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By Niki Bezzant * Opinion - I'm in a department store changing room trying on swimsuits and I can't move. The one-piece I'm attempting to get into is halfway up; the bottom half is on my body, but my arms are pinned to my sides by the top half. I can't get it up and I can't get it down, either. I'm literally stuck, and I can't stop laughing. Were my sister not in the room with me, I probably wouldn't be laughing, because I'd be panicking that I might never get free. Luckily, the situation is resolved with some tugging and two sets of hands. I'll never know how I look in that swimsuit. I'm here in pursuit of on-the-ground knowledge of the state of the swimsuit landscape. This comes from a conversation with my editor about the apparent lack of swimwear to suit bodies that are not model-like in proportion and/or under the age of 23. Plus, there's my need to replace my 10-year-old worn-out suit with something new. It turns out that things have changed a lot in the decade since I last bought a pair of togs. The prevailing trend now seems to be for skimpy swimsuits (so skimpy that people are sometimes offended by them . Even when they're not cut to be g-string in style, it feels like they show more butt than in times past. Browse around online and you'll soon discover even a so-called 'classic' cut reveals more than it ever has. This can be an issue for women who are not so keen to bare their cheeks on the beach (see: over 23, over a size 8). I try not to hate any parts of my body, and I don't hate my bum. It's got me through 54 years, it's OK by me. But I'd still rather not show it to the whole world in the bright sunshine. My Instagram community - primarily mid-life women - is in agreement. "I want to swim and play at the beach. I accept my body in togs, but I want to cover my private parts!" pleads one woman. "I can't be bothered waxing. Togs with a low cut veering to boyleg would be great," says another. One woman told me she'd even written to a swimwear brand: "They were advertising togs for every body, in a wide range of sizes. I suggested that women might not want to show their bums, but they were very insistent that that was what women wanted and I should take my delusions elsewhere." When I mention this dilemma to a colleague, she tells me she and her book club had an hour-long discussion about how hard it is to find good togs, just the day before. "I don't want my bum hanging out," she agrees. "Is it too much to ask for something that isn't just floss?" Compounding the problem: the opportunities for real-life swimwear shopping have diminished. A lot of swimsuit shopping is now done online, which is a pretty hit-and-miss affair. Often suits we like the look of from the front are disappointing on closer inspection of the rear. Even the models in the photos don't look great in some of them. My colleague texts me later about the emotional rollercoaster ride of online shopping. "That's always my thought process... 'That looks cute, that looks cute' and then RAGE - it's cut up the bum. And/or it's got no boob support." What women are seeking in the ideal swimwear varies, of course, from woman to woman. Some women are super comfortable in teeny suits. Others are looking for more coverage, which for them offers security, comfort, freedom of movement and confidence - important when you're as close to naked as you're ever likely to be in public. Deborah Lewthwaite, expert swimwear salesperson and general manager of The Fitting Room (a specialist underwear and swimwear store with branches in Wellington and Christchurch), says it's rare to find a woman who's not even a little bit daunted by the idea of shopping for swimmers. "People come trudging in as if they're going to the dentist," she says. Lewthwaite says her fitters are as much psychologists as salespeople. They even have staff training to help deal with women's negative self-talk about their bodies. "It happens particularly with swimwear. I think people are more self-conscious because they're going to be wearing it outside. And it can actually be quite hard for fitters, hearing a lot of that negative talk." Lewthwaite says women can often be very focussed on one small part of their bodies, like a muffin top - which others barely notice. She tries to be encouraging. "We're happy to give our thoughts. But ultimately people have to go with what they are going to feel comfortable wearing into the water." While I'm trying on swimsuits at Hot Body, an Auckland swimwear store, I ask the very helpful salesperson where the trend for high-cut swim bottoms has come from. She tells me it's a design thing; if suits are cut larger in the back, it makes the bum appear larger overall. Leaving aside the issue of what's so bad about a large bum, it's possible there's some truth to this, Lewthwaite reckons. "Sometimes a boyleg style is what people think they want in their head. But then they put them on and go, 'actually no, that's not as flattering as this other brief that comes up a bit higher'. But there's still a happy medium between the really high cut and skimpy, and the more medium coverage." She wonders if the trend for revealing swimwear might come from social media. "People are enjoying showing more; they're more confident in their bodies maybe, in social posts?" Lewthwaite speculates that the general trend of clothing overall being less modest than it used to be might also be at play here. We've got more comfortable and less prudish about showing our bodies. She concedes, however, "that doesn't necessarily relate to what is most flattering". A happy medium is, she stresses, possible to find, and she relishes helping her customers find it. She offers some tips for finding that holy grail swimsuit. Take some time and try on a few suits, she says. "It's the only way you can know if they're going to suit