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Meryl Streep advocates for women in powerful UN speech

Meryl Streep has delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations to advocate for the rights of Afghan women and girls. The Hollywood legend attended an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in a bid to get world leaders to focus on the plight of women in Afghanistan and the future female generations. "The way that ... this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world," she began. Streep's speech was prompted by the three-year mark since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, when United States-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. The UN has since tried to find a unified global approach to dealing with the Taliban, who have cracked down on women's rights., with women now barred from receiving an education of any kind, and women not allowed to leave their homes without a male guardian. "Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerylStreep?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerylStreep</a>: Today, in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Taliban_times?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Taliban_times</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA79?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA79</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amanpour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amanpour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://t.co/6grjX0IBzE">pic.twitter.com/6grjX0IBzE</a> — PassBlue (@pass_blue) <a href="https://twitter.com/pass_blue/status/1838385555265970437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> "A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary," Streep said. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the event, "Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognising the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage." Streep's speech made waves online, with many praising her for using her celebrity platform to bring awareness to the issue. One person wrote on Instagram, "I love when global stars actually use their literal voices to bring awareness and attention to such important matters. None of us are free until all of us are free." Image credits: OLGA FEDOROVA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Bill Shorten quits politics and reveals his next move in heartfelt speech

Bill Shorten has announced his shock departure from politics after an almost two-decade-long career in parliament. The former Labor leader will remain in cabinet until his retirement from politics in February next year, when he will start a new career as vice chancellor of the University of Canberra. In a media conference in the Prime Minister’s courtyard on Thursday, Shorten made the shocking announcement alongside Anthony Albanese, reflecting on his career. “Over 30 years ago, when I joined the Australian Workers Union, I was driven by the belief that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves an equal opportunity,” Mr Shorten said. “The opportunity to fulfil their potential. Fair wages, safe workplaces, decent conditions, that is what they are all about. It’s about recognising the merit and worth of every individual. As the same principle that brought me here in 2007.” "Every day in this job, and I'm sure every member of parliament agrees, is a privileged day." He also shared his motivation behind moving into the education sector, highlighting his love of education. “Education is the modern means of taking someone from disadvantage to advantage in a way that no other method can,” Mr Shorten told a media conference in the Prime Minister’s court yard. <div> <div id="sda-INARTICLE"></div> </div> “Universities have a critical role to play. The hopes and dreams of Australians are lifted when they are able to fulfil their own potential and the hopes and dreams of our nation are lifted as well.” Albanese also praised his colleague and his extraordinary career, saying, "Through his years as leader, no-one worked harder than Bill." "No-one brought more energy, enthusiasm, ideas and ambition to advocating the need for a Labor government." Image credits: ABC

News

New mum admits she hates her baby’s name

A woman has asked for advice after admitting that she hates her new baby’s name and “can’t stand to say it out loud”. The new mum took to Reddit to explain that she had given birth to a baby boy a month ago, and had been discussing potential names for her son with her boyfriend since she fell pregnant. The mother explained that her partner “immediately bombarded” her with names “that he would name” their son, and many of them were family monikers. She said that her boyfriend was keen to name the baby after either his grandfather or great-grandfather, whose names were Oliver and Chad. “I HATE the name Chad,” she said. “We know a couple of Chads and they are not great people. I also don’t love the name Oliver but I’d rather that than Chad.” The woman explained her partner was “very sentimental when it comes to anything in his life that has to do with his family”, while she was “not that sentimental”. “He was adamant on the name Chad because it belonged to his dad’s grandpa, whom his dad never met due to him passing away in the war,” she said. “I asked him to compromise and make Chad the middle name ‘cause I’d rather the name Oliver, his response was ‘maybe’ but in a tone that meant ‘no.’” The woman went on to explain that she and her partner reached a stalemate in the name discussion and it wasn’t brought up again until their son was born. The new mother said the couple planned on “waiting until she was relaxed and situated before they signed the birth certificate”, but when she went to sign it, she saw his name had been written as ‘Chad Beau Smith’ by her boyfriend. “I had had no say in the name whatsoever, my partner had seen me bare-down and drugged up, going through the hardest experience of my life and gave me no say in what we name our son,” she said. The woman was shocked and ended up arguing with her husband for about an hour or so but was so exhausted from the birth, she gave up and said “fine you win”. “My boyfriend then smirked as he handed the birth certificate in. I was too tired to fight anymore. I felt like I just needed to focus on taking care of my new baby,” she said. The mum said she has been avoiding saying his name and also hadn’t posted anything to social media because she “just hates the name”. “I also now feel like I am disconnecting from my relationship with my partner because after all he watched me go through, I feel that I don’t matter,” she said. “Am I overreacting?” she asked on Reddit. The woman’s post quickly went viral on the platform, with people quick to side with the new mum. “Your boyfriend is a bully, and he sucks. Names are a two yes, one no situation. He took advantage of you, and kept calling your little boy by his middle name. I’m enraged for you.” said one. “Why are you with this person?” asked another. “Have his name legally changed. Leave your husband. This is abuse,” said a third. “This guy has no respect for you, you’re not overreacting, you’re under-reacting,” added another. Image credits: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

"Devastated": Raygun finally breaks silence

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, otherwise known as Raygun, has broke her silence on all the hate she's received since her Olympic performance went viral. Everyone was talking about Raygun during the Paris Games after she competed in the breakdancing competition, which ran for the first time this year, and failed to make it through the first round. Now, the 36-year-old has taken to Instagram to share how "devastated" she is by the online barrage, while thanking all her supporters and discussing the impact the torrent of negativity and "misinformation" have had on her since the sport's Olympic debut. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped," she said, in a video filmed on a street in France. <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/reel/C-sDDtfokE4/?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/reel/C-sDDtfokE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly, been pretty devastating." “I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly." “I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut.” In her video, Raygun added a “fun fact” about how battles are scored. “Bit of a fun fact for you: there are actually no points in breaking. If you wanted to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on <a title="" href="https://olympics.com/" data-skimwords-word="Olympics.com" data-skim-creative="500005">Olympics.com</a>. All the results are there.” Her comments came after an anonymous online petition falsely accusing her of "manipulating the selection process to her own advantage", which quickly gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The Australian Olympic Committee issued a scathing statement debunking the claims and labelling the petition "vexatious, misleading and bullying" and called for the petition to be taken down. She also urged everyone to “stop harassing” her family, friends, and the Australian breaking and the broader street dance community. “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to still respect their privacy,” she added. Image credits: Paul Kitagaki, Jr/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Music

