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Herald Sun
20-07-2025
- Science
- Herald Sun
Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta names the world's best destinations
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'The movie Free Willy was a catalyst for me to learn about whales and dolphins,' says Dr Vanessa Pirotta. The marine mammal scientist grew up hours from the ocean, but now traverses the globe studying whales, dolphins and other oceanic creatures in diverse natural environments, to better understand them and assist in conservation efforts. 'Curiosity drives change,' she says. It's an ethos that she sees as particularly relevant to the location she champions in her role as Antarctic Science Foundation ambassador. 'Antarctica is a place I'm so deeply passionate about, and also a place that's fundamentally important to the animals I study.' But her travels observing wildlife have taken her far and wide. 'When I look at all the amazing and beautiful species of marine mammals there are, it naturally takes me around the world.' Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica In 2017 I sailed on the CSIRO's research vessel, the RV Investigator, as part of a team surveying the Sabrina sea floor on the east coast of Antarctica. As the dedicated marine mammal observer it was my job to ensure our activities didn't impact any oceanic wildlife and it was my ultimate whale-spotting adventure. A highlight was watching a sperm whale take its breath before diving for 45 minutes and returning to the same spot, and seeing my first iceberg was momentous. I've also had the chance to fly over the continent four times with Antarctica Flights, as a representative of the Antarctic Science Foundation. CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator in Antarctica. Amazon, Bolivia As a little girl I always wanted to see pink river dolphins, so Bolivia was a search for something I've always been looking for. The Amazon was a complete contrast to everything I've known as a marine researcher. I saw macaws, toucans, squirrel monkeys, capybaras, caiman and red howler monkeys. At one stage I looked down and there were jaguar footprints, then I looked up and there were river dolphins swimming. A pink river dolphin in Bolivia. Picture: Vanessa Pirotta Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar Camping on the beach, lying in my sleeping bag hearing whales breathing at night, is something I'll always associate with Île Sainte-Marie in Madagascar. I was there with a local research organisation studying humpback whales who go there to breed, rest, have their calves and nurse. It was the first place in my life that I saw fireflies at night-time. It was like a Disney movie, they were all lighting up around me. I also saw the lemurs of Madagascar. That was pre-children and now, as a mum of two young boys, I realise the significance. A humpback whale tail in Madagascar. Picture: Vanessa Pirotta Galápagos Islands, Ecuador The Galápagos Islands is a wildlife scientist's nirvana. I visited for my 30th birthday and it exceeded my expectations. From iguanas, seals, giant manta rays and sunfish to a killer whale and the most northern penguins on Earth, every day I spotted something different and the experience inspired my second children's book, Oceans at Night. I saw blue whales in numbers I never thought I'd see, and even identified four new individuals. This trip also marked my first crossing of the equator. Dr Vanessa Pirotta in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. DR VANESSA PIROTTA'S TRAVEL HIGHS AND LOWS Tummy trouble On our last night in the Galápagos our group decided to celebrate with a fancy dinner. I ate half of a lobster and soon found myself racing to the bathroom. The trip back to the mainland, and on to Machu Picchu, was pretty uncomfortable. Seeing the light After months in the Antarctic without seeing an aurora I'd begun to wonder if I ever would. On the return voyage, in the middle of the Southern Ocean, it happened. I stepped on deck and looked up to see the most beautiful vision, like shards of green glass dancing above me. Originally published as Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta names the world's best destinations
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Forbes
OSHA Seeks To Disclaim Authority Over Sports And Entertainment Workers
Photo byThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the United States Department of Labor, is tasked with enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), a 1970 law meant to improve the health and safety of American workers and their workplaces. The law's application to the inherently dangerous occupation of professional sports has been unclear. However, OSHA has taken legal action in the entertainment world, including an effort that ended SeaWorld shows in which trainers went into the water with orcas, over the dissent of now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Relying on Kavanaugh's dissent, OSHA has filed a proposed rule in which it now says it has no authority over 'known hazards that are inherent and inseparable from the core nature of a professional activity or performance.' Free Willy's Trainers Among other regulatory dictates, the OSH Act requires employers to provide their 'employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.' This requirement is known as the General Duty Clause. To establish a violation of the General Duty Clause, OSHA must establish that: (1) an activity or condition in the employer's workplace presented a hazard to an employee; (2) either the employer or the industry recognized the condition or activity as a hazard; (3) the hazard was likely to cause, or actually caused, death or serious physical harm; and (4) a feasible means to eliminate or materially reduce the hazard existed. In 