after a shopper spotted a luxury item with a hefty four-figure price tag. </p> <p>A woman was browsing the shelves at the Vinnies Op Shop in Tamworth where she spotted a forest green handbag by luxury brand Balenciaga for sale for a whopping $2,000. </p> <p>While the handbag retails at roughly $4,000, the eye-watering "sale" price has infuriated many after a customer spotted it isolated on a shelf in-store. </p> <p>"How in the world would a normal everyday person be able to afford that? At the stage now it’s cheaper to go to Kmart," a local woman hit out on social media.</p> <p>Others agreed, saying it's a "slap in the face when everything is donated in first place".</p> <p>"It’s ridiculous these days, all the op shops are so overpriced. Very much so in the suburb I live in because it’s a wealthy area, they think everyone who walks in is loaded," another said, commenting on the designer bag.</p> <p>Vinnies was quick to respond to the backlash over the expensive item, Vinnies North West area manager Julie Crosby reiterated that Vinnies shops are charity stores. </p> <p>"We're raising funds," she told the <em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tagged/social-media/" data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:ABC;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" data-rapid_p="18" data-v9y="1">ABC</a></em>. "We can spend that money on helping out homeless people, domestic violence issues where we're relocating families".</p> <p>Store manager Megan Moffat added, "It's a beautiful little handbag" implying the $2,000 is justified.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / Facebook</em></p>

Money & Banking

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12 items you shouldn’t carry in your handbag

<p><strong>Passwords</strong></p> <p>If you have trouble remembering passwords, you might be tempted to carry them with you in your bag. “Some people feel passwords are safer in their bag than at home because it’s always on them, but nothing could be further from the truth,” says Eva Velasquez, CEO and president of Identity Theft Resource Center.</p> <p>“You’re much more apt to lose your purse or wallet than have a break-in.” Memorising all your login information is the safest, but if that’s not practical, she recommends storing your passwords in a passcode-protected smartphone app.</p> <p><strong>Debit card</strong></p> <p>Without the same protections as credit cards, debit cards put you at higher risk when making purchases. “I’m not a huge fan of always having a debit card with you, because the cash disappears from your account and you have to prove it was you before you get it back, unlike a credit card, where you can stop the charges and the money never leaves your account,” says John Sileo, CEO of cybersecurity group Sileo Group.</p> <p>Swipe a credit card for most purchases, and use an ATM-only card with a PIN to get cash, he recommends.</p> <p><strong>Laptop</strong></p> <p>A computer is probably the heaviest thing in your bag. The weight of a laptop can strain your shoulder, causing imbalanced posture, or even neck, spine, and shoulder injuries, says chiropractor Dr Steven Shoshany.</p> <p>If you need to have your laptop on hand, use a messenger bag or a backpack, which will distribute the weight more evenly, Shoshany suggests.</p> <p><strong>Receipts</strong></p> <p>A crook won’t be able to steal your identity with receipts alone, but pairing them with other documents could make it easier to pretend to be you. “It’s giving a thief a great picture of who you are and where you shop,” Velasquez says.</p> <p>“All fraud analytics look for anomalies in behaviour, and your receipts show where you shop.” With your old receipts, a thief might be able to make more purchases before you can cancel the card, so empty them from your bag once you’re home.</p> <p><strong>Unprotected phone</strong></p> <p>“A lot of people think of their smartphone as a phone instead of a mobile computer that happens to make calls,” Sileo says. Leaving your phone unprotected makes it easy for strangers to access any information you have stored in your apps.</p> <p>Even a four-digit password can be easy for thieves to crack, so use a longer code, or log in using fingerprint, face, or voice recognition, Sileo says.</p> <p><strong>Umbrella </strong></p> <p>You might be prepared for that 30 per cent chance of rain, but a bulky umbrella adds unnecessary weight. “Keep an umbrella in your car, or keep one at work and one at home,” Shoshany says.</p> <p><strong>Cheque book</strong></p> <p>Depending on your bank, getting your money back from cheque fraud could take anywhere from a day to four months, Sileo says. He recommends finding an alternative way to pay because cheques are so easy to steal.</p> <p>If you can’t bear to give up cheque writing, keep just a couple of cheques in your bag, not the whole book.</p> <p><strong>Full-size beauty products</strong></p> <p>Don’t weigh down your back by lugging around big bottles of hairspray. Over time, the repetitive strain of that added weight could start pulling your shoulder out, Shoshany says. “Downsize from full sizes to travel sizes to lighten the load,” he says.</p> <p><strong>Work badges</strong></p> <p>Giving a stranger access to your workplace could cause major problems in your job, Sileo says. Have a separate bag for the weekend or take your work ID out when you leave the office.</p> <p><strong>Gift cards</strong></p> <p>Like cash, you won’t get gift cards back if you lose them, so keep them with you only if you plan to use them in the store, Sileo says.</p> <p>If you’re afraid you’ll forget them when you do get around to shopping there, leave gift cards in your car in a disguised container like a breathmint tin, he says.</p> <p><strong>Medicare number</strong></p> <p>“Your medicare number is the critical piece of information a thief needs to carry out identity theft,” Velasquez says. Unless you need a copy for a new employer or are heading to a medical appointment, leave your medicare card at home in a secure place.</p> <p><strong>Passport</strong></p> <p>Because passports are hard to forge, a real one will be accepted more easily than other stolen documents, Velasquez says. Only carry it when absolutely necessary if it’s your primary identifier.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/12-items-you-shouldnt-carry-in-your-handbag?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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From Fendi to fungi – your next handbag could be made from mushrooms