Indigenous netball player shares "disgusting" hate letter after sponsorship drama

An Indigenous netball star has shared a vile hate letter she received from a netball fan, two years on from the Netball Australia sponsorship drama. Prior to her first game with the Australian Diamonds national team in 2022, Donnell Wallam, a Noongar woman from Western Australia, refused to wear the uniform which featured the logo of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting. The 30-year-old athlete shared that her reasoning was over racist comments made by Rinehart's late father in the 1980s, when he suggested Aboriginal people should be sterilised. In response to Wallam's boycott, Gina Rinehart dramatically tore up her $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia, which had been set to run until the end of 2025. Now, two years on from the sponsorship drama, Wallam shared a photo on of hate mail she received about the controversy, from a woman named “Mary”. The letter posted to Instagram, which accused Wallam of being "radicalised by the Aboriginal left", includes a mocking imitation of an Indigenous Acknowledgement of Country paying “respects to British and European elders”. “As if the hate online wasn’t enough, Mary thought she’d send me a letter,” the netballer wrote. “I’m beyond disgusted and hurt but I will never stop advocating for my people. Blak, Loud and Proud. ALWAYS.” The letter reads, “I am writing to you to express my sadness that your [sic] cost the Australian Diamonds, of $15,000,000, caused by your radically influenced comments about Gina Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock.” “Mr Hancock’s comments about serialisation [sic] of Aboriginals was disgusting and made by one man. However, at the time his daughter was not yet born as you were not yet born. You were influenced by the nasty activist Aboriginal clique that hates everything Australia. You fell into their spell and caused such loss of donations to Australia Netball. Hang your head in shame girl, for being manipulated by the radical Aboriginal filth.” Mary adds that she went to school in Perth “and had many good Noongar friends that I still love today”. “You are a disgrace to the Noongar Tribe,” she wrote. “I will never watch you play, ever.” Wallam’s supporters slammed the letter as “disgusting”, saying they will always support the inspirational athlete. “You are such an inspiration for so many, I am completely disgusted but sadly not shocked, what an absolute piece of s**t this woman is,” one wrote. “I will defs be watching your next game to support you,” another said. “Sounds like Mary’s loss!” Image credits: DARREN PATEMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Young woman exposes "hate" response to Origin's Welcome to Country

The young woman who delivered the Welcome to Country at the State of Origin has opened up on the "overwhelming" response to it, revealing how she has "received a lot of hate". Savannah Fynn, 22, was invited to deliver the Welcome to Country and while it was generally well received, it also led to radio host Kyle Sandilands slamming the practice in general, saying the practice had become “overused and lost its impact”. Since then, Fynn revealed that she has received an overwhelming amount of hate online, with some even jumping to criticise her appearance. “I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,” Fynn told <a title="www.dailytelegraph.com.au" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="stellar" data-tgev-label="lifestyle" data-tgev-metric="ev">Stellar</a>. “But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle. It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all." “I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!” “As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that,” the 22-year-old university student said. “A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde." “I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here." “We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree." “Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.” Fynn is aiming to be a young role model and hopes to show “young Indigenous people that we can get up and speak”. Image credits: Nine <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">

"Best speech ever": Roger Federer's hilarious address to graduates

Roger Federer has gone viral for all the right reasons after giving a hilarious and inspirational speech to a group of graduates. The Swiss tennis legend addressed the 2024 graduating class at prestigious Ivy League university Dartmouth, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his charity and philanthropic pursuits since retiring from tennis in 2022. The 25-minute speech has been widely dubbed as "the best speech ever" online, as he quipped about the highlights of his illustrious career while sharing sage advice for the new grads. “Hello class of 2024, this is so exciting,” Federer began while wearing a college gown. “I’m so excited to join you today, really you have know idea how excited I am. Keep in mind this is literally only the second time I’ve ever set foot on a college campus. But for some reason you are giving me a doctorate degree." “I just came here to give a speech, but I get to go home as 'Dr Roger'. That’s a pretty nice bonus, 'Dr Roger' just has to be my most unexpected victory ever. Thank you.” After stating he will “try my best not to choke”, Federer went on to give a hilarious and heartwarming speech, complete with a number of life lessons. The 42-year-old shared that he left school at 16 and never went to college, but had recently “graduated tennis” with his retirement making international headlines. “I know the word is ‘retire’,” he said. “‘Roger Federer retired from tennis’. Retired. The word is awful." “You wouldn’t say you ‘retired’ from college, right? Sounds terrible. Like you, I’ve finished one big thing and I’m moving on to the next. Like you, I’m figuring out what that is." “Graduates, I feel your pain. I know what it’s like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life. They ask me ‘now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?’ I don’t know and it’s OK not to know.” <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/reel/C8FaLe5NGlt/?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/reel/C8FaLe5NGlt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer)</a> </div> </blockquote> Among his advice, Federer insisted that “effortless is a myth”, referring to a word that was often used to describe his appearance on court, and urged the graduates to prioritise working hard. “The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy,” he said. "I spent years whining, swearing, throwing my racquet, before I learned to keep my cool.” He also spoke about one match in particular, perhaps the most memorable from his career. “I tried not to lose. But I did lose,” he said. "Sometimes big. For me, one of the biggest was the finals at Wimbledon in 2008. Me versus Nadal. Some call it the greatest match of all time. OK, all respect to Rafa, but I think it would have been way, way better if I had won." “Losing at Wimbledon was a big deal because winning Wimbledon is everything.” Before wrapping up his speech, the sporting legend ended with some practical tennis advice after he asked Dartmouth president Sian Beilock to pass him a tennis racquet. “OK, so for your forehand, you’ll want to use an eastern grip,” he said. “Keep your knuckles apart a little bit. Obviously, you don’t want to squeeze the grip too hard. “Switching from forehand to backhand should be easy. Also, remember it all starts with the footwork and the take-back is as important as the follow-through." “No, this is not a metaphor. It’s just good technique.” Federer then ended his address with a wholesome message for the graduates, saying, “I will never forget this day and I know you won’t either.” “You have worked so hard to get here and left nothing on the court. From one graduate to another, I can’t wait to see what you all do next. Whatever game you choose, give it your best. Go for your shots. Play free. Try everything." “And most of all, be kind to one another and have fun out there.” <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pqWUuYTcG-o?si=i4Pi8XY2JRYkyhd1" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Image credits: Instagram - Dartmouth

