Table of contents for June 2023 in Readers Digest Australia

Mood-Boosting Benefits ‘The Surprising Benefits Of Owning A Pet’ (April) came as no surprise to me. When my mother died two years ago, my siblings and I did not know how my father would cope as he was crippled by grief. My brother suggested we get him a rescue dog. Dad has always loved animals and we hoped that having a pet to care for would nudge him back to life. The effect was immediate. Humans need connection and Dad’s energy, caring nature and love of life was rekindled with the arrival of Russell. My siblings and I think that Russell saved his life. LINDA DAVIES Solving The Puzzle I loved reading ‘Get Clued-In On Crosswords’ (April). While I do love a crossword, I’m one to give up quickly if I…

Sleep is supposed to be a natural thing, but if you wrestle with insomnia, you may be tempted to try gizmos that promise better sleep. One that might sound a little weird but that has been known to work is a weighted blanket. “They’ve become the sleep tool to have,” says Alanna McGinn, a sleep specialist and author of This Baby Loves Sleep. About 62 per cent of adults around the world say they don’t sleep as well as they’d like, according to the 2019 Philips Global Sleep Survey. Insomnia impacts as many as 35 per cent of adults from time to time, while ten per cent have chronic trouble falling and staying asleep. Weighted blankets range between two and 14 kilograms; choose one that’s around ten per cent of…

• Ian McEwan was born in Aldershot, southern England, on June 21, 1948. • Over his almost 50-year career as a writer, McEwan has received almost all the major prizes in English-language literature, including the Booker Prize in 1998. • In 2020, he was awarded the Goethe Medal (an annual prize honouring non-Germans who have performed outstanding service for the German language and international cultural relations). • McEwan has two sons from his first marriage. He was married for the second time in 1997. • The author lives in London with his wife, writer and journalist Annalena McAfee. • Many of his novels have been adapted into films, such as Atonement, Enduring Love, On Chesil Beach and The Children Act.…

IS IT TIME TO PUT THE BRAKES on the development of artificial intelligence (AI)? If you’ve quietly asked yourself that question, you’re not alone. In late March, a host of AI luminaries signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on the development of more powerful models than GPT-4; European researchers called for tighter AI regulations; and long-time AI researcher and critic Eliezer Yudkowsky demanded a complete shutdown of AI development in the pages of TIME magazine. Meanwhile, the industry shows no sign of slowing down. In March, a senior AI executive at Microsoft reportedly spoke of “very, very high” pressure from chief executive Satya Nadella to get GPT-4 and other new models to the public “at a very high speed”. I worked at Google until 2020, when I…

“IS THERE A DOCTOR ON BOARD?” No doctor wants to hear these words while flying, but this time I was already primed by the frantic sounds of a female passenger in distress. We were over the North Atlantic, and my husband and I were on our way home after a European holiday. The cabin was darkened for the inflight movies when pleas of “Wake up! Oh, help!” rang out. I was out of my seat, fast. The flight attendant and I arrived together to see a frightened elderly woman clutching the hand of her husband, who wasn’t responding to her. His head was back, mouth open. He may have been asleep, except that he couldn’t be roused. I did a quick examination: irregular but steady pulse, colour good, no evident…

Why are hat jokes the hardest to understand? Because they always go right over your head! I just bought a new cap… with a built-in fan that keeps my head cool during hot weather. It really blows my mind. What does a hat salesman drink to get him going in the morning? A cappuccino. What did the hat say to the tie? You hang around and I’ll go a-head. Did you know you can wear any boat as a hat? You just have to turn it upside down to make it cap sized. What do you call a turtle in a chef’s hat? A slow cooker. What do we call a car that wears a hat? A hat-chback! Sources: mytowntutors.com; gloryofthesnow.com; https://heresajoke.com/…