2010, after the orca Tilikum caused the death of a SeaWorld trainer, OSHA cited SeaWorld for violations of the General Duty Clause. Following an evidentiary hearing, an administrative law judge found in OSHA's favor. That decision was upheld in 2014 by a split decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The majority held that eliminating 'waterwork' (trainers swimming with the whales) was a practical method of abating the known risks to the trainers without materially affecting SeaWorld's business. The case included a notable dissent from then-Judge Kavanaugh. In Kavanaugh's view: 'In the sports and entertainment fields, the activity itself frequently carries some risk that cannot be eliminated without fundamentally altering the nature of the activity as defined within the industry. Tackling is part of football, speeding is part of stock car racing, playing with dangerous animals is part of zoo and animal shows, and punching is part of boxing, as those industries define themselves.' Consequently, Kavanaugh argued, OSHA was without the authority to 'completely forbid an industry from offering its product' and stated further that 'in sports events and entertainment shows, there is no distinction between the product being offered and its production: the product is the production.' OSHA On The Sidelines OSHA has jurisdiction over almost all private sector employees in the United States, which would also include players in the major American professional sports leagues. However, despite the obvious and extensive injury risks associated with playing professional sports, OSHA has never taken any action in that arena. In fact, in the few instances in which OSHA has received inquiries concerning its regulatory authority over NFL players, it has declined to engage. In response to letters from an insurance company and fans, OSHA has implausibly stated that NFL players are independent contractors, and not employees, and therefore not within its jurisdiction. Additionally, in a 2008 letter, OSHA stated that it had 'no specific standards that address protection for professional athletes participating in athletic competitions,' and that '[i]n most cases . . . OSHA does not take enforcement action with regard to professional athletes.' Indeed, even amid and after the concussion crises and litigation concerning the NFL in the 2010s, OSHA did not seek to get involved. In a 2018 law review article, my co-authors and I examined at length OSHA's authority over the NFL workplace and the political and practical reasons for its non-involvement. Notably, it is difficult to assess how OSHA could regulate the NFL workplace, i.e., which activities (e.g., tackles, hits) it could ban or restrict, without fundamentally changing the nature of the game. Ultimately, given that NFL players are represented by a powerful union that has collectively bargained extensive health and safety provisions into the collective bargaining agreement with the league, OSHA's involvement was always highly questionable (though the use of Guardian Caps in the NFL is generally consistent with the General Duty Clause). OSHA Quits The Game On July 1, 2025, OSHA filed a proposed rule through which it seeks to interpret the General Duty Clause as excluding from its jurisdiction 'known hazards that are inherent and inseparable from the core nature of a professional activity or performance.' More specifically, OSHA says it cannot 'prohibit, restrict, or penalize inherently risky activities that are intrinsic to professional, athletic, or entertainment occupations.' In crafting the proposed rule, OSHA quoted extensively from Justice Kavanaugh's dissent in the SeaWorld case, though it did not analyze how its proposed rule would apply in practice. OSHA also claims that its regulation of the sports and entertainment industries invokes the major questions doctrine, through which, according to OSHA, regulatory agencies are not to act on questions of 'vast economic and political significance without a clear congressional mandate.' In OSHA's view, there is no indication that the General Duty Clause was intended by Congress to 'prohibit the core design of performances or sports.' OSHA concluded that its new rule would affect individuals classified as professional athletes, actors, dancers, musicians and singers, and other entertainers and performers. In total, there are an estimated 115,620 people employed in these roles. Confusingly, OSHA estimates that the rule will only affect 1% of these employees, or about 1,100 people. This estimate is hard to square with the fact that in any given year, there are about 2,000 players in the NFL, 1,000 players in MLB, 750 players in the NHL, and 500 players in the NBA. OSHA further estimates that 514 employers would be affected by the rule but did not explicitly reference or discuss any such employers. OSHA then estimated, without any explanation, that the rule would save each employer an average of $1,000 annually, resulting in a total estimated cost savings of $514,000. While professional sports have not faced OSHA action, entertainment productions – such as the Ringling Brothers circus and the Broadway production of Spider-Man – occasionally have. Consequently, OSHA's estimated cost savings seem to have at least some basis. Commentators At The Bat The public has until August 30, 2025 to submit comments on OSHA's proposed rule before OSHA can issue a final, binding rule. OSHA has specifically asked the public to weigh in on how many employees and employers would be affected by the rule and its potential benefits and costs. The NFLPA and MLBPA declined to comment about whether they intend to submit comments to OSHA. Given that OSHA has not previously involved itself in professional sports, the more likely commentary would come from employees and their unions in the entertainment world.
