http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/ageing/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/12-bigger-issues-than-gay-change-and-climate-marriage/ At the moment, we’re all spending a lot of time debating gay marriage and climate change. Meanwhile, other issues aren’t being debated as vigorously as they might be. Today The Punch team has each selected two issues which get us hot under the collar, and which we feel deserve more airplay. What are your thoughts on the issues we’ve chosen? And what other issues do you think we should all be talking about? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/12-bigger-issues-than-gay-change-and-climate-marriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/12-bigger-issues-than-gay-change-and-climate-marriage/#item8505 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ok-old-people-enough-of-this-physical-prowess-caper/ “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ok-old-people-enough-of-this-physical-prowess-caper/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ok-old-people-enough-of-this-physical-prowess-caper/#item8386 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/here-comes-the-bride-zimmer-frame-and-all/ Two minute nuptials and a slap up lunch at the International House of Pancakes. She fixed his hearing aid and he called her “Mama”. It wouldn’t make the pages of Belle bridal magazine, but efficiency not glamour, was the order of the day for the world’s oldest married couple. After 18 years together, 95 year-old Lillian Hartley and 98 year-old Allan Marks, tied the knot at Riverside county office in Palm Springs, California. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/here-comes-the-bride-zimmer-frame-and-all/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/here-comes-the-bride-zimmer-frame-and-all/#item7928 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-the-simpsons-have-grown-older/ Five hundred episodes and 23 seasons into its extraordinary life, the Simpsons is a pop culture phenom like no other. Interestingly, it was once regarded as counter-cultural and dangerous. Now it’s considered as American as apple pie. Much has changed in American life over 23 years. Two generations of Bush presidents have come and gone. The internet became a tool for people other than academics and computer geeks. Greed was good. Then bad. Then good, but with bad consequences. But one thing has stayed the same. The Simpsons have not aged. Neither has anyone else in Springfield. Homer is still 36, paunchy and severely balding. Lisa is still eight and precocious. Maggie still sucks her dummy. Mr Burns is still about 1,000 years old, not 1,023. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-the-simpsons-have-grown-older/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-should-the-simpsons-have-grown-older/#item7846 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hipsters-with-hip-replacements/ Someone once told me that when people reach a certain age they begin dressing in the manner they did at the happiest time in their life. The same often goes for elderly people with severe dementia, who can keenly recall the minute details of life when they were happiest. My 80 year old grandmother did not recognise me at all in the last six months of her life, but she would talk about her sons as if they were still young teenagers. She was a homemaker and it was the most joyful time in her life That’s what I think about when I watch the brilliant video above about hipsters, the future and social media. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hipsters-with-hip-replacements/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hipsters-with-hip-replacements/#item7729 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-would-life-be-like-if-we-lived-to-150/ The existence of a fountain of youth that restores the health and youth of anyone bathing in its waters has tantalised humanity for centuries. Substitute the mythical water for modern-day medicine and we could, in the next decade, see medicines that slow the ageing process and help us live to 150 years old.  Life expectancy in Australia is already on a positive trend. At the beginning of the 20th Century, life expectancy at birth was about 55 years for males and 59 years for females. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-would-life-be-like-if-we-lived-to-150/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-would-life-be-like-if-we-lived-to-150/#item6997 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-we-seriously-say-that-50-is-too-old-to-work/ Where did we Australians get this idea that 50 is old, too old, over the hill? Since becoming Age Discrimination Commissioner, I have been asked this question many times. I can’t answer it.  But we have to find an answer. We have to get rid of this damaging idea. Because of it, too many people are being forced out of their jobs when they have barely turned 50. When they apply for a new job, they are often ignored, or fobbed off with excuses like, “You are overqualified”, or “We are looking for someone with lots of energy”! This fob-off is not only insulting, not only damaging to the well-qualified, motivated mature worker, it leads him or her on the downward path to poverty in old age.  If sustained, these experiences can lead to depression. After all, everyone needs to feel useful, to get recognition for a job well done. We all enjoy the company of fellow workers, and most of us need to earn money and grow our super, well into our 60’s and beyond. If all this is denied us, just because of prejudice, we suffer. And, tragic as it is, this is not just about the waste of individuals. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-we-seriously-say-that-50-is-too-old-to-work/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-we-seriously-say-that-50-is-too-old-to-work/#item6831 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/body-youve-copped-a-lot-of-crap-but-please-forgive-me/ Dear body, I’m writing to say sorry. You’ve copped a right hammering over the years. Honestly, you could take yourself off to a home for battered bodies, on account of the physical and emotional abuse you’ve endured. Sure, I’ve never cut you, starved you or shoved heroin into you. But there’s something pretty ugly about constantly comparing you and always finding you wanting. Slimmer, more sculpted, wider-eyed, smaller-nosed, longer-limbed, more honey-toned, less freckly, less spotted, less wrinkled, less… just less, freakin’ less of you. Especially you, thighs – you’ve ruined my life. For a long time, I thought I was the only one haranguing you for your inadequacies. Turns out, we’re all at it. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/body-youve-copped-a-lot-of-crap-but-please-forgive-me/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/body-youve-copped-a-lot-of-crap-but-please-forgive-me/#item6735 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-between-the-furrowed-lines/ When this new picture for my column (headshot) was emailed to me, I zoomed in. And zoomed in again. What do you reckon I saw? Smart top? Nice jeans? Fab blow-dry? Nope. I saw lines. Big parenthesis-shaped ones running Jack Nicholson Joker-style from my nose to my chin. You didn’t notice? You do now. Apparently, they’re called nasolabial folds and are caused by ageing and laughing – which is unfortunate because, short of sticking myself in the deep freeze or being perpetually glum, they’re only going to get worse. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-between-the-furrowed-lines/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-between-the-furrowed-lines/#item6487 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/got-ear-hair-you-may-be-suffering-early-onset-middle-age/ Early-onset or ‘precocious’ puberty is on the rise, thanks to increasing child obesity levels and possibly environmental hormones. Now, scientists from the Conds Institute have pinpointed a trend towards early-onset middle age, and their hypothesis is that it could also have to do with obesity and sedentary lifestyles. They warn that Australians in their 30s or early 40s may already be experiencing a range of symptoms including stray hair, inadvertent grunting, and increasing issues with bodily secretions. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/got-ear-hair-you-may-be-suffering-early-onset-middle-age/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/got-ear-hair-you-may-be-suffering-early-onset-middle-age/#item5890 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 “I don’t want to alarm you”. That’s what people say whenever they’re about to unload some panic attack-inducing horror on you. It follows, then, that what I’m about to tell you is very alarming indeed. There is something strange and terrifyingly confusing happening in our world. Two weeks ago, 104-year-old British woman Peggy McAlpine hurled herself off a Cypriot cliff in a bid to reclaim the record she lost to then 101-year-old Mary Hardison some five years ago. She is, once again, the world’s oldest paraglider. Meanwhile, Chinese grandmother Sun Fengqin, 60, has become became famous for regularly attending pole-dancing classes.