I’m a walker, logging an average of 9000 steps a day several times a week around my neighbourhood. One of walking’s great charms for me is that you don’t need equipment. But on recent trips to Copenhagen and Stockholm, I noticed tall, fit Scandinavians striding along on city streets with poles, as if they were cross-country skiing without any snow. It was a revelation to learn that the addition of the poles makes it a more vigorous, full-body exercise than simply walking – and, as a 76 year old looking to stay healthy while enjoying the outdoors, I decided to give it a try. There’s plenty of help online for the novice Nordic walker: stand tall, swing your arms out as if to shake hands, and plant your poles with…

Arousing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’, blowing out candles on a cake, and giving gifts are common in many places across the globe. But in some countries they celebrate loved ones in unique ways. Here, the editors of our international editions share some unique traditions reserved for counting yourself one year older. MEXICO An emblematic Mexican birthday-party tradition – one that has spread across the globe – is the smashing of a piñata. Blindfolded, stick-wielding celebrants whack a brightly coloured container hanging from a string until it bursts open, raining down lollies. Now usually made from papier mâché in a range of forms that includes animals and celebrities, piñatas are traditionally composed of clay and spherical in shape (with protruding spikes). AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Down Under, birthdays usually involve a…

One of the world’s richest men, Elon Musk, reportedly scented a new opportunity to capitalise on quirky products, launching a ‘repugnant-smelling’ perfume called ‘Burnt Hair’ that he claims sold 30,000 bottles to earn a million dollars in just a few hours. “With a name like mine, getting into the fragrance business was inevitable – why did I even fight it for so long!?” Musk asked on Twitter. Previous brainwaves have included Tesla’s own-brand tequila, and a pair of ‘short shorts’ to signify Musk’s victory over stock investors who bet against his electric vehicles. REUTERS…

1. What skill did Tenoch Huerta Mejía have to learn for his role as ruler of the underwater kingdom in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? 1 point 2. If a Flemish Giant thumped through your garden, what kind of creature would you be looking at? 1 point 3. What 17th-century book is often estimated to be the bestselling novel of all time? 1 point 4. What civic-observance day, held every April, attracts about one billion participants in over 190 countries? 1 point 5. Which Latin American city is sinking faster than Venice, at 50 centimetres per year? 1 point 6. Which North American city has a 42-year history of supporting jazz music with its annual international festival? 1 point 7. Along which myelin-covered infrastructure does information travel up to a speed…

IT’S NO SECRET that people with obesity can face serious health challenges, which can be ongoing and made much harder because of criticism and stigma lobbed from numerous directions. In ‘Obesity, The Other Global Pandemic’ (page 30), regular contributor and health journalist Helen Signy speaks with leading obesity experts to find out why it is now a global health problem and what new treatments are available. This issue has a range of great reads. For travel buffs, ‘Staying Healthy On Holidays’ (page 66) offers helpful tips on being medically prepared for your next travels, and we also explore the beauty of the Croatian coastal town of Dubrovnik (page 114). For pet owners, we investigate the cause of those crazy night-time zoomies (page 18). We also look into the health benefits…

FEAR OF VACCINES CAN CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS People who are afraid of vaccines for any reason (including getting a needle) are more likely to feel light-headed when they get a shot, according to a study in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. A possible explanation: for some, fear can cause nervous-system dysregulation and affect the flow of blood to their brain. If you have this problem, try crossing your legs, then tightening the muscles in your thighs, abdomen and buttocks for five seconds, releasing for five seconds and repeating from the moment you’re about to get your shot until you stand up from the chair. The idea is to temporarily raise your blood pressure, which should help to stave off dizziness by circulating more blood to your head. HOW TO PREVENT…

Long Arm Of The Law Helplessly lost in a small town, I waved down a passing police officer. Turns out the address I was looking for was in the opposite direction. “Is it OK if I make a U-turn?” I asked. “If I don’t see you,” he said, walking back to his car. I quickly did a U-turn and got about a block before he came up behind me and pulled me over. Ambling over, he said, “I saw you.” SUBMITTED BY BARBARA HONIG Not A Keeper Been dating this guy for four months and today he asked me why I don’t have a boyfriend. @pallnandi A Grand Old Age “I think I’m getting grey hairs,” I told my husband. “But I can’t be sure because my eyesight isn’t what…