you and look good." For those of us in our 40s or older, she recommends a medium height leg as the most flattering, usually. "Don't go too low. And if you feel comfortable going high, go for it." She also advises looking to what suits us in clothes. If you like high-neck tops, try higher-neck swimwear. If you feel great in a low-v neck, that could be a good option for togs, too. For those needing bust support, "there are underwire swimsuits out there that are bra-sized, and it's well worth looking for them". Lewthwaite says to look out for brands that produce trusted styles on repeat. "If you see a shape that's common and it's in lots of different prints and fabrics, it's probably a winner shape. It's worth trying that one." In my retail travels, it's clear the price range of swimwear is wide - from a $17 Kmart bikini bottom to suits that cost hundreds at specialist stores. The very nicest suit I try on is from a German label; it fits my short torso perfectly, doesn't dig in or sag out anywhere and though the bum is cut a little higher than I'm used to, it stays put while I'm doing my comical squatting and marching tests. It does, however, cost $399. Lewthwaite says there is an element of getting what you pay for with togs. "There will be differences in the quality of the fabrics and how long things will last and how quickly they'll fade and stretch," she notes. There are also more brands producing suits in recycled and sustainable fabrics, which might cost a little more. And, she says, it's likely more work has gone into the design process in a pricier pair, so it's more likely to suit a range of bodies. It is good to see that across all price points and despite the high-cut trend, there is in a wide range of options out there, including boy legs and even swim skirts. My Instagram wāhine provide me with a long list of useful leads. An interesting thing happens in my head as I'm tooling around town trying on togs. I, too, go in feeling dread - I'm expecting this process to leave me feeling a bit less than in love with my body. I do have some of those feelings (harsh fitting room lighting does no favours). But after a while - and maybe after getting stuck in that suit that clearly has some kind of fatal design flaw - I start to feel acceptance again. There are definitely swimsuits that don't suit me. But when that happens, I don't blame my body. I blame the suit. I do try on some uncomfortably 'cheeky' options. Somehow, though, after a while my perception changes. I slowly get used to seeing more of my own cheeks. They're part of me. It starts to feel okay. I narrow it down to a couple of tog options in which I'd be happy to be on the beach. Lewthwaite says her customers often go through a similar experience, and can be pleasantly surprised to find swimwear in which they feel good. The day after our chat, she emails me. She's been thinking about swimwear and body image, and she thinks it goes a bit deeper than just needing something to cover us. "Body confidence is a big or small issue for most of us," she writes. "There are a lot of paradoxes around bodies. You might have asked a bigger question that you realised." *Niki Bezzant is a freelance writer, speaker, journalist and author focusing on health, wellbeing and science.Curl-Salemme, Michaela Cava each score twice, Frost beat Sceptres 6-3 in PWHL
VB Prabhu Verlekar Q Our litigation cases in all Courts at different levels are swelling, thereby denying timely justice to public as also affecting ease of doing business. We are inviting suggestions from various stake holders of Society to present to Central Government as also Supreme Court. With your experience, do you have any suggestions to make? Secretary, Young Advocates Forum (Goa Branch) Presently over 4.5 crores cases are pending in various Courts. At the present rate of disposal, it will take 324 years to dispose without considering new additions as per the Niti Aayog report. This great challenge cannot be solved only by increasing number of courts, judges, court infrastructure, three-shift courts, virtual courts, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, restricting adjournments or any other method unless high level sophisticated AI Technology tools like Chat GPT is used extensively in drafting court judgements by feeding basic facts, arguments submitted and cases cited by both the parties. The draft of the order will be ready within 10 minutes after considering all the judgements available on the subject in the web space. The judges can make changes after going through the draft and then sign the judgement order. For feeding the data, trained law graduates can be used. Initially Chat GPT can be used for straight forward disputes like bail, negotiable instrument claims, debt recoveries, consent decrees, ompensation claims etc. For this, judges, court clerks should be trained to use the tool effectively by holding, prompt engineering, workshops for drafting quality judgements. For criminal cases, day and night camp courts should be setup in jails and poor under trial prisoners for petty offences should be released with minor punishments. Argentina and Colombia Courts effectively use Chat GPT tool. Young junior judges should try this tool and see the fantastic results. Q. We are running a hospital. Before we discharge a patient he is required to make payment of hospital charges in full in cash since receiving payment by cheques is risky. Very often payment runs into lakhs. Are there any restrictions to receive payment in cash as per the Income Tax Act? Health Care Givers, Belgaum. Hospitals in India can accept payments in cash from patients under Income Tax Act. However, there are certain restrictions and compliance requirements. Under Section 269 ST no person can receive an amount of Rs. 2 lakh or more in cash from a single person in a day or in respect of a single