Retirement Life

An emotional Scott Morrison delivers his last speech to parliament

In a poignant and somewhat unexpected farewell, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison bid adieu to federal parliament, leaving behind a legacy tinged with tears – and a surprising tribute to pop sensation Taylor Swift. As he marked his exit, Morrison delivered a heartfelt address, reflecting on his political journey, acknowledging his colleagues, and offering insights into his future endeavours. Flashing a Swiftie friendship bracelet emblazoned with the nickname "ScoMo" beneath the sleeve of his suit, Morrison's speech was a blend of personal anecdotes, political reflections and nods to popular culture. Surrounded by his family – his mother Marion, wife Jenny, and daughters Abby and Lily – Morrison addressed a gallery that, while not at full capacity, held a significant emotional weight for the departing leader. With a touch of humour, Morrison recounted his daughters' suggestion of incorporating references to Taylor Swift albums into his remarks, a challenge he gamely accepted. Seamlessly weaving Swift's song titles into his speech, Morrison painted a picture of his political journey, acknowledging the challenges he faced and the steadfast support of his loved ones, particularly his wife Jenny, whom he affectionately referred to as his "Lover": "It is true that my political opponents have often made me see Red. Often when subjected to the Tortured Poets who would rise to attack my Reputation. In response, I always thought it important to be Fearless and Speak Now. Or forever hold my silence and allow those attacks to become Folklore. Ever since leaving university in 1989 this has always been my approach. My great consolation has always been my Lover, Jen, who has always been there for me whenever I needed her from dawn, and beyond the many Midnights we have shared together. See? I'm actually a True Romantic after all. I can assure there is no Bad Blood, as I've always been someone who has been able to … Shake It Off." Reflecting on his tenure as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2020, Morrison expressed gratitude to the Indigenous community and the defence personnel, emphasising their contributions to the nation's freedom and prosperity. He cautioned against what he termed a "drift of secularism" and advocated for a reconnection with traditional Christian values, underlining the importance of faith in his own life. Amid tears, Morrison thanked his staff, household personnel and security detail, acknowledging their dedication and sacrifice – particularly recalling two individuals injured while protecting him. “I want to specially mention Travis Ford and Jen McCrae," he said, "who were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/dangerous-traffic-crash-rocks-scott-morrison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terribly injured in the line of duty</a> protecting me … in a terrible car accident in Tasmania. I will always be grateful for your sacrifice.” Emotionally addressing his family, Morrison expressed profound gratitude to his wife and daughters, recognising the challenges they endured due to his public role. In a magnanimous gesture, Morrison extended well wishes to his political opponents and congratulated Prime Minister Albanese on his recent engagement. He also expressed appreciation for his party colleagues, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton, highlighting their support and camaraderie. Touching upon his role in the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and Australia's stance against Chinese coercion, Morrison underscored the importance of standing firm in the face of geopolitical challenges. He warned against complacency and urged vigilance in safeguarding national interests against external threats. Closing on a deeply personal note, Morrison reaffirmed his faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledging his own imperfections and the power of forgiveness. Quoting scripture, he embraced his Christian beliefs unapologetically, emphasising the strength derived from his faith. The solemnity of the moment was then relieved somewhat when Morrison ended his speech with the words "And, as always, up, up, Cronulla!", as colleagues from across the political spectrum approached to bid him farewell. Morrison made a point of highlighting the main lessons he says he's learned during his political career, which we have summarised here: 1. Without a strong economy, you cannot achieve your goals as a nation He said there have been strong contributions made in this respect by both sides of politics, and Australia must be careful not to "reinstitutionalise our economy" and crush entrepreneurial spirit. 2. Threats are out there, and they are real Morrison talked about a new era of strategic competition, in which the old rules-based international order is being challenged by "a new arc of autocracy" ranging from Pyongyang to Beijing to Tehran and Moscow. He cited AUKUS, the Quad and new trading and defence relationships as key achievements of his government in this arena, but said that "continued vigilance and the connection between all spheres of police" is required going forward. 3. Judeo-Christian values shouldn't be forgotten in the 'increasing Western embrace of secularism' "Individual liberty, the rule of law, equality of opportunity, responsible citizenship, morality, liberty of speech, thought, religion and association. All of these stem from the core principle of respect for individual human dignity," Morrison said. "So does representative democracy. And even market-based capitalism. This is a unique Judeo-Christian principle." Image: ABC News

Retirement Life

"Losing his speech": Home Alone star's major health update

Home Alone star Ken Hudson Campbell's daughter has shared a health update for fans after the actor underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his mouth. Speaking to People Magazine, Michaela revealed that her father is "doing well" after his 10-hour surgery last week, but there are still a few challenges their family will have to face, as Campbell will need to have radiation treatment five times a week. "I think the hardest part of this is going to be him losing his speech and his ability to talk. So speech therapy is going to play a big role in it," she told the publication. "We're kind of playing it one step at a time, depending on how debilitated he is. "If he needs extra help, we might put him into a nursing home for a little while, but if not, we're going to take him back home and we still will be hiring post-op care help with that." This comes after Michaela and her family managed to raise $102,000 USD ($AU 152,000) for their father's treatment through crowd-funding, after the actor lost his SAG-AFTRA health insurance in January last year. Campbell, who played Santa Claus in Home Alone, "burst into tears" when he saw the messages and well wishes on the crowd-funding page. He was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma - or oral cancer, on October 27. His family are hoping for a full recovery for the actor who they described as "a loving father of two children with an admirable lust for life, and a passion for acting, writing, & sports." Images: Instagram

Caring

Young woman jailed for 7 years for swapping price tags at supermarket

A Russian court has convicted an artist to seven years in jail for swapping supermarket price tags with antiwar messages. Sasha Skochilenko, 33, was arrested in St Petersburg and charged with spreading misinformation about the military when she replaced price tags with ones against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The Russian army bombed an arts schools in Mariupol. Some 400 people were hiding in it from the shelling," one read. "Russian conscripts are being sent to Ukraine. Lives of our children are the price of this war," the other said. Her arrest is part of the latest crackdown on free speech, and she was arrested after a customer at the supermarket found the slogans and reported her to authorities. Skochilenko's arrest comes one month after authorities adopted a law that criminalises any public expression about the war that deviates from the official Kremlin line. The legislation is used to crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary citizens that are critical of the Kremlin. The 33-year-old has not denied replacing the price tags but has rejected the accusation of knowingly spreading false information. She also claimed that she didn't want to criticise the military but wanted to stop the fighting. "She is a very empathetic, peace-loving person. To her, in general, the word 'war' is the most terrible thing imaginable, as is the suffering of people," her lawyer Yana Nepovinnova told The Associated Press last week. "She is a very empathetic, peace-loving person. To her, in general, the word 'war' is the most terrible thing imaginable, as is the suffering of people," Nepovinnova added. According to the Russian independent news site Mediazona, Skochilenko said that the case against her was "weird and ridiculous" in her final statement in court and that even the officials where she was detained at "open their eyes widely and exclaim: 'Is this really what people are being imprisoned for now?'" While addressing the judge in a courtroom full of supporters, Skochilenko also reportedly said that: "Everyone sees and knows that it's not a terrorist you're trying. You're not trying an extremist. You're not trying a political activist, either. You're trying a pacifist." Mediazona also reported that her supporters applauded her and chanted her name when she was led away after the verdict. Nearly 750 people have face criminal charges for their antiwar stances, and over 8100 had petty charges for discrediting the army, which is punishable by a fine or short time in jail. Images: BBC News

