News: Chef Matt 'completely overwhelmed' by support

Family of chef Matt Golinski say he is on the mend, still grieving

The Sunshine Coast chef who lost his wife and three children in a devastating Christmas house fire is on the mend, despite remaining in hospital for the forseeable future. His father said he had been completely overwhelmed by public support.

“Even though it is painful and exhausting, Matt is really throwing everything into his physical recovery at present,” Mr Golinski said in a statement today.

“He is working very hard in his therapy to regain his body’s strength and to be a bit more independent.

“It’s still hard to believe that Rachael and the girls are not with us and I think that as Matt gets physically stronger, that his body will start to cope better with the emotional side of things.

“I think it’s still all a bit surreal at present and Matt has been completely overwhelmed with the level of support that has been directed toward him since the accident …

“Knowing that everyone is truly there for him and wishing him back to wellness has made a significant, positive impact on his progress.”

– You can help Matt out with Plates for Mates. Can you spare it?

Facebook’s most senior woman says work/life balance is a crock

Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, formerly from Google, and a mother of two. She also hates beating around the bush about what she says is the myth of women having it all and having an easy time of it.

“So there’s no such thing as work-life balance. There’s work, and there’s life, and there’s no balance,” said Sandberg.

“The most important thing — and I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it a hundred times — if you marry a man, marry the right one.

“If you can marry a woman, that’s better because the split between two women in the home is pretty even, the data shows.”

She said women and men differed in two ways. Women felt more guilt and were liked less and less, the more successful they became.

“I feel guilty when my son says, ‘Mommy, put down the BlackBerry, talk to me’ and that happens far too much. I think all women feel guilty. I think what’s interesting is I don’t know many men who feel guilty,” she said. “I don’t know a lot of men who feel guilty for working full time, it’s expected that they’ll work full time … I wonder if there were more shared responsibility if more men would feel guilty too and women would feel less of it.”

Australians have an expensive cosmetic ‘surgery’ habit

Use of non-invasive cosmetic surgery techniques like Botox, lip-fillers and and laser surgery is up with Australians doubling the amount they spend since 2008. The habit now costs somewhere around $644 million a year.

A survey of 584 Australians by the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australia found Aussies tended to head to clinics earlier – thanks to sun damage – and men wanted to stop looking ‘cranky’ while women wanted to fight wrinkles.

President Dr Gabrielle Caswell said:

“Fifty is the new 40 and cosmetic medicine is becoming far more common. People are living longer and working longer, too. I don’t believe they seek treatment to compete with younger generations; it’s more about how they present themselves. They feel young on the inside and want this to be reflected in their appearance.”

Does this apply to you?

The mobile phone case that stores your condoms

Because we definitely needed a product like this. Fellas, worry no more about your condoms being roughed up in your wallet. Now you can store them in the back of your phone case with the ‘Playa’ case. Playa? Really? Give us all strength.

It’s the brainchild of an Australian company and costs about 30 bucks. As Bonnie Cha from Cnet wrote:

“That’s right, no more rings on your wallet. Instead, you can now flirt worry-free with this classy and discreet rubber dispenser. Just imagine how impressed your lady friend will be when you slide open the Playa Case to reveal a selection of condoms as if you’re offering her a mint. You’re sure to get lucky in no time like Chris in the video below. Yeah, no.”

‘Low effort thinking’ tends to swing toward conservative views

A study by a University of Arkansas psychologist Dr Scott Eidelman shows people tend to gravitate toward conservative ideologies when they don’t have enough time to think, or are unable to think fully about an issue.

“Keeping people from thinking too much…or just asking them to deliberate or consider information in a cursory manner can impact people’s political attitudes, and in a way that consistently promotes political conservatism,” Dr. Eidelman said.

The study asked for fast responses from participants in labs and for responses from patrons drinking in a bar. Dr Eidelman was quick to clarify that the study did not show conservative people used ‘low effort thinking’ only that the study showed low effort thinking led most people to political conservatism.

However, another study from earlier this year (by Brook University, Canada, and published in Psychological Science) found that people who score low on I.Q. tests in childhood are more likely to develop prejudiced beliefs and socially conservative politics in adulthood.

Surf titles to be moved from killer beach

The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships will be moved from the treacherous stretch of Gold Coast beach at Kurrawa from 2013, out of respect for the families of competitors who died there say officials. Two teenaged competitors in two years were killed while competing. Saxon Bird, 19, drowned in the 2010 event and Matthew Barclay, 15, died this year. Another contestant, Robert Gatenby, 15, drowned at the same location in the same competition in 1996.

“We are taking this action … out of respect for Robert Gatenby, Saxon Bird and Matthew Barclay and their families,” SLSA chief executive Brett Williamson said.

“The emotional wellbeing of our members, athletes, officials, volunteers and event staff who have all been greatly affected by these tragic accidents is also vital.”

A review of the competition and its structure, particularly for under 15s events, has also been fast-tracked.

Republican Rick Santorum withdraws from presidential race

The man even the Republicans said was too much has announced an end to his bid to become the Right’s presidential candidate, effectively annointing frontrunner Mitt Romney. Romney, an embattled figure himself as a Mormon in a predominately Christian country, has also faced constant criticism about his wealth and being out of touch with Americans.

Santorum was known for his uber-conservative views in a conservative race and frequent gaffes. President Barack Obama out-polls Mitt Romney in all areas except among male voters, where he trails by eight points.

– Read more about Rick Santorum and his Google problem.