Innehållsförteckning för March 2019 från Readers Digest Australia

The key to successful living with dogs and cats in a confined space depends largely on the pet, the owner and the quality of the home environment. According to veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren, having a healthy, happy apartment pet is all about choosing the best pet for you. CATS VS DOGS Cats can be the perfect choice for people with limited space and those who are either inactive or very busy. They are low maintenance, naturally clean, adaptable and have an endless ability to snooze. Cats make great indoor pets. Dogs provide excellent companionship and motivation to exercise. However, they also have higher care needs than cats, generally require more company and may not be suitable for people who are not often at home or can’t commit time to exercise…

Treat Glaucoma While You Sleep Scientists have long known that cannabigerolic acid, a compound from the cannabis (marijuana) plant, can relieve glaucoma symptoms, but the key elements don’t easily dissolve and therefore can’t be turned into effective eye drops. Researchers at the University of British Columbia may have solved that problem with a compound called a hydrogel. The hydrogel is administered as drops that then form a sort of lens upon contact with the eye, allowing the cannabigerolic acid to dissolve during the night and penetrate the cornea. In pig corneas, which are similar to human corneas, the gel was absorbed quickly. The next step is to test the gel in human eyes. The 16:8 Diet Works In a small study, researchers at the University of Illinois recruited 23 obese…

IT’S NO EXAGGERATION to say that diabetes is an international health emergency. It is estimated that 422 million people are living with diabetes all over the world. Type 1 diabetes, caused by an immune system attack on the pancreas, usually strikes younger people and follows them through their lives. Type 2 is more common and is caused by resistance to the hormone insulin, which tells the body to absorb blood sugar. Worldwide, some 350 million people exhibit signs of prediabetes, which means they have a one-in-ten chance of developing type 2 diabetes if not treated. But here’s the good news: over just the past few years, a remarkable number of diabetes treatments, from medications to surgical solutions to high-tech devices, have shown promise. It’s too soon to declare victory, but…

LOSING FACE Pretty much the most frightening part of my day is when I get a notification that my mother has tagged me in a post on Facebook. @CULTUREDRUFFIAN NOW THAT’S SERVICE SHOP ASSISTANT: May I help you? ME: I certainly hope so. Sweetie, go get your maths homework. This nice woman is going to help us. @SIMONCHOLLAND COMFORTING WORDS I was about to have my first operation – a tonsillectomy – and naturally I was quite frightened. The surgeon tried to put my mind at ease. “I do these operations on a daily basis,” he told me. “It’s an easy and completely non-invasive procedure.” I started to feel calmer until his nurse chipped in, “You’re more likely to die from the anaesthetic!” SUBMITTED BY JAYNE WILE NOT GOING TO…

My friend Garrick had the solution to forgetting his wife’s birthday and their wedding anniversary: he opened an account with a local florist and provided it with both dates as well as instructions to send flowers and a card signed “Your loving husband, Garrick.” For a few years, it worked. Then one day, Garrick came home on their wedding anniversary. He saw the flowers on the dining room table and said, “What nice flowers. Where did you get them?” SUBMITTED BY YEFIM M. BRODD…

If you feel affected by loneliness, the local council and library are good sources of information about community groups and organisations that will encourage and value your participation. And ask your local doctor to refer you to a social group or befriending project that could improve your wellbeing. There are many ways in which to contribute your time, skills and experience while finding stimulating company and getting the opportunity to make new friends with shared interests: • Carry on learning through adult education • Take up a new hobby • Volunteer for a good cause • Join a choir • Become a member of a book group • Enrol in an exercise class • Keep in touch with old friends and family through Skype or FaceTime • Borrow a dog…

AS ONE OF THE BUSIEST ROOMS in your home, your kitchen is bound to generate plenty of clutter. Whether it’s from the stockpile of dried food you’re yet to eat, the untidy stack of recipe books or the chaotic kitchen surfaces, getting your kitchen completely clutter-free can seem like a daunting task. But, with benefits such as improved mood and a better diet, it’s important to give your kitchen a clear out. CHECK CUPBOARDS AND DRAWERS As the contents of your cupboards and drawers are typically hidden by doors, it can be difficult to tell just how many tins, jars and packages of dry foods you’ve been collecting. So, start by checking these – you might be surprised at some of the use-by dates. Designate key meal components such as…