Legal

“I hate him for what he did to my mummy”: Tragic statement from daughter of slain 23-year-old

Queenslander Gabrielle "Gabbie" Marshall, 23, moved to Tasmania to build a new life and hoped to be reunited with her daughter in the future. Her killer, Colin William Drake, 37, lived on the same street just 230m away, and would later on stab her in a frenzied attack while she slept on the floor of her friend’s house in the coastal town of Ulverstone. Although Drake had no clear motive for the attack on June 14, 2021, he had been arrested and appeared in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Wednesday after pleading guilty to murder. The Crown prosecutor Linda Mason SC, said that Gabbie suffered 17 stab wounds to her neck, arms and hands, in a desperate act to defend herself. In heartbreaking turn of events, Gabbie's parents Heidi and Rick Marshall paid tribute to their young daughter in court. “I saw two men approaching (our house) in suits. I knew they were detectives,” Heidi recalled the moment she found out about her daughter's death. “I instantly knew something had happened to Gabrielle and my heart just broke.” Heidi said that Gabbie felt the safest in Tasmania, after getting out of a bad relationship and would call her parents every night to tell them she loved them. “Before her death she was the happiest she had ever been,” Gabbie's dad said. “Just like that she was gone,” Heidi said. “You never think anything like this would happen to your family.” Gabbie's daughter, who was six at the time, was playing on the deck when the detectives arrived and overheard the conversation. She "still sleeps with one of Gabbie’s jumpers,” Heidi said. Gabbie's daughter, who continues to live with her grandparents, has written a heart-wrenching statement which was also read in court. “When I hug my mummy’s jumper at night I get to talk to her,” the statement read. “(She) won’t be there to see me finish school. I hate him very much for what he did to my mummy.” The court was told that Drake, who is set to be sentenced in December, has a mild intellectual disability and a low IQ, sitting at the bottom 0.4 per cent of the population. The Crown prosecutor said that there were several possible motives including sexual jealousy, desire, or that he entered the house to steal something. She added that this is due to the sexualised comments he had made about women he saw while walking with his carer a few weeks prior. He had no connection with Gabbie or her friend. Defence lawyer Greg Barns SC said Drake had indicated to his legal advisers that he had remorse, and maintained that he went to the house to get cigarettes. Images: 7News

Caring

"32 years of safe landings": Pilot's surprise speech reduces passengers to tears

A pilot has brought his passengers to tears with an emotional speech on his final flight after 32 years in the skies. Jeff Fell, an American Airlines pilot, took off from Chicago on his retirement flight as he stood in front of his passengers and delivered a heartfelt message. At first, his message seemed routine, informing travellers of the weather and and flight time, before acknowledging it was strange for him to deliver the address from outside the cockpit. “I normally don’t stand up in front of everybody like this, I usually just stay in the cockpit and talk on the PA. If I get a little emotional please forgive me for that,” he said in the speech, which was captured on video by a passenger. With passengers still unaware of what was to come, he pointed out a group of “very important people” to him sitting at the back of the plane. “They’re the majority of my family who have come along with me on my retirement flight,” Mr Fell said. The plane was filled with applause as the pilot's voice wavered with emotion. “They’re on-board with me on my retirement flight after 32 years with American,” he said. He continued, fighting back tears, “Thank you all for coming along with me tonight and celebrating this very memorable time in my life. I love all of you." With another round of applause from his passengers, Mr Fell added:, “I didn’t want to get emotional but goodness gracious.” “Finally, for my wonderful wife Julie who has been at my side for the majority of my 32 years at American. She has been the rock, the solid rock in the foundation in our lives and our marriage. Her faith in the Lord, wisdom, strength and love has guided our marriage and family throughout these years. I love you and look forward to the next chapter in our lives. And welcome aboard everybody.” The video was uploaded to TikTok and has since gone viral, raking up millions of views, and you can watch the full video <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@realjharrison/video/7299484162648509738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Thousands of social media users left comments of support, with many confessing the clip had brought them to tears. “As soon as he said retirement flight my tears came,” one person wrote, while another added, "32 years of safe landings also. God bless him and all pilots.” “To think of the amount of families, people, and cultures he has single-handedly connected throughout the world. Thank you!” penned a third person. “32 years of bringing people closer together. I’m crying!” agreed another. Image credits: TikTok

International Travel

Ray Martin's scathing Voice to Parliament speech

Ray Martin has ripped into No voters while discussing the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, calling them "dinosaurs and d**kheads". The veteran TV presenter spoke to supporters of the Yes campaign at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville, in Sydney's inner west, and did not hold back on what he thought of those voting no on October 14th. He called out those who are voting No, suggesting they are too lazy to educate themselves by performing a simple Google search, and instead are being driven by division and fear. Martin said, “If you don’t know, find out what you don’t know.” <div id="story-primary" data-area="story-primary"> “What that excellent slogan is saying, is if you’re a dinosaur or a d**khead who can’t be bothered reading, then vote No.” He went on to argue that No voters kept begging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the details of the referendum, but the details “could not be simpler”. </div> “At this stage of the game, the details simply don’t matter. They never did matter, honestly. They’re irrelevant,” he said. “Over the next 10 to 20 years, no matter who is in government, the details will change, inevitably. As will the members of the Voice delegation from around Australia, according to the needs, the priorities and the policies that are meant to close that bloody gap. “You can’t write all that in the constitution in 2023.” He explained that as governments and priorities will change over the years, so will the roles and responsibilities of the Voice representatives. “It’s a big country with lots of different demands and needs. How do you give the details of all that in the Australian constitution? Of course you don’t.” Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