transaction. Therefore, if your hospital receives cash from a patient exceeding Rs 2 lakhs in violation of this provision, the hospital may have to pay 100 per cent penalty on the amount received. Also note that you are required to obtain PAN number from the patient making cash payments of Rs 50,000 or more and report this to the tax authorities as per IT Rules. Q. I am an Israeli engineer working on a project in India under “resident visa” in Bangalore and visit Goa every weekend. I intend to buy an apartment here. Can a foreign national who is, a person resident in India purchase immovable property in India? Hiam Abbass, Bangalore Yes. A foreign national who is a ‘person resident in India’ within the meaning of Section 29 of FEMA, 1999 can purchase immovable property in India, but the person concerned would have to obtain the approvals and fulfil the requirements, if any, prescribed by other authorities, such as the concerned State Government etc. The onus to prove the residential status is on the individual as per FEMA provisions, if required by any authority. However, a foreign national, resident in India who is citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan would require prior approval of the Reserve Bank. Q I wish to open a PPF account in the name of my minor son to get tax free income and claim deduction of Rs. 1.50 lakhs under section 80C of IT Act. Is it possible? Arvind S. Kamat, Taleigao. Under new Public Provident Fund (PPF) rules, PPF accounts opened for minors will earn interest at Post Office Saving Account rates i.e. around 4% until the minor turns 18. This interest is exempt up to Rs 10,000. The maturity period of 15 years for these accounts will start on the minor’s 18th birth date. Separate deduction of Rs. 1.50 lakhs u/s 80C is not separately available for minor. This limit will combine with parents PPF contribution. Q. My ailing uncle is in old age home confined to bed with dementia. He earns government pension of around Rs. 10 Lakhs, besides interest on bank deposits. Is there any exemption from filing tax return available in such cases? Carlos S Castelino- Sanvordem Section 194P of I.T. Act provides conditions for exempting senior citizens of 75 years and above from filing tax returns subject to conditions that the senior citizen is resident in India and must have pension income and interest income from a single designated bank account on savings and deposits only. The same should be earned from the same bank in which he is receiving pension. For this one should submit a declaration in Form 12BBA giving specified information to enable bank to deduct TDS. Only when TDS is deducted, he is exempt from filing tax return. The writer is well established, senior practising chartered accountant with wide experience in taxation and finance. He is also a strategist in turn round management of institutions.
NoneFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights
Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National ChampionshipSACRAMENTO — The Butte College men’s soccer team made history when it advanced to the California Community College Athletic Association Final Four for the first time with a win on Nov. 30, and the Roadrunners made history once again when they defeated Long Beach City College 1-0 Friday to advance to the program’s first-ever CCCAA state championship. “Unbelievable,” Butte head coach Ross Sandberg said when asked about his first reaction to advancing to the state championship. “These guys showed their resilience. Long Beach City brought a lot of pressure. Their number 10 (Jose Mariscal) advertised, number 17 (Ulises Grado) was elite. My backline was top-notch as well. It was a fun game for the crowd to watch, hands down, and it was not fun for either one of us coaches to coach in. It was sheer excitement and tears, and these guys have been through so much. I’m still at a loss for words.” Butte will face Cuyamaca (18-4-2), which defeated Cañada 2-1 in double overtime in the other CCAA semifinal. The Coyotes have won 14 straight, entering the CCCAA championship Sunday, while the Roadrunners have won seven straight and nine of their last 10. As the Roadrunners prepared to depart for Sacramento for their Final Four matchup on Friday, Sandberg told his team he wanted to stay for the full weekend. This meant winning Friday and competing for the CCCAA championship on Sunday. On paper, the Roadrunners (18-4-4) had their odds stacked against them, coming in as the No. 14 seed in the NorCal bracket and facing the No. 1 team in the SoCal bracket Long Beach (19-4-3). However, the Roadrunners played on the road for three of their four playoff matches entering Friday, all five, if you include their first-round match that was forced to be played at Harrison Stadium in Oroville due to field conditions. They also had injuries occur throughout the season, and are as healthy as they’ve been all season and playing their best. They’ve embraced a back-to-the-wall mentality all season, having the mental toughness to play from behind in key matches and come out on top. “We had the option to wear our black uniforms or wear our white uniforms, and we chose to wear our whites,” Sandberg said. “We’ve been in the whites for six games in a row now and on the road still. This whole ride that we’ve been on for the last two and a half weeks is something we’ll all remember forever.” Friday’s match was similar to one the Roadrunners have played all season. Long Beach controlled the ball for much of the first half and out-shot Butte 25-8 and 7-2 in shots on goal. Sandberg said the Roadrunners were outplayed for the first 20-30 minutes due to nerves, but settled down and sharpened up as the match went on. Sandberg said he was OK with the amount of shots taken, as a lot of them were from 20-25 yards away. The Roadrunners’ chances came off of counter-attacks but were limited. Butte