<p>It might be time to switch your handbag from Fendi to fungi, say researchers. They have harnessed the power of the humble mushroom to convert food waste into <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/a-novel-approach-to-making-leather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainable faux leather</a>, paper and cotton substitutes.</p> <p>Presenting their results at a virtual meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the researchers say that this fungal leather takes less time to produce than existing substitutes already on the market, and, unlike some, is 100% bio-based.</p> <p>Their efforts tie together two enormous, but seemingly unrelated, environmental concerns. Cotton, petroleum-based synthetic fibres, paper and leather are all beset with ecological woes, ranging from water demand to contributions to climate change and the ethical treatment of animals. Meanwhile, plenty of food goes to waste.</p> <p>Setting out to resolve the whole suite of issues in one fell swoop, lead investigator Dr Akram Zamani and her team in Sweden have developed a range of sustainable materials derived from fungi.</p> <p>“We hope they can replace cotton or synthetic fibres and animal leather, which can have negative environmental and ethical aspects,” says Zamani.</p> <p>They’re not the first group to have produced a fungal leather, but according to Zamani, they are the first to have made a product with properties that can match real leather, and at a production rate that could realistically match market demands.</p> <p>Although there is little available information on the production process of existing fungal materials, Zamani says it appears that most are made from harvested mushrooms or from fungus grown in a thin layer on top of food waste or sawdust using solid state fermentation. Such methods require several days or weeks to produce enough fungal material, she notes, whereas her fungus is submerged in water and takes only a couple of days to make the same amount of material.</p> <p>In addition, some of the fungal leathers on the market contain environmentally harmful coatings or reinforcing layers made of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum, such as polyester. That contrasts with the University of Borås team’s products, which consist solely of natural materials and will therefore be biodegradable.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p186111-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>“In developing our process, we have been careful not to use toxic chemicals or anything that could harm the environment,” says Zamani.</p> <p>So how do they go about the transformation of mushrooms to materials? It all starts with fattening up your chosen fungus.</p> <p>Fungi are hungry little organisms. To feed their cultivated fungal strain – <em>Rhizopus delemar</em>, commonly found on decaying food – the team collected unsold supermarket bread, which they dried and ground into breadcrumbs. As the fungus fed on the bread, it produced microscopic natural fibres made of chitin and chitosan that accumulated in its cell walls.</p> <p>After two days of feeding, the scientists collected the cells and removed lipids, proteins and other by-products that they say could potentially be used in food or feed. But what they were really after was the jelly-like residue left behind – a goop consisting of the fibrous cell walls that was then spun into yarn, which could be used in sutures or wound-healing textiles and perhaps even in clothing.</p> <p>In an alternative method, the suspension of fungal cells was laid out flat and dried to make paper- or leather-like materials.</p> <p>Through a series of trial-and-error tests, the team has now developed materials made from multiple layers of these fungal sheets. The composites are treated with tree-derived tannins to give them softness, and alkalis to give them strength. Finally, strength, flexibility and glossiness are all improved by treatment with glycerol and a bio-based binder. The end result is a material that very closely mimics real animal leather.</p> <p>“Our recent tests show the fungal leather has mechanical properties quite comparable to real leather,” Zamani says.</p> <p>The team is working to further refine their fungal products. They recently began testing other types of food waste, including fruits and vegetables – particularly the mushy pulp left over after juice is pressed from fruit. “Instead of being thrown away, it could be used for growing fungi,” Zamani says. “So we are not limiting ourselves to bread, because hopefully there will be a day when there isn’t any bread waste.”</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=186111&amp;title=From+Fendi+to+fungi+%E2%80%93+your+next+handbag+could+be+made+from+mushrooms" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/sustainable-textiles-fungi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jamie-priest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Priest</a>. Jamie Priest is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Adelaide.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Akram Zamani</em></p> </div>