"This guy hates my guts and I hate his": Manu Feildel spills on his feud with Colin Fassnidge

Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge have opened up about their long-running feud that began when the pair started working together on My Kitchen Rules. On Wednesday night's episode of the popular cooking show, Manu revealed to the contestants how the judges "hated" each other's "guts" when they started filming the show together in 2014. Their feud began when Colin accused Manu of "selling out" by joining the TV show. Manu opened up about their previous dislike for one another, after contestants Amber and Mel explained that the name of their restaurant, Salty Secrets, was meant to encourage their fellow MKR contestants to share little-known facts about themselves. “Do you want to hear about salty secrets from us?” Manu asked the table. <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/reel/CxaP02IBB8q/?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/reel/CxaP02IBB8q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by MKR (@mykitchenrules)</a> </div> </blockquote> “The salty secret is Colin and I started on the wrong foot. Because when I started TV, most chefs in the industry thought I’d sold my soul.” Colin added, “I said he’s sold out.” Explaining the criticism, Manu said, “They said I was no longer a chef, I was a TV celebrity.” They went on to say that their feud made working together very difficult in the early years when Colin joined the MKR team, “I got told, ‘Oh we’re going to bring in a new chef - Colin Fassnidge.’ And I went, ‘What?! The guy hates my guts and I hate his guts’,” Manu said. Colin added. “So day one of MKR, I turn up and they’re like ‘Have you met Manu?’ And I was like, ‘S***’." “We did the season. It was a tough learning curve for me.” Manu explained that it wasn't until the end of the first episode that they resolved their differences and became friends. “So we finished the show, I went into my room, he went into his,” he said. “And suddenly I heard [knocks on table], open my room and he went ‘I would like to apologise for being an a***hole.’ “And we’ve been good friends ever since!” Image credits: My Kitchen Rules

Junk fees and drip pricing: the underhanded tactics we hate yet still fall for

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ralf-steinhauser-1459112">Ralf Steinhauser</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> You see a fantastic offer, like a hotel room. You decide to book. Then it turns out there is a service fee. Then a cleaning fee. Then a few other extra costs. By the time you pay the final price, it is no longer the fantastic offer you thought. Welcome to the world of drip pricing – the practice of advertising something at an attractive headline price and then, once you’ve committed to the purchase process, hitting you with unavoidable extra fees that are incrementally disclosed, or “dripped”. Drip pricing – a type of “junk fee” – is notorious in event and travel ticketing, and is creeping into other areas, such as movie tickets. My daughter, for example, was surprised to find her ticket to the Barbie movie had a “booking fee”, increasing the cost of her ticket by 13%. It seems like such an annoying trick that you may wonder why sellers do it. The reason is because it works, due to two fundamental cognitive biases: the way we value the present over the future; and the way we hate losses more than we love gains. <h2>Present bias preference: why starting over feels too costly</h2> In the case of booking that hotel room, you could abandon the transaction and look for something cheaper once the extra charges become apparent. But there’s a good chance you won’t, due to the effort and time involved. This is where the trap lies. Resistance to the idea of starting the search all over again is not simply a matter of laziness or indecision. There’s a profound psychological mechanism at play here, called a present-bias preference – that we value things immediately in front of us more than things more distant in the future. In their seminal 1999 paper, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.89.1.103">Doing it now or later</a>, economists Mathew Rabin and Ted O'Donoghue define present-biased preference as “the human tendency to grab immediate rewards and to avoid immediate costs”. They give the example of choosing between doing seven hours of unpleasant activity on April 1 or eight hours two weeks later. If asked about this a few months beforehand, most people will choose the earlier option. “But come April 1, given the same choice, most of us are apt to put off work till April 15.” In simple terms, the inconvenience and effort of doing something “right now” often feels disproportionately large. Drip pricing exploits this cognitive bias by getting you to make a decision and commit to the transaction process. When you’re far into a complicated booking process and extra prices get added, starting all over again feels like a burden. Often enough, this means you’ll settle for the higher-priced hotel room. <h2>Loss aversion: buying more expensive tickets</h2> Beyond the challenge of starting over, there’s another subtle force at work when it comes to our spending decisions. Drip pricing doesn’t just capitalise on our desire for immediate rewards; it also plays on our innate fear of losing out. This second psychological phenomenon that drip pricing exploits is known as loss aversion – that we feel more pain from losing something than pleasure from gaining the same thing. The concept of loss aversion was first outlined by economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1914185">a 1979 paper</a> that is the third most-cited article in economics. <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543635/original/file-20230821-25-mca6ku.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A graphic representation of loss aversion. The pain from losing a good or service will be greater than the pleasure from gaining the same good or service." /><figcaption>How economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky graphically represented loss aversion. The pain from losing a good or service is greater than the pleasure from gaining the same good or service. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk, Econometrica, Vol. 47, No. 2</figcaption></figure> <hr /> Drip pricing exploits this tendency, by dragging us away from more “rational” choices. Imagine you’re booking tickets for a show. Initially attracted by the observed headline price, you are now presented with different seating categories. Seeing the “VIP” are within your budget, you decide to splurge. But then, during the checkout process, the drip of extra costs begins. You realise you could have opted for lower-category seats and stayed within your budget. But by this stage you’ve already changed your expectation and imagined yourself enjoying the show from those nice seats. Going back and booking cheaper seats will feel like a loss. <h2>Do consumers need protection?</h2> Empirical evidence supports the above theoretical predictions about the impact of drop pricing on consumers. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21426">A 2020 study</a> quantified how much consumers dislike the lack of transparency in drip pricing (based on tracking the reactions of 225 undergraduates using fictional airline and hotel-booking websites). The authors liken the practice to the “taximeter effect” – the discomfort consumers feel watching costs accumulate. But drip pricing’s effectiveness from a seller’s perspective is undeniable. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.04.007">experimental study</a> published in 2020 found drip pricing generates higher profits while lowering the “consumer surplus” (the benefit derived from buying a product or service). A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2020.1261">2021 analysis</a> of data from StubHub, a US website for reselling tickets, calculated drip pricing increased revenue by 20%. Which is why the tactic remains attractive to businesses despite customers disliking it. Buyers would benefit from a ban of drip pricing. Many countries are taking steps to protect consumers from drip pricing. The UK government, for example, announced a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/21/growth-of-airlines-add-on-fees-sparks-calls-for-price-reforms">review of drip pricing</a> in June, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flagging the possibility of measures to curb the practice. The US government is also considering <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/15/president-biden-recognizes-actions-by-private-sector-ticketing-and-travel-companies-to-eliminate-hidden-junk-fees-and-provide-millions-of-customers-with-transparent-pricing/">new regulations</a>, with President Joe Biden denouncing “junk fees” in his <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/02/07/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery/">2023 State of the Union address</a>. Proposed changes include requiring airlines and online booking services to disclose the full ticket price upfront, inclusive of baggage and other fees. The effectiveness of measures, however, is <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4430453">still being debated</a>. In the meantime, your principal protection is making a more informed decision, by understanding why the tactic works. Bargains may attract you, but you can learn to not fall for hidden costs and align your choices with your budget and values.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211117/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ralf-steinhauser-1459112">Ralf Steinhauser</a>, Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/junk-fees-and-drip-pricing-the-underhanded-tactics-we-hate-yet-still-fall-for-211117">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Sonia Kruger’s cheeky shot during Logies victory speech