WHEN YOUR MOTHER ENTERS HER ninth decade, you make a point of being a little extra vigilant for any signs of decline – memory loss, bouts of repetition, a general acceleration of age-related deterioration. Thankfully, my mother has been blessed with good health, and her mental faculties seem to have remained largely intact. But when she got tattooed after turning 80 two years ago, I had to wonder. To celebrate Mum’s landmark birthday, we were planning a large party – but then, of course, everything had to be cancelled because of COV-ID-19. After all, her entire social circle is high risk, composed as it is of septuagenarian and octogenarian friends from her book (wine) club, her garden (wine) club, and her church. Instead, we arranged an outdoor family lunch at a…

When Amanda Platts’ dog Prince was five months old, the Pilates teacher from Sydney and her partner decided to get his DNA tested. The rescue pup, believed to be an English staffy, was already the same height as the couple’s previous, much older staffy, Diesel. “There was something about Prince’s face that made me think he wasn’t pure staffy,” says Platts. “But as he started to rapidly grow, I really began to wonder.” The test, taken with a simple and painless mouth swab, revealed that although one of Prince’s great-grandparents was indeed an English staffy, he’s mostly American staffy, a much larger dog breed, with some whippet, terrier and Hungarian Vizsla. DNA testing for dogs first appeared around eight years ago. Since then it has become quite popular with 2019…

Signing Off When only two people showed up at a book signing event for her debut novel, Crowns and Legends, author Chelsea Banning tweeted that she felt “a little embarrassed.” Soon, fellow authors responded with their own horror stories. Margaret Atwood shared, “I did a signing to which nobody came except a guy who wanted to buy Scotch tape and thought I was the help.” Jodi Picoult wrote, “I have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach … and ask me where the bathroom is.” Irish author Sheila O’Flanagan told of the time a woman handed her a John Grisham novel. “When I pointed out it wasn’t written by me, she asked if I was signing books or not! So I signed it with…

You can learn techniques, you can memorise recipes. But to me, the one thing that makes food memorable is when you cook with heart.NOBU MATSUHISA, CHEF I WENT TO AFRICA AS A SCIENTIST. I LEFT THE JUNGLE AS AN ACTIVIST.JANE GOODALL, PRIMATOLOGIST You’re never too young to start an empire and never too old to chase a new dream.MANJIT MINHAS, ENTREPRENEUR Just go to the next step. You don’t have to go to the final step. Just the next.WYNONNA JUDD, MUSICIAN WHETHER IT’S BEAUTY OR FASHION, THERE’S AN OBSESSION WITH YOUTH. BUT IF WE’RE LUCKY, WE’RE ALL GOING TO GET OLD.LAUREN HUTTON, MODEL Just give yourself credit for even the smallest steps.TIG NOTARO, COMEDIAN Creativity lies in the everyday. The great ideas come when you are washing the dishes.JIM PARSONS,…

QUESTIONS 1 In Joker, viewers learn what Batman’s antagonist is all about – Arthur Fleck dreams of a career as a stand-up comedian. In reality, he works as a party clown and is ostracised – until he goes crazy. As the ‘Joker’, he plunges Gotham City into chaos. What is his trademark? He … a) starts laughing in inappropriate situations. b) spits when he is angry. c) picks his nose. d) wears bright face makeup. 2 In Misery, nurse Annie Wilkes is obsessed with a series of novels by author Paul Sheldon. When he has an accident on her doorstep, she takes him in to nurse him back to health. Soon, however, she begins to torment him after she finds out that Paul … a) is not the author at…

The Living Desert 1. wadi – A: dry ravine that fills up during the rainy season. B: clay water container. C: watering hole. 2. saguaro – A: green salsa. B: tall cactus. C: yellow-spotted beetle. 3. dromedary – A: sweat-secreting gland. B: five-stringed instrument. C: one-humped camel. 4. petrified – A: turned to stone. B: enraged. C: rotten. 5. mesa – A: Italian delicacy. B: steep flat-topped hill. C: naturally occurring sundial. 6. rain shadow – A: dry area beside a precipitation-blocking mountain. B: moist layer under seemingly dry soil. C: planting period after a brief rainy season. 7. mirage – A: dust storm. B: dry-farmed wheat strain. C: optical illusion produced by hot air. 8. yucca – A: stiff-leaved plant of the agave family. B: baked mud brick. C:…