SOMEONE WITH A DIFFERENT NATIVE LANGUAGE: If you’re shaky in the language you’re using, “take heart in knowing that the non-verbal aspects of communication, such as gestures and pitch, trump words every time – at least in terms of emotional impact,” says communication-skills coach Ric Phillips. When conversing in your mother tongue with a non-native speaker, practise active listening. Speaking slowly may help them to understand you, but resist the instinct to raise your volume. It won’t help and could even make you seem impatient or aggressive. SOMEONE WITH DEMENTIA: Never stop reaching out to a person living with dementia, no matter how advanced the disease. As their ability to understand what’s happening around them becomes impaired, you might be tempted to correct their perceptions. “That’s generally not helpful; it…

SHE GETS ON THE TRAIN in Salzburg, Austria. As it pulls out of the station, I see her standing in the passage outside my compartment. A woman in her late 40s, stylishly dressed in a peach-coloured suede jacket and a long black silk skirt. I watch her out of the corner of my eye, hoping she will find a seat elsewhere. But she lingers, looking up and down the corridor. Then, sticking her head through the door, she asks hesitantly if the other five seats are taken. They are not. Except that I have my feet up on one. I start taking them down, thinking it inappropriate in this oh-so-formal country to put my bare feet on an empty seat. “Oh, leave them be. That’s exactly what I had in…

Old Toffer’s Book of Consequential Dogs By Christopher Reid. Drawings by Elliot Elam (ALLEN & UNWIN) Finally, long-awaited literary retribution for anyone who is a ‘dog person’. This gorgeous hardcover book of poems is inspired by and pays direct homage to the literary giant T.S. Eliot’s 1939 favourite Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, which inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats. Eighty years later, here is a gorgeously illustrated companion collection of poems about dogs with titles such as ‘A Wagtail Sonnet’, ‘The Naming of Dogs’, ‘Frazzlesprat’ and ‘Fill Your Home with Happy Hounds’. It’s a delightful keepsake gift for anyone who thinks pooches are man’s (and woman’s) best friend. No-Waste Kitchen Gardening Katie Elzer-Peters (MURDOCH BOOKS) This is a fun book if you want to jump on the no-waste…

ACROSS 01 Fast run of a horse (6) 05 Have a discussion (6) 08 Engineering equipment (9) 09 Young herring (5) 11 Rage, fume (4) 12 Giving the wrong idea (10) 13 Mercy (8) 15 Unconcealed (5) 17 Confirmation (5) 19 Slender tubes of pasta (8) 22 Under the law (10) 23 Pace (4) 25 Feeling of bored dissatisfaction (5) 26 Lectern (9) 27 Peaceful (6) 28 Straighten up (6) DOWN 02 Public bidding sale (7) 03 Animal’s den (4) 04 Pedestrianised area (8) 05 Luminously brilliant colour (6) 06 Popular Brazilian music genre (5,4) 07 Large rotary motor (7) 08 Cellular communication device (6,5) 10 Keeping your mouth firmly shut (5-6) 14 Causing the required outcome (9) 16 Item of ladies’ formal wear (4,4) 18 Misdemeanour (7) 20 Scottish…

Plane Disaster Averted What a terrifying experience it must have been for the crew and passengers of Flight 72, with a rogue computer on board (‘Flight 72 is in Trouble’, December). Today’s reliance on computers in the travel industry is indeed a concern. It is reassuring to know that there are people such as Captain Kevin Sullivan and his crew doing an exceptional job and being able to make lifesaving decisions in those crucial seconds when an emergency arises. A Wonderful Life The 105-year-old doctor and longevity expert Dr Shigeaki Hinohara had a brilliant attitude to life (Digest Health, November). To wake each morning with the goal to “do something wonderful for other people” is an attitude we can all espouse to one degree or another. It can be as…