Irish Independent
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Obituary: Michael Madsen, actor who will forever be known for that cut-throat razor scene in ‘Reservoir Dogs'
Star was usually cast as an unrepentant tough guy, but he was also the dad in 'Free Willy' Telegraph obituaries Michael Madsen, who has died of a heart attack at the age of 67, was an actor who made his name as the psychopathic Mr Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and went on to appear in four more Tarantino films. Over a vastly prolific career, with more than 300 credits, he specialised in charismatic hardmen, imbuing every role with a sense of danger and unpredictability. But if Madsen had had his way he would not have played Reservoir Dogs' most grimly memorable role. When casting his violent directorial debut about a heist gone badly wrong, Tarantino offered Madsen the part of Vic Vega — Mr Blonde for the purposes of the robbery — but the actor was set on playing Mr Pink, because he had more lines with Harvey Keitel. Tarantino agreed to audition him for the role, he recalled. 'For one of the only times in my life I'd rehearsed the dialogue, so I did a few Mr Pink scenes. When I was done, Quentin looked at me and went, 'Is that it? OK, good. You're not Mr Pink. You're Mr Blonde, and if you're not Mr Blonde, then you're not in the movie'.' Steve Buscemi played Mr Pink. While Madsen carved out a Hollywood niche as an unrepentant tough guy, he insisted that in real life he was very different (though there were brushes with the law). 'People have been afraid of me because of the parts I played. Nobody remembers that I was the dad in Free Willy.' Madsen was born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, one of three children. His father, Calvin, a US Navy veteran from World War II, was a firefighter, and his mother, Elaine (nee Melson), worked in finance before becoming an author and Emmy-winning film producer; the couple divorced when Michael was 11. After leaving school, he worked as a mechanic, then as a paramedic, but his life changed in 1980 when a friend took him to see a production of Of Mice and Men by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Enthralled, he went backstage and found the play's star, John Malkovich, who encouraged him to take acting classes. A few months later, Madsen was treading the boards in another production of the same play. He moved to LA and supported himself by working in a garage, and from 1982 began accumulating small roles, including two episodes of hospital drama St Elsewhere, and as a policeman in the 1983 thriller WarGames. His big break came in 1991 as Susan Sarandon's easygoing musician boyfriend in Thelma & Louise. 'It was one of the only times I got to play a sympathetic character,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT Tarantino wanted him to play Vincent Vega in 'Pulp Fiction' That brought him on to Tarantino's radar and the offer to play Mr Blonde, making the film his own in the unforgettable scene involving a razor, an ear and Stuck in the Middle with You. But his career took an immediate downturn. Tarantino wanted him to play Vincent Vega in his 1994 follow-up Pulp Fiction, but Madsen was contracted to Lawrence Kasdan's Western, Wyatt Earp, starring Kevin Costner. The three-hour epic was an epic flop; Pulp Fiction won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, an Academy Award and two Baftas, while the hitherto moribund career of Oscar-nominated John Travolta, who got the part, was super-charged back into life. A decade of hard graft followed for Madsen, one of the highlights being his portrayal of the real-life mobster Sonny Black in Mike Newell's Donny Brasco (1997). Then, in 2003 and 2004 he was reunited with Tarantino in the two Kill Bill films as the strip-club bouncer and hitman Budd (codename Sidewinder), an early target for Uma Thurman as she sets out on her gory voyage of revenge. In Tarantino's 2015 western The Hateful Eight he was the cattlehand Joe Gage, then four years later Sheriff Hackett in Bounty Law, the fictional 1960s TV Western that features in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In 1984, Madsen married Georganne LaPiere, Cher's half-sister; they divorced in 1988. In 1991, he married Jeannine Bisignano; they had two sons, Christian and Max, who are both actors. They divorced in 1995, and the following year he married DeAnna Morgan; they had three sons, one of whom, Hudson, a US Army sergeant, took his own life in 2022. She survives him with his other four sons and a daughter from another relationship.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Remembering Michael Madsen: A Career In Photos
Michael Madsen, who was found dead today at his Malibu home, is best known for his long collaboration with Quentin Tarantino. The director chose Madsen for a star-making turn as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Madsen also appeared in Vol. 1 & 2 of the director's Kill Bill films, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. RELATED: Hollywood Pays Tribute To Michael Madsen: 'One Of My Favorite Actors I Ever Worked With' More from Deadline Michael Madsen Dies: 'Kill Bill', 'Reservoir Dogs' Actor Was 67 Val Kilmer Was Scheduled To Attend Last Night's Beverly Hills Film Festival Screening Of Documentary On Friend Michael Madsen Michael Madsen, Steven Ogg, Josh Hamilton & More Lead Movie Theater Comedy 'Concessions' But Madsen was prolific, working on between 7-12 projects a year over much of his career, often stealing scenes from bigger-name stars. And he did it for 40-plus years. From Diner in 1983 to Free Willy in 1993 to Sin City in 2005, scroll through the photos below to see the full range of his work. RELATED: Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Justin Theroux To Jason Ritter 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Michael Madsen obituary: Tarantino favourite with a tender side
Actors are meant to be convincing in whatever role they play — but Michael Madsen feared he overdid it as Mr Blonde, gleefully torturing an undercover cop tied to a chair in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs while dancing to Stealers Wheel's 1970s hit Stuck In The Middle with You. For good measure, he then sliced off the policeman's ear with a menacing, shark-like grin. 'I think I've been more believable than I should have been,' he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. 'I think people really fear me. They see me and go: 'Holy shit, there's that guy!'' Madsen did not play only psychopaths and sadists, and the film he made straight after Reservoir Dogs was Free Willy in which he played Glen Greenwood, the tender-hearted foster father of the 12-year-old orphaned boy who befriends a captive orca in a theme park. 'The oddest thing is when children recognise me from Free Willy and their parents recognise me from Reservoir Dogs,' he noted. 'The kids are like, 'There's Glen!' and the parents are like, 'Don't go near that guy!''