As a writer of modern literature, he himself is a modern classic. Since the 2001 release of Atonement, Ian McEwan’s international blockbuster, each new novel by the British author has gone on to become a bestseller. His latest work, Lessons, is being touted as his most comprehensive book to date. The autobiographically tinged novel tells of love, art, loss and reconciliation – against the backdrop of the crises that have kept the world in suspense over the past 60 years. Reader’s Digest met Ian McEwan in Munich, Germany. READER’S DIGEST: In your new novel, Lessons, you mixed autobiography and fiction for the first time. Why? IAN MCEWAN: For many years, I made up all my stories and novels. They sprang entirely from my imagination. In my mid-70s, it made much more…

THE SELFIE DARREN HARRISON HAS JUST TAKEN shows him dressed casually, in white shorts and a T-shirt, with his bare feet propped up on a plush grey leather seat. He is the lone passenger in the roomy six-seat cabin of a single-engine Cessna 208 turboprop, some 3600 metres above the Atlantic, off the east coast of Florida. He sends the photo to his wife, Brittney Harrison, who is six months pregnant with their first child. Harrison, a 39-year-old flooring-sales executive, is returning to his home in Florida after taking part in an offshore deep-sea fishing tournament in the Bahamas. It’s around noon. The weather on this early May morning in 2022 is perfect, and the views – brilliant blue skies and crystalline ocean below–are captivatingly beautiful. The plane is being flown by…

My 11 year old made a grocery list and the only item on it was cake. I have so much to learn from her. @MOMMAJESSIEC ME: Don’t open the oven door. MY SEVEN YEAR OLD: I just want to see. ME: Those are meringue cookies. If you open the oven door for anything, they will crack. MY SEVEN YEAR OLD: What if the cat opens the oven door with his paws, gets inside, closes the door behind him and is trapped? Can we open the oven door to save him? @MICHAELVOGEL1 Last night, I hid the Oreos under my son’s folded clothes in a basket and asked him to put it away… which he SWEARS he did. Now he’s standing in front of the pantry freaking out that the Oreos…

The notion of spending A$59,560 on a piece of used gum might really burst your bubble. But it is not just any piece of polymers and resin flavoured with sweeteners — it’s straight from the mouth of actor Robert Downey Jr. An eBay user claims to have got ahold of Downey’s used gum when the Marvel star appeared at Jon Favreau’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony earlier this year. The chewed-up chunk of gunk will be sent to the lucky bidder in a plastic container — and no, they can’t return it. Here are some more weird things that have been auctioned: Britney Spears’ Chewed Gum: Yes, a piece of chewing gum that pop star Britney Spears once chewed on and spat out, was sold for A$20,950 on eBay. Scarlett…

In a creative bid to raise environmental awareness, a group of musicians from Paraguay belted out familiar tunes at a hilltop concert outside Bolivia’s capital city earlier this year, overlooking a not-so-scenic and sprawling garbage dump. But the garbage was the point. The young musicians who made up the orchestra used recycled materials to make their own instruments, “transforming trash into music,” according to Fabio Chavez, one of the performers. Playing songs from Coldplay to John Lennon, the musicians entertained local garbage workers who were impressed by the sound of cellos, violins and horns fashioned out of large cans, pipes and other discarded materials. REUTERS…

Before creating the private detective character Sam Spade, author Dashiell Hammett was himself a Pinkerton detective. The Sunday Long Read website recently ran a listicle Hammett wrote in 1923 for the magazine The Smart Set detailing some of the odd things he encountered on the job: * A man whom I was shadowing went out into the country for a walk one Sunday afternoon and lost his bearings completely. I had to direct him back to the city. * I know an operative who, while looking for pickpockets at a race track, had his wallet stolen. * A chief of police once gave me a description of a man, complete even to the mole on his neck, but neglected to mention that he had only one arm.…