Room air conditioner (RAC) units are increasing in proportion to the global temperature rising steadily. Experts estimate there will be many billions of RAC units in use by 2050, which will greatly increase carbon emissions. Sir Richard Branson is helping the Indian government and the Rocky Mountain Institute uncover future technology to help reduce the global impact of RAC units. The inaugural US$3 Million Global Cooling Prize has been created to encourage new residential cooling technology with five times less climate impact than current units. See more at www.globalcoolingprize.org.…

TRAVEL 34 things your airline pilot won’t tell you We asked pilots from around the world to give us a few straight answers. What they told us will change the way you fly. HEALTH + TIPS/ADVICE 10 ways you never knew you were using the toilet wrong You gotta look before you flush – and yes, there is a right way to hang toilet paper. MONEY SNEAKIEST TRAVEL SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM Dodging the most creative – and financially damaging – travel scams in the world. Join the conversation! PLUS Sign up to our FREE newsletter for more hot offers, top stories and prizes!…

“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” LADY GAGA, singer, actress An acquaintance is a person we know well enough to borrow from but not well enough to lend to. AMBROSE BIERCE, writer THE HUMAN MIND IS OUR FUNDAMENTAL RESOURCE. JOHN F. KENNEDY, former US president Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you. TIMOTHY KELLER, pastor People are readily identified as being left-brained or right-brained, but I want to be identified as using my entire brain. MAE JEMISON, astronaut There are two ways to find something that is lost: by accident, or by swearing, grunting…

After a frantic weekend searching for our dog who had wandered off, early on Monday morning I went to the animal shelter where strays are taken. There he was, dirty and bedraggled. The moment he saw me, he stopped acting his age, and started howling like a banshee and attempting to climb the bars. “That’s my dog,” I said. The caretaker smiled. “You know, lady, we don’t go half as much by the people saying, ‘That’s my dog,’ as we do the dog saying, ‘That’s my people.’” MARIE THERIAULT…

CRACK NUTS In 1991, a man in China received a mallet-like gift that, over the following 25 years, he used to smash open walnuts. That is, until he happened to receive a leaflet passed out by local police regarding explosive devices. His nutcracker was in fact a 1960s-era hand grenade. GET A DRIVER’S LICENCE With the examiner in the car, a teenager from the US began her driver’s test by turning on the ignition, taking the car out of park, tapping the accelerator, and driving her car into – and through – the brick wall of the examination station. HOOK UP A TV To find out where the cable needed to go through the wall to connect to his TV, a DIYer set the alarm on a battery-powered clock to…

DON’T TAKE THIS BAD ADVICE Comedian Jimmy Fallon asked the audience of The Tonight Show to tweet the worst nuggets of advice they’d ever received: “A guy at work tried to give me marriage advice and finished with, ‘Trust me, I’ve been married three times’.” @MicahWilliams24 “I accidentally bought a car that smelled like cigarettes and was told vinegar would fix it. Now my car just smells like pickled cigarettes.” @Kellygator “Whenever someone had a cold, my grandma used to tell them to drink tequila because you’d either lose the cold or forget about it.” @2OmarSC1 “I was told to sprinkle talcum powder on my sheets to freshen them up – and woke up looking like a powdered doughnut.” @Britbrhodehouse SWEPT OFF HER FEET My granddaughter wanted a Cinderella-themed party,…

This was the moment I feared the most. I was about to come face to face with a convicted perpetrator who was now free to walk the streets again. The fact that this was a person who targeted someone else, and is a complete stranger to me, doesn’t make me feel much better. My own experience of being stalked, and everything that I’ve learned about stalking from writing a book about it, made me certain this was someone to be wary of – someone capable of obsessive, manipulative, unpredictable and dangerous behaviours. And yet, at the same time, I fully expected to be underwhelmed when I met him. I knew from first-hand experience that stalkers aren’t the bogeymen we see in our nightmares or in Hollywood films. They aren’t necessarily…