Technology

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Grandma discovers hilarious X-rated detail on handbag

<p>An Aussie woman was shopping on Myer’s website when she came across an unexpected find.</p> <p>The Sydney grandmother was on the hunt for a handbag when she came across the store’s X-rated $19.95 Wild Fur You Australiana Tote Bag.</p> <p>She decided to click on the native-theme print, but upon closer inspection, she realised the bag wasn’t as innocent as she originally thought.</p> <p>The print showed native Aussie animals engaging in sexual activity.</p> <p>“I am all for a cheeky joke, but I draw the line at this,” the grandmother told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/aussie-grandmas-x-rated-find-in-myer-handbag-c-1472704" target="_blank">7News</a>. “Shocking!”</p> <p>It appears the tote bag is “no longer available” on Myer’s website. They have a clutch version with the same controversial design for $10, however it too appears to be just as popular with an “out of stock” message on the product.</p> <p>“Rock this daring clutch illustrated by Lilly Perrott and cause a scene,” the description reads.</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/B9AYTDPnbOr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/B9AYTDPnbOr/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">You guys seem to be going buck-wild for our Wild Fur You Australiana print! 🐨⁠ It is currently exclusively available with Myer through til the end of March and then we will have the full range online with La La Land 🌿⁠ ⁠ Doing the dishes just got a whole lot more steamy 😉⁠ ⁠ Sign up to our newsletter via the link in our bio and be the first to know when these wild animals land!⁠ Illustrated by @lillymirandaperrott ⁠ ⁠ #wildfuryou #animals #australiananimals #australiana #lalalandshop #funny #animalsmating #matinganimals #naughty #cheeky #homewares #illustration #art #australianart #australianartist #kangaroo #koala #dingo #wombat #echidna #platypus #pinkgalah</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/lalalandshop/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> La La Land Cards &amp; Gifts</a> (@lalalandshop) on Feb 25, 2020 at 2:03pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Despite it being too risqué for some, others seem to love it as the website features glowing reviews.</p> <p>“Great gift, you may even snag one for yourself,” one person wrote, adding that the bag is of “good quality”, “large and uniquely Australian”.</p> <p>Another said the purse has a “durable quality to the zipper”.</p> <p>“The print is certainly hilarious and went famously well when given to a friend who likes telling green jokes,” the person continued.</p> <p>“Unexpectedly raunchy but completely hilarious! Bought this to post to a friend in the US and definitely got more than I bargained for!” a third person added.</p> <p>The creators behind the design are Aussie brand<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lalalandshop/?hl=en" target="_blank"> La La Land</a>, which sells a range of items including bags, reusable mugs and tea towels in the “Wild Fur You” print.</p> <p>“A best-selling cheeky Australian themed illustration by our talented in-house artist at La La Land, Lilly Perrott,” La La Land’s website reads.</p> <p>“A perfect adult gift to stand against the ordinary.”</p> <p>If you’re keen to get your hands on the now sold-out tote and clutch items on the Myer website, the original makers still have plenty options available via its own site.</p>