The 2023 Logie Awards ceremony was filled with memorable moments, both triumphant and awkward. Sam Pang took on the role of the host, becoming the first in 11 years to do so. He kicked off the proceedings with a pointed and humorous monologue, highlighting the win for diversity as the first-ever host representing both Channel 7 and Channel 10. “I would like to acknowledge a win for diversity tonight. I am the first host in the history of the Logies to be half and half - half Channel 7 and half Channel 10,” Pang began. “Let’s be honest, it’s just be great to have an Asian on Channel 7 who isn’t trying to smuggle live birds through border security,” he continued, telling viewers to strap in for the “two-day” ceremony. One of the night's obvious highlights was the announcement of the Gold Logie winner, Sonia Kruger. Overwhelmed with joy, Sonia expressed her gratitude and thanked everyone involved in her shows, including Big Brother, Dancing With the Stars, and The Voice. She also playfully teased last year's Gold Logie winner, Hamish Blake, for sharing the same agent and their agent's hopes for concentrating on her in the future. Kruger quoted a conversation with the agent who had allegedly told her “I think people are a little over Hamish [Blake].” She added that the man had told her “Frankly I am hoping that he will leave the agency, so I can concentrate all of my efforts on you, Sonia”. Karl Stefanovic, on the other hand, faced a challenging moment during his appearance. Trying to add some impromptu humour to introduce a tribute to Barry Humphries, his joke about David Koch's favourite show, Bump, fell flat with the audience. “I did want to just check something... I am pretty sure before I heard Kochie say he loves Bump’s.... season 3. Did anyone mishear that? Because I am pretty sure I did. Anyway, those are the headlines tomorrow morning...” Karl said. The cameras caught Kochie looking bewildered to say the least. Sam Pang then by saying “I don’t want to say Karl’s joke about Kochie sank, but OceanGate are offering expeditions to visit it.” Following the In Memoriam segment, Sam Pang dedicated another In Memoriam to TV shows that had low ratings in the past year. This included Seven's Blow-Up, lacking the entertainment, artistry, and family fun it aimed for, and Ten's The Real Love Boat, which seemingly did not receive favourable reviews. Throughout the night, Sam Pang entertained the audience with a series of witty remarks. He thanked those who declined the hosting gig, <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">including Hamish Blake: “I appreciate it, mate, some of us have a mortgage,” said Pang. “By the way, a mortgage is when the bank loans... Ah,don’t worry about it.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He joked that Kenny star Shane Jacobson said yes to hosting, “before even knowing what the question was.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Karl Stefanovic said yes, as long the show was held in a park in Noosa.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Eventually, it came down to two candidates, but “Rolf Harris said no, so here we are.” Then he took aim at the stars of MAFS, seated in the audience - he welcomed them to their “last-ever Logies." <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The Voice is nominated tonight," continued Pang, "despite Peter Dutton’s strong opposition to the nomination...” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The Block shows Australians what it is like to own their own home, making it the greatest fantasy series since Game of Thrones.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He said I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is “a wonderful show where we find out which Australian celebrities haven’t been adding to their super. Hi Kerri-Anne!” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He noted that Hamish Blake is up for his second Gold Logie this year, while comedy partner Andy Lee... “is mates with Hamish.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He paid tribute to recently retired Sunrise host David Koch, who “changed breakfast television forever. Warmth, humour, personality... you needed none of those.” <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And then Today host Karl Stefanovic, sat with co-host Sarah Abo. Or as Pang put it: “Sitting next to your co-host - who do you have this year, Karl?” He said Karl’s table would only be more fun if “Michael Clarke was on it.” While Pang's monologue ended on a controversial note with a joke about being an Asian on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, the overall ceremony was filled with moments that kept the audience entertained. He also advised audience members “not to mix beer and wine, and make sure that you don’t mix your acceptance speech with an active court case.” Images: Channel Seven

Grant Denyer’s heartwarming message ahead of Logies

Former Sunrise presenter Grant Denyer has shared a heartwarming message, just days ahead of this year's Logies. Denyer took to Instagram on Thursday to reminisce about the moment he won a Logie Award in 2018, sharing a clip of his heartfelt acceptance speech. “This still hits me in the feels five years later,” he captioned the post. He then went on to explain the deep impact winning the award had on him. “For a kid who was carrying tripods and washing the news cars in a country TV station during his school holidays ... this was the greatest moment of my professional life and I’ll cherish the s*** out of it forever. “I mean, I grew up in awe of Daryl, Bert & Rove ... and in that moment, the same shy, hardworking, big dreaming kid ... joined them 🤯. “Humbled, emotional & choc-a-block full of gratitude 🙏🏻 My cup was not only filled that day but overflowing." He then wished this year's Logies contenders the best of luck and added: "may it be as magical as it was for little ol’ me on that hallowed night of nights." “I’ll never forget it. #tvweeklogies.” In the clip, an emotional Denyer cheered in excitement as he got the award and thanked his tearful wife Chezzi and everyone who had given him a second chance. Fellow celebrities and fans alike applauded the beloved presenter and reminisced the moment with him. “You’re the best GD!” TV personality Angie Kent wrote. “You truly are. And so is that magic woman @chezzidenyer.Big love to you both! This gave me all the gooseys,” she added. Denyer replied: “It gives a certain tingle, doesn’t it.” TV presenter Joel Creasey and Ten executive producer Chris Walker both commented with a hand clapping emoji. One fan wrote: “Well deserved and you stand out because you are humble.” “I’m not crying, you’re crying,” commented another. In another comment Denyer replied to a fan and revealed that he cried after winning the Logie. “Won’t lie, had a proper little cry to myself when I went backstage in the darkness,” he wrote. Another fan commented the impact that moment had on their lives: “I still watch this from time to time to remind myself that anything is possible with the right mindset.” “A truly inspirational moment in television from a truly inspirational, kind and amazing person.” Denyer replied: “Things can always get better, you can always get yourself out of a hole and sunshine is nice to stand in, so it’s worth fighting for.” Another fan noted that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house the night Denyer won. Images: Instagram/ 9Now