Misha Glouberman shares an activity from his course How to Talk to People About Things. 1 Think of an upcoming challenging conversation. Take a few minutes to explain what it’s about to a friend, then let them ask any questions that would help them better understand the issues from your perspective. 2 Get your friend to interview you about the same issues again, but this time assume the role of the person with whom you’ll be having the talk. Use first-person pronouns (‘I’, ‘me’, etc.) as though you really were them. 3 Lastly, practise having this difficult conversation but with you playing the other person and your friend playing you. Speaking out loud in the other person’s voice can be revelatory, Glouberman says, because even though we often give some…

Captain Marvel (Superhero) Get ready for the first female-led superhero movie from the powerful Marvel stable! Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Academy Award-winner Brie Larson) takes the reins as a high-flying superhero helped by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). This is an action-filled adventure and explores Danvers’ difficult childhood on earth and initial amnesia. A powerful superhero, Marvel is an Air Force pilot who finds herself caught in the centre of a galactic conflict. With fabulous effects, it’s well worth watching on the big screen. Sometimes Always Never (Drama, comedy) Alan (Bill Nighy) is a widowed, former Merseyside tailor turned word wizard in this quirky comedy with a dramatic edge. Nighy, a British acting institution, has his usual deadpan delivery playing a devastated father who lost his favourite son Michael over a…

1. Which Italian city ran a republic that lasted from 697 to 1797 CE? 2 points 2. What’s the largest animal species alive today that has teeth? 2 points 3. Methadone is considered a safer replacement for what harmful drug? 1 point 4. On your bank statement the debit column refers to what you have spent. True or false? 1 point 5. In what band did Beyoncé sing before becoming a solo act? 1 point 6. In 2015, a tourist created an international uproar when he shot Cecil in Zimbabwe. What was Cecil? 1 point 7. A type of cancer called mesothelioma is nearly always caused by exposure to what substance? 2 points 8. What is the job of the seven dwarfs in the 1937 Disney film Snow White and…

Rishab Jain, 13, has discovered an algorithm and tool that could help doctors pinpoint the pancreas whilst patients are undergoing pancreatic cancer treatment. The goal is to locate the pancreas – which can be obscured by other organs – more quickly and precisely during radiation treatment. A notoriously difficult cancer to treat, with a low five-year survival rate, pancreatic cancer is a focus for this Portland-based teenager who won US$25,000 in the 2018 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. He is planning on using his winnings to study to become a doctor or biomedical engineer.…

Cool Treat VAL WILLIAMS My younger sister Pat and I would take Trixie, our gorgeous little Pomeranian-Pekingese cross for a walk when we did Mum’s shopping at our local grocery store in Brisbane. On hot days, once we’d finished the shopping, we’d buy ourselves an ice cream – three pence in those days – and then ask Trixie if she would also like one. Immediately she would sit up and beg, so we’d get her a penny ice cream. Instead of eating it up straight away, she’d race home with it in her mouth and sit in the shade among the maidenhair ferns under the front steps of the house and settle down to enjoy her ice cream. It was always cool under there and she must have realised that…

Keeping a record of your symptoms is the first step in identifying the allergen to which you are allergic. Monitor what’s happening for you and ask the following questions. TRIGGERS: Does exposure to a certain kind of food, drink, material or animal bring on your allergy symptoms? TIMING: Do you only get symptoms at certain times of the year? Do you suffer more in the morning, during the day or at night? LOCATION: Do your symptoms occur when you’re inside or outside the house, or both? Source: Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. www.allergy.org.au…

There are no reliable population figures for the sun bear, according to both WWF and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), however it’s estimated that the population has fallen by more than 30 per cent in the last 20 years. The number of sun bears in the wild is possibly as few as 1000. The IUCN Red List of threatened species has classified the sun bear as vulnerable, meaning its population is considered at risk of endangerment in the near future. Once a species is classified endangered, if the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction do not improve, the population faces a high risk of extinction.…

SARAH LAZAROVIC USED to love window-shopping on her way to and from her job as a web producer. But in 2012, a few years after the mother of two began working from home as a freelance illustrator, the windows she gazed at most often became those on her internet browser – ones whose marketing algorithms targeted her specific desires. “I’d go down a rabbit hole and spend hours browsing on line shops,” she says. Tired of wasteful consumption, and wasted time, she committed to not buying clothing for an entire year. Instead, whenever she came across an item she wanted, she would paint a picture of it. “It was a way of both mitigating desire and having a creative exercise.” In order to help herself consume more thoughtfully in general,…