Beauty & Style

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“Don’t touch the bag”: Former Obama staff member reprimanded by Queen’s aid

<p>Barack Obama’s former Chief of Protocol has revealed the extreme lengths Queen’s staff go to in order to protect her privacy.</p> <p>Capricia Penavic Marshall worked for former President Obama from 2009 to 2013 and her role meant she advised him on all matters of national and international diplomatic protocol.</p> <p>She also recalled to <strong><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/politics/capricia-penavic-marshall-new-book-remembers-trying-take-queen-elizabeth-purse/" target="_blank">People</a> </em></strong>the embarrassing moment she was scolded for trying to help the royal with her purse during an official visit to Buckingham Palace in 2011. </p> <p>After stepping forward to assist the Queen with her bag so that she could greet the Obamas without it, Marshall, 56, says her British counterpart quickly pushed her back and told her simply: “We do not touch the bag.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836673/queen.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/79d44520f5384eb18817bb6ddbc449b6" /></p> <p><em>Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth. </em></p> <p>“As Her Majesty walked out, I made a comment to my counterpart. I said, ‘Oh, my goodness, Her Majesty has her bag.’ And I made an ever so slight move with my left foot,” she recalled. </p> <p>“He, with both of his hands, pushed me back against the wall and said, ‘Do not touch the bag,’ and I said, ‘Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry.’” </p> <p>The unnamed royal staffer reiterated his point again, saying no one was to ever touch the Queen’s bag.</p> <p>“He goes, ‘We do not touch the bag.’ And I said, ‘Okay, I apologize. I would never. But do we know what's in the bag?’ And he said, ‘We don't know what's in the bag. But we never touch the bag,'” she revealed. </p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836672/queen-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fb25d221d26e4870a22bd919086447da" /></p> <p><em>Capricia Penavic Marshall</em></p> <p>In Marshall’s new book, <em>Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You</em>, she said she actually learned Her Majesty actually uses her bag as a means of signalling to her staff.</p> <p>“If it's on one part of her arm, it means the meeting is going fine, leave me alone. But if she lowers it, it means, ‘End this now. I want to go,'” Marshall explained.</p> <p>Despite the awkward moment that could have gone terrible wrong, Marshall says the visit was a huge success and noted that the former President Obama and his wife Michelle were “so, so very fond” of the royal.</p>

International Travel

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The secret signals Queen Elizabeth makes with her handbag

<p>The Queen is rarely seen without her signature black handbag, and things were no different when she met with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Buckingham Palace on Monday.</p> <p>The purse is the creation of London-based designer Launer and it’s reported that Her Majesty owns close to 200 of the same item.</p> <p>The bag isn’t just a way to dress up her brightly coloured outfits, but also a way for the 93-year-old to send secret signals to her staff members during various meetings.</p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> </em>reported that if the monarch places her bag on the table during dinner, it’s her way of letting staff know that she is ready to leave within the next five minutes.</p> <p>If her handbag is on the floor, she’s communicating that she’s in the middle of a very boring conversation, prompting her ladies-in-waiting to rescue her from the sticky situation.</p> <p>But it isn’t just a resource used for clever communication, as the Queen does keep a series of “good luck charms” inside the bag.</p> <p>Royal correspondent Phil Dampier told the publication that she carries family photographs and toy dogs and horses inside it.</p> <p>According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://lady.co.uk/" target="_blank"><em>Lady</em></a> magazine, she also keeps her reading glasses, a foundation pen and mints on hand. Other items include a small mirror, lipstick and a £5 note to give to the church collection.</p> <p>Guess the Queen is just like us after all!</p>

News

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The one wardrobe staple the Queen has never been seen without for 50 years