“What a legend”: Groom exposes new wife’s affair during wedding speech

A groom has exposed his new wife after finding out she had been having an affair with his best man during a speech at their wedding. The scorned groom handed out intimate photos and explicit videos of his wife and the best man together before announcing he would be “leaving now”, dropping the microphone and then walking off with his family, who had been pre-warned. On The Unfiltered Bride podcast, wedding planners Georgina and Beth spoke about the shocking story. Georgina said although his family knew, he wanted to go ahead with the wedding so that the bride would have to pay for all the food. They posted a snippet of their podcast on TikTok, which quickly went viral. Georgina said on the podcast, “I've got another story to tell you. I can't tell you who told me because I'm not really allowed to tell the story, but f**k it I'm going to tell the story anyway. So there was a wedding and they did the wedding, bride and groom got married, lovely ceremony, drinks reception, sat down for wedding breakfast, had their food, speeches after food.” “Father of the bride does his thing, groom stands up and says, ‘Just before I properly get started, there's some envelopes coming round now. If you could all open them up. Yeah those are pictures of the bride f*****g the best man so I'll be leaving now.’ Dropped the microphone and him and all his family knew about it and left because they wanted the bride to have to pay for the food.” Beth then asked, ”So the bride paid for everything?” To which Georgina replied, “The bride's family paid for everything.” The video sparked numerous reactions. “My mouth actually dropped. OMG!!!” one person said. “I don’t blame him at all!! I’d do the same 😂😂” another added. “But WHY did he still marry her?” a third asked. “I admire the patience of the groom and family to get through the whole thing without slipping up once. 😅” another added. Image credit: Shutterstock

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11 polite habits house cleaners secretly hate – and what to do instead