Billion-dollar idea. A smoke detector that shuts off when you yell, “I’m just cooking!” @LEMMYWINKLER I never realised how much of parenthood would involve competing with the dog for my kids’ leftover fries. @LURKATHOMEMOM A lady posted her grandmother’s brownie recipe, so I tried making them. Turns out her grandma was a terrible baker. @DDSMIDT I wanted to go out tonight, but the avocado I bought this week will finally be ripe enough to eat between 8pm and 8.15pm, so I can’t. @TANISHALOVE I’m on the snake diet. It’s the one where you lie on the floor all day, eat 25% of your body weight, and hiss at anyone who comes near you. @ASHLEYAUSTREW…

* Never give anyone your password, even if they claim to be from your internet provider, bank or other reputable organisation. * Do not provide personal information, such as phone number, address, credit card details or photos, to anyone you talk to on social media. * Be aware that once you post information, including photos, you lose control of what happens to it. * If you agree to meet someone you have connected with online, take a friend with you and meet them in a public area. * Keep copies of any threatening messages received as evidence.…

When people feel truly heard, they are more likely to return that favour, think highly of you, entertain your points of view and cooperate with you. Seems easy enough, but active listening requires effort: 1 Stay in the moment. Focus fully on what the speaker is saying, both verbally and physically. If your mind wanders, snap back as soon as you notice. Most importantly, don’t assume you know where the other person is going: be open to hearing something you may not have expected. 2 Demonstrate to the speaker that you’re listening. You can do this by making eye contact, nodding, inserting short acknowledgements such as ‘Uh-huh’ or ‘Yeah’, paraphrasing their comments or asking questions. It’s true that some of these signals can be fudged, but watch out: many speakers…

How to Work from Home NOTE TO SELF: Before baby-talking to the cat, make sure conference call has disconnected. @BRADKNEWMAN A HARD TIME I submitted a quote and a detailed multi-page timeline of deliverables with a breakdown of dates to my clients. CLIENT 1: Approved! When would we see the first deliverable? CLIENT 2: This is all great! Yes, approved! What would your timeline be to get everything done? ME: All this information is in the timeline you’re approving. Take a look. CLIENT 3: Maybe this will help – I made a timeline we can use! clientsfromhell.net BUILDING BRIDGES We Uber drivers never know whom we’re going to end up with as a passenger. One day, I was driving over a new bridge, the design of which…

Please Save My Little Girl! RD Talks releases great new podcasts weekly covering drama, crime and heart-warming stories. In this real-life drama, a day which began as a pleasant family outing turns into terror when a little girl is trapped inside a capsized boat. 80s Revisited With more than 200 podcasts that revel in everything 1980s, this fun and whimsical offering by Trey Harris and Jesse Seidule looks back on a fabulous decade when video games, bad hair and movies like Top Gun and Big Trouble in Little China reigned supreme. Terrible, Thanks for Asking Host Nora McInerny focuses on profiling guests and the bittersweet reality of life when you’re dealing with everything from awkward dating experiences to OCD, cancer and life after a heart transplant. HOW TO GET PODCASTS…

1. zabaglione n. – A: canvas sack. B: stage villain. C: whipped dessert served in a glass. 2. zaftig adj. – A: charmingly witty. B: pleasingly plump. C: completely famished. 3. zax n. – A: roofing tool. B: music synthesiser used by jazz bands. C: caffeine pill. 4. zephyr n. – A: ancient lute. B: gentle breeze. C: Ruritanian crown prince. 5. zeta n. – A: prototype. B: sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. C: great beauty. 6. zetetic adj. – A: arid or barren. B: investigative. C: made of hemp and cotton. 7. ziggurat n. – A: lightning bolt. B: pyramidal tower. C: flying squirrel. 8. zinfandel n. – A: narrow valley. B: heretic. C: red wine. 9. zircon n.…