<p>Queen Elizabeth II has had the same handbag in her possession for the last 50 years.</p> <p>The iconic bag, made by British label Launer, has been a staple in the wardrobe of the royals since Queen Elizabeth gave the company a royal warrant in 1968.</p> <p>A royal warrant is a warrant that’s been issued by the sovereign that authorises the company to display the royal coat of arms.</p> <p>The bag has been carried by the Queen over many years to iconic events, and its staple twisted rope emblem has been something royal watchers have kept an eye on.</p> <p>The Queen had the statement piece when she met the Kennedy family in 2000.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822683/queen-elizabeth-clintons.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0f0e26d5797f43f9a35d1625b5327b71" /></p> <p>The handbag was also in a portrait that was painted by artist Benjamin Sullivan to celebrate 100 years of the RAF club in London.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822685/queen-handbag.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/297a4729eabd466e8f96707c93a0f697" /></p> <p>"It was almost happenstance that it was placed there," the artist, Benjamin Sullivan, said during the portraits’ unveiling.</p> <p>"It's where she put it and I thought I could take it out. But then I thought it's actually quite a nice thing, a personal thing."</p> <p>Do you have a staple item in your wardrobe that you’ve kept for many years? Let us know in the comments. </p>

Beauty & Style

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The 4 items Duchess Kate always keeps in her handbag

<p>The contents of a handbag reveal a lot about a woman and now, a royal biographer has revealed the four items Duchess Kate always carries in her purse.</p> <p>According to Marcia Moody, author of <em style="font-weight: inherit;">Kate: A Biography</em>, the mum-of-three carries very practical items that can come to her rescue during an important royal event.</p> <p>One item the Duchess of Cambridge never leaves her home without is her trusty compact mirror.</p> <p>Presumably the 36-year-old relies on her mirror to check her make-up is looking flawless and there is no food in her teeth after important dinners.</p> <p>Kate also carries a lip balm and a sheet of blotting paper, which is used to remove excess oil or sweat from the face.</p> <p>The final item that Kate always has on her is a handkerchief.</p> <p>Unlike most people, the royal doesn’t need to carry a phone, wallet or keys.</p> <p>It comes after royal spectators accused Kate’s sister-in-law, Duchess Meghan, of breaking royal protocol after she was photographed holding her mobile phone when in Melbourne, Australia.</p> <p>Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau shared a photo of Prince Harry and Meghan after their visit to Melbourne.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Farewelling Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Victoria. Thank you for visiting.<a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KensingtonRoyal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/royalvisitaustralia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#royalvisitaustralia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> <a href="https://t.co/m0yr56iNxI">pic.twitter.com/m0yr56iNxI</a></p> — Governor of Victoria (@VicGovernor) <a href="https://twitter.com/VicGovernor/status/1052797013928996864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Fans also spotted Prince Harry with his phone in his pocket in Australia during the couple’s 16-day royal tour.</p> <p>While the pair must be allowed to carry their phone on them, it is rare for senior members of the family to be seen with their devices while out in public.  </p> <p>Which items do you always carry in your handbag? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

News

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Is it disgusting to keep these two items in your bedroom?