The dos and don'ts of cleaning etiquette Housekeepers are like lawyers. They see you at your worst – yes, mostly your home, but you too – and keep their lips sealed. With a cleaning confidante like that, it’s only natural to want to do little things to show your appreciation, like asking about their lives or even helping them clean. But despite your good intentions, these kind gestures can sometimes miss the mark. The house cleaners we spoke with revealed tales of extra (dirty) work they were “trusted with” but didn’t want to do, “helpful” cleaning tips that weren’t actually helpful and little etiquette mistakes that simply sucked time from what you hired them to do: clean your house. To be fair, there aren’t any hard-and-fast etiquette rules on this topic. That’s why we asked cleaning experts to give us the inside scoop on some of the thoughtful things people do that drive them crazy – and what to do instead. Cleaning before they arrive You may truly believe you’re helping by cleaning before your housekeeper arrives, and maybe you are. It depends on what you mean by cleaning. If you’re quickly passing a mop over a grimy kitchen floor or wiping your granite benchtops with a wet sponge and not drying them, cleaning pros say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” With the grime now further embedded into the floor or streaks on the countertops, it could actually take them more time to fix your mistake. And at the very least, they’ll have to duplicate your work anyway. Do this instead: focus on the clutter. “Taking things off the counters and clearing the floors can help us work much faster, and that means a better cleaning for the same amount of money,” says housecleaner, Gretchen Boyd. “Clear the clutter for a better clean, but leave the scrubbing to us!” Talking to them while they're cleaning After a while, your housekeeper becomes more like a friend. You ask them about their lives and their families, and they certainly know all about yours. It would be rude not to talk to them while they’re there. Plus, they’re doing all the tasks you don’t want to do, so the least you could do is make things less boring with a little chitchat, right? Nope! In fact, that ‘entertaining’ chitchat can really mess with their cleaning schedule. “Once, a client wanted to discuss a personal issue with me while I was cleaning their home. I was happy to listen, but it extended my cleaning time by about 15 to 20 minutes,” says cleaner Laura Avila. “I enjoy getting to know my clients, but it’s important to keep in mind that my priority is to provide them with a clean space, and conversations can sometimes hinder that goal.” Do this instead: spend a few minutes chatting when your housekeeper arrives, then let them get to work. “What I really appreciate is when clients give me some space to work in silence or maybe put on some music that we can both enjoy without having to chat the whole time,” says Avila. “That way, I can focus on doing a great job and getting everything cleaned up efficiently.” Following them around while they work You’re not hovering; you’re keeping them company. Nope, sorry – you’re hovering. Even if you think you’re being polite by showing an interest in their work or keeping them company, this polite gesture rarely comes across as you’re hoping. Instead, house cleaners say that having someone watching them while they scrub and scour the shower gives the impression that the client doubts if their cleaner even knows how to clean the bathroom at all. And having someone watching your every move can be distracting and unnerving. Do this instead: “I prefer when clients let me work on my own,” says Avila. If you have specific requests or concerns, talk them over when your housekeeper first arrives. Checking on progress or asking questions is fine, but minimise those types of interactions. That way, they can focus on doing the amazing job that you want them to do. Offering agency workers extra pay for extra work Who wouldn’t like to make some extra cash easily? Customers who go through an agency may think they are helping their house cleaner by offering extra payment for work that isn’t in the contract. What they don’t realise is that this may actually be against company policy, and their house cleaner could get in trouble. Beyond that, because professional cleaners allocate a set amount of time for each job, doing that additional chore could cause them to run late to their other clients’ homes, says Rachel Rios, a cleaning professional. All this also puts the cleaner in the awkward position of having to say no and disappoint the client. Do this instead: talk to the agency ahead of time if you have a special request. Agree upon any additional charges it may incur, as well as when the cleaning will take place. Giving vague instructions Sometimes, clients feel like giving too many instructions will insult the cleaning pro – after all, this is their job. Or they figure the cleaner knows to include tasks like cleaning ceiling fans and windows in their weekly routine, so they casually say something like: “Clean the living room.” The problem? Without specific instructions on which areas of the house to clean, which surfaces to focus on or what kind of cleaning products to use, a house cleaner is not sure what exactly needs to be done. There may also be confusion about whether “cleaning” entails a thorough wipe-down or a deep-clean. “Each client has different preferences and expectations,” says Hugo Guerrero, a certified house cleaning technician, “so it’s important to communicate clearly.” Do this instead: provide a list with specific details about how each task should be completed. “Be specific,” says Guerrero. “That way, there are fewer misunderstandings and more satisfactory cleaning jobs.” Moving items before they arrive You might think you’re helping your house cleaner by moving sculptures, photographs, vases and other home accessories off table tops and shelves. But this ends up creating more work for them, as well as confusion. After all, now they don’t know where these items belong – and where they should put them once they’re clean. They might also knock them over if you put them in a strange spot or accidentally break them while moving them back in place. Do this instead: leave everything in its original position, and let the cleaners move the items themselves. “Doing so makes it easier for the cleaner, who is used to cleaning a certain way,” says Ahmad Jamal, a cleaning expert with Cleaners Advisor. “When clients move items around, I may need to move things back to their original place in order to clean properly.” Plus, those decorative items need to be dusted and cleaned as well, and there’s a specific way to do that. If you need anything in particular moved, let your cleaner know in advance. Pre-soaking the shower or tub with bleach Clients who don’t really know how to clean a bathtub the right way may think it’s helpful to pre-soak the shower or bathtub with bleach, but this can actually be incredibly dangerous for your house cleaner. If the area is not rinsed thoroughly, it could result in a chemical reaction with the cleaning supplies the cleaning pro is using in your bathroom. For example, when bleach mixes with ammonia, it produces an odourless, toxic gas that can cause respiratory distress and even death. Do this instead: “If you do decide to do any pre-cleaning before your house cleaner arrives, communicate which chemicals you used and where,” says Toby Schulz, CEO of Maid2Match in Australia. “And please remember to make sure the room is well ventilated.” Leaving a key with a neighbour Sometimes scheduling conflicts arise, and you need to arrange for your house cleaner to get a key to your home. Of course, you don’t want to cancel at the last minute and totally upend your cleaning pro’s schedule, and this is a good solution. Well, it is when it goes off without a hitch … which rarely happens. What if the neighbour isn’t home or doesn’t hear the doorbell? “This never seems to quite work as planned,” says cleaner, Olive Cantor. “Plus, the entire cleaning job runs late, and that can impact not only our client’s cleaning but also our entire day.” Do this instead: work out a mutually agreeable option, like bringing your key to your house cleaner earlier in the day or hiding it away in an uncommon place like under a driveway paver. If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, you might want to invest in a smart lock that lets you provide an employee with “digital keys” that work just for that day. Providing your own cleaning products and tools It’s a nice gesture to want to provide everything your house cleaner needs so it’s all right there waiting for them and they don’t have to lug it to your house every week. But insisting on the wrong tools and products can actually make the job harder, especially when you leave out all those items to “help.” “This [makes] it hard to find my way around and determine the right way to clean each surface,” says Jenna Shaughnessy, a former professional house cleaner who’s currently a home decor and DIY expert. “While you may have excellent intentions, it might make cleaning harder and take more time.” Do this instead: communicate your preferences in advance (like, maybe you only want natural cleaning products or your kid is allergic to a certain scent), and then discuss your house cleaner’s preferences as well. They’re the pros, after all, and they know what’s good! Perhaps they find a certain vacuum to be more effective or love a product that cuts their work time in half. You can also discuss whether they would like you to stock up on these items for them or if they would prefer to bring their own supplies. “That way,” says Avila, “I can be sure that I’m using things I’m familiar with and that I know will work well for the job.” Offering 'helpful advice' while they're working It’s your home, and it has some quirks. To be fair, so do you. And you know your house cleaner wants to do the job to your specifications, so if you happen to be in the same room and notice they could be doing something differently, you might want to offer your two cents, whether it’s about the best way to clean that tricky oven rack or how to scrub the stainless steel sink. But truly, resist the urge. Lauren Doss, owner of a cleaning business, notes that all the stopping, starting and direction-giving makes it difficult to work efficiently. With one client who wanted things done a very specific way and kept interjecting as she worked, Doss says it “added a lot of time to the job, as I had to double-check each step with them.” Not to mention that this behaviour shows a lack of trust, even if you aren’t quite as intrusive as that client was. Do this instead: Provide clear instructions to your cleaner before they start working, then let them do their job. “It’s important for clients to trust their housekeeping professionals and allow them to work without interference,” says Doss. “If there’s a problem, offer constructive criticism rather than nitpicking.” Not wanting to burden your house cleaner with other home problems House cleaners don’t need to know tiny details about every maintenance issue in your house. Too much information! However, let’s be clear: they sure appreciate your telling them about problems that affect their job. A burned-out bulb in the fridge is not important … but a clogged toilet definitely is. And that’s not the only potential issue here. “I had one client who failed to tell me that the door on their second oven was loose,” recounts Cantor. “I went to open the oven to clean it, and off came the door! Not only was that scary – and potentially dangerous – but I was then worried that I was the one who broke it.” Do this instead: let your house cleaner know if something they are going to be cleaning or using is broken. If you won’t be home when your house cleaner arrives, leave sticky notes on problem places. In the case of the broken oven door, Cantor says, “a little heads-up would have saved a lot of stress for everyone!” Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/11-polite-habits-house-cleaners-secretly-hate-and-what-to-do-instead?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Tom Cruise’s unconventional acceptance speech

Tom Cruise has given one of the most unique acceptance speeches at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The 60-year-old, who famously performs his own stunts and is a licensed pilot himself, delivered a pre-recorded speech on May 7 while flying a World War II propeller plane. Cruise won best performance in a movie for Top Gun: Maverick. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Things we'll never forget: <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>'s performance in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopGun?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopGun</a>: Maverick 🎥 Congrats to Tom Cruise on winning Best Performance in a Movie at the 2023 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTVAwards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTVAwards</a>! <a href="https://t.co/dZr3Wglpdq">pic.twitter.com/dZr3Wglpdq</a> — Movie & TV Awards (@MTVAwards) <a href="https://twitter.com/MTVAwards/status/1655367059994456065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> “Hi everyone, thank you so much for this award,” he said from the cockpit. “I make these films for you. I love you. I love entertaining you. To know how much you enjoy it, how much you appreciate it, there’s just no better feeling.” In his acceptance speech, Cruise appears to be piloting the P-51 Mustang plane that he owns, which was featured in Top Gun: Maverick. “You have a wonderful summer," Cruise said in his speech. "Thank you again for letting me entertain you. It’s an absolute privilege. We’ll see you at the movies.” Cruise also recorded a similar message from the same plane that was played for King Charles II during the coronation concert on May 8. “Pilot to pilot," Cruise said. "Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.” Image credit: Twitter

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