goalkeeper and Chico High alumnus Manny Diaz made seven saves to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard. “Manny had, I would say, his best game of the year,” Sandberg said of his goalkeeper. “He was clutch, he was comfortable, his ball distribution continues to get better, he made some great saves that kept us in the game, and he just continues to develop.” With three minutes and 40 seconds left in regulation, Butte forward Matteo Di Gennaro capitalized on a turnover by the Vikings. The Roadrunners knew it was getting close to going to overtime and began to apply pressure. On a pass backward by the Long Beach defender intended for goalkeeper Abraham Ramirez, Di Gennaro beat Ramirez to the ball and flipped it over the goalkeeper’s head on his fourth shot and only shot on goal to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead. The match was as physical as expected, with four yellow cards being shown to the Roadrunners and two to the Vikings. Butte captain Elias Stingl received a red card 89 minutes and 55 seconds into the match, just three minutes after the match’s only goal. As a result of the red card, Stingl is suspended for one match, ending the sophomore’s junior college career. The foul was called on a slide tackle, but Sandberg could not get official clarification from the referee as the refs were busy calming the crowd down. Sandberg said he and Butte College are in the appeal process as of Friday night and sending a video to the CCCAA, in hopes of getting Stingl eligible for Sunday’s match. Sandberg said the commissioner and president of the CA were on site and saw it happen, so “hopefully, they justly do it.” “Hopefully, they make a decision quickly. You can’t do that to a sophomore with one minute left in a game in a state semifinal game,” Sandberg said. “Sophomore, defensive player of the year, probably All-American, second foul called on him all game and a straight red? Unjust. It was crap.” As a result of the red card, the Roadrunners played a man down for the remainder of the match, which included three minutes of stoppage time, but will be able to play with a full team minus Stingl if the appeal is upheld by the CCCAA. “We’ve had next man up all season,” Sandberg said. “We’ve had a ton of injuries and overcome a lot, and this is just another thing. My heart goes out, and I’m gut-wrenched for Elias Stingl as a person and as a player, for what he’s poured into this program, and this being his sophomore season and the captain of this team. Crappy way for this to end.”None
Josh Allen, Bills crush Jets, secure No. 2 seed in AFCChuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards could move up as the lead back for Los Angeles as J.K Dobbins (knee) is expected to miss the game . Edwards was activated from injured reserve earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dobbins appeared to injure his right knee in the first half of the loss to the Ravens, though coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide details. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. They will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Dear Heloise: When traveling, I throw a dryer sheet in the bag that holds my shoes. I also put a dryer sheet in each of my gym shoes at home. To freshen my clothes quickly, I put them in the dryer with a dryer sheet on the air cycle. I reuse ones from the dryer to dust with. My sisters place dryer sheets under their bedsheets. Others rub a dryer sheet on their sofas! I love and use many of the suggestions you and others have printed in your column. — Jackie, Colorado Springs, Colorado Shredded paper Dear Heloise: You’re a big fan of recycling items, so I thought you might be interested in what we do with shredded paper in our office. Three of us have family in other countries, so we often have to mail Christmas gifts. We have a paper shredder, and when it comes time to empty it, we dump the paper into large plastic bags and save it in a closet. We later use that paper when we mail gifts for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays and Christmas. The word got out, and now there are a couple of other offices in our building that come down for some “packing material.” — Anne H., Milford, Delaware Microwave fudge Dear Heloise: When I lived at home, my mother insisted on doing the cooking. She said I always made a mess of her kitchen. In college, we had our meals in the dining hall, so I never really learned how to cook. But now I have my own place, and I would like to make a recipe I saw in your column a couple of years ago. I don’t know the name of it, but it was a fudge recipe where you could microwave the ingredients. It sounded good and so easy to make. Would you reprint this recipe? I want to take it to a family gathering for Thanksgiving. — Jeffery M., in Boulder, Colorado Jeffery, the recipe you’re thinking of was called “Matthews’ Microwave Fudge,” and it was indeed very easy to make. Here is the recipe: Combine all the ingredients except the nuts in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until all the ingredients in the mixture are melted and smooth. Remove and stir periodically. When the mixture is smooth, remove it from the microwave and stir in the nuts. Spread the fudge into a buttered 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and allow it to cool completely before cutting it into bite-sized pieces. — Heloise Reusing stockings Dear Heloise: Last week while I was making soup, I wanted to put certain spices in a square of gauze or cheesecloth and found that I had neither in my house. I looked around and finally found a clean nylon stocking I no longer wore or needed. I placed the spices in a square I had cut from the nylon stocking and tied it at the top! It worked very well! — Louella T., Livingston, Montana Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!