<p class="first-para">I err on the germ-phobic side. I like to wash my hands. I shower twice a day. </p> <p>The thought of banning from my bedroom handbags, shoes, and clothes that have been made unclean by the outside world, was first put into my head by a colleague.</p> <p>I don’t remember who it was. Only that when I came home that night I went to lower my bag onto the end of the bed, and stopped mid-air, vaguely shivering.</p> <p>I walk down a main road each evening to get to the bus that takes me home. Looking at my bag dangling there, it was like all the miscreants from my journey, which I had put in my headphones to compartmentalise from, had followed me to bed. </p> <p>The coughing uni student, the loitering sweaty guy, the snotty child, the years of rubbish and vomit and urine and spilt drinks and god knows what else that builds on that party street like a lacquer.</p> <p>The dirt of the glorified cattle truck that is the bus (are they ever vacuumed?), the people who go to the bathroom and don’t wash their hands (someone told me they exist) and then go out into the world and get on the bus, my bus, and touch things. Ew.</p> <p>My neurotic misgivings weren’t totally unfounded. A <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513311/" target="_blank">2015 study</a></strong></span> found that 145 out of 180 handbags swabbed positive for bacteria such as micrococcus, staphylococcus and bacillus.</p> <p>A friend told me she wipes the bottom of her handbag with a disinfectant every week. I treated myself to this activity yesterday and felt a strange wave of perverse calm washing over me.</p> <p>Our perceived precautions come down to layman assumptions about germs, cooties, nasties; otherwise known as bacteria or microbes.</p> <p>But apparently, the bugs have already won. We ourselves are covered in bacteria, said Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland. </p> <p>“The reality is, microbes are everywhere and on pretty much everything. Do you put your mobile phone on the bed? Do you have pets that jump or sleep on your bed? Hell, you sleep in your bed and you are covered in bacteria,” said Wiles.</p> <p>“Being frightened of the microbes on your shoes and handbag is completely misplaced. We will be the biggest source of microbes in our bedrooms – we are covered in them.”</p> <p>“And some of those will have the ability to make us sick. But that doesn’t mean they will. The riskiest behaviour people get up to in the bedroom in terms of picking up a bacterial disease is having sex without a condom.”</p> <p>I suppose she knows what she’s talking about (she was nominated for New Zealander of the Year after all). But still, gross.</p> <p>It’s a thought that none of us really like to have – the reality of the microorganisms which call our bodies home. According to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body" target="_blank">a study</a></strong></span> by the American National Institute of Health, the human body contains trillions of microorganisms, so many that they outnumber our actual human cells by ten to one.</p> <p>(An uncomfortable concept for those who, like me, never paid attention in Science. Or Maths.)</p> <p>Wiles said the bacteria present on our shoes, for example, will be a mixture of the bacteria found on our skin (from putting them on and off) and those found in the environment. </p> <p>“There will probably be the coliforms found in faecal matter, if walking on surfaces that have had dogs pooing on them,” Wiles said. “And definitely if you’ve managed to step in poo.”</p> <p>The probability of coliforms on your handbag is about the same as shoes, if they’ve been placed on the floor. Otherwise, any bacteria on your purse would likely come from your own body, meaning they’re harmless.</p> <p>“Coliforms can make you sick – they are the reason everyone should wash and dry their hands after going to the toilet,” said Wiles.</p> <p>(See you disgusting non-handwashers flouting the rules, I know you’re out there somewhere…)</p> <p>So the yes or no to bags and shoes is more personal preference than actual hygiene imperative. This could be considered fortunate.</p> <p>But a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0.55.004Chapter5002011-12" target="_blank">2013 study</a></strong></span> in Australia found that adults take an average of 7400 steps per day, which considering all the surfaces we cross on a daily basis, is an awful lot of opportunities to step in poo, if you ask me. Or to lean your bag in it.</p> <p>At least now science has given me something to meditate on. Wiles has affirmed I have no need to be frightened of putting my purse or shoes in the bedroom, or sitting on the bed in the same clothes I wore on the bus.</p> <p>“I’m a microbiologist and I keep my shoes and handbags in my bedroom,” she said. “I tend not to put shoes on the bed, but that’s more because they might have mud or dirt on them, not because of microbes.”</p> <p><em>Written by Anabela Rea. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p>

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What the Queen's handbag placement during her meeting with George Brandis means

<p>A handbag on a side chair at Buckingham Palace could be a good sign for Australia's relations with the UK.</p> <p>Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis seemed to impress the Queen during his first visit to the Audience Room in Buckingham Palace.</p> <p><img width="446" height="326" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/14/4CC16AB300000578-5787065-image-a-5_1527688370535.jpg" alt="Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis appeared to impress her Majesty during his first visit to the Audience Room in London" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-e80c6853ce1fc029"/></p> <p>When the Turnbull Government's former attorney-general met with Her Majesty, she placed her trademark, black Launer handbag on a side chair.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/queens-signals-for-help-leaving-conversations/">Royal historian Hugo Vickers</a></span></strong> has previously revealed how the Queen uses her bag to send secret signals to her staff.</p> <p>Luckily for Mr Brandis a bag placed on a chair indicates she is happy to be left alone to chat with a dignitary.</p> <p>If the Queen had left her handbag on the floor, it indicates she wants to keep her meeting to just five minutes.</p> <p>During Mr Brandis’ meeting with the Queen a previously unseen framed picture of Prince Harry with his new wife Meghan Markle was also spotted. See the lovely photograph of <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/2018/05/unseen-photograph-of-harry-and-meghan-in-the-queens-audience-room/">Harry and Meghan here.</a><br /></span></strong></p>

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Bad news for shoppers: Handbag brand Oroton goes bust

<p>Luxury handbag maker Oroton has gone into voluntary administration, with shoppers swarming the retailer to snap up bargains as it attempts to clear stock.</p> <p>Oroton, whose most public face is Australian actor Rose Byrne, made the announcement this morning prompting shoppers to head on line and snap up the heavily-discounted stock ahead of the busy Christmas shopping season.</p> <p>And there are plenty of bargains to be had. For example, the large Melanie tote bag that was retailing for $595 is now going for a paltry $116. And the Signature O Baby Bag which originally cost $495 is now just $148.50. </p> <p>Interim chief executive Ross Lane claimed the 79-year-old Australian retailer had no choice but to go bust, after efforts to recapitalise or sell the business failed miserably.</p> <p>“The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process,” he said in a statement lodged with the Australian Securities Exchange.</p> <p>“However, having carefully considered the options available to the company at the conclusion of its strategic review, it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand.”</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Forotonstudio%2Fposts%2F10155176172128927&amp;width=500" width="500" height="736" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p> <p>Oroton is the latest company to go bust as retailers continue to struggle with pressures from online shopping, high overheads and an uncertain consumer market.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? </p>

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Your handbag or laptop could be included in your carry-on limit

<p>A shocked Jetstar passenger has recently complained that they have been hit with a fee for going over the airline’s carry-on weight restrictions after their handbag was weighed.</p> <p>The passenger received a $50 fee for going over the limit and took to Jetstar’s Facebook page to complain about the situation.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="490" height="257" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37050/jetstar-in-text.jpg" alt="Jetstar In Text"/></p> <p>However, handbags aren’t excluded from the carry-on weight limit and airlines are beginning to crack down.</p> <p>Jetstar’s policy regarding cabin baggage allows one main item per person and one small personal item, with a combined weight of 7kg or under.</p> <p>A small personal item includes a handbag, a small camera, a laptop in a thin case, duty-free goods and other things.</p> <p>A Jetstar spokesman said that the policy “always included a combination of a main bag and small bag, such as a handbag or laptop case”.</p> <p>In 2014, the airline cut its weight allowance from 10kg to 7kg, which might have added to the confusion of carry-on baggage.</p> <p>When the change was announced, a spokesman said that the airline was eager to keep customers happy and speed up the boarding process.</p> <p>“We know many customers get frustrated when there is not enough room for their bags in overhead lockers. To address this we are reducing the amount of baggage that customers can bring on board, which will align us with other carriers in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region,” the spokesman said.</p> <p>“This change will help speed up the boarding process, enable more flights to depart on time and ensure all customers get their fair share of overhead locker space.”</p> <p>Tigerair Australia has the same policy as Jetstar which allows customers 7kg carry-on free of charge.</p> <p>A Tigerair spokesman said, “The 7kg carry-on allowance may be spread across up to two separate pieces of cabin baggage, including handbags and purses.”</p> <p>“Tigerair’s model is all about providing the lowest fare for the seat, then allowing the customer to pick and choose what optional extras, if any, they wish to pay for,” the spokesman added.</p> <p>“As we are a low cost carrier, we allow you the choice to choose the travel options you want rather than lump you with a one fare fits all — many of our passengers like the fact they are able to tailor their travel to meet their needs and save money on their flight to have more in their pocket to spend when they get there.”</p> <p>Virgin Australian and Qantas allow passengers to have one personal item in addition to the 7kg allowance.</p>

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