Qantas is getting rid of mask requirements on flights to the US, UK and Rome, from NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. But when you fly domestically within Australia (or from abroad into Australia) you still have to wear a mask during your flight. This makes zero sense… but I reckon it’s actually a good thing.

I recently flew from London to Sydney. Along the way, a few bemused Brits complained Australia’s mask rules don’t make much sense. Much as it pained me to agree, I had to admit – they had a point. Australia’s mask rules are confusing – especially when you’re coming back from abroad. It’s not Qantas’ fault though – it’s due to differences in Australia’s mask rules and other countries’ mask rules (or the lack thereof).

As of yesterday (according to a leaked Qantas memo, reported by the Sydney Morning Herald), masks are no longer required (you can still wear one if you want though) on non-stop Qantas flights from NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia to the US, UK, and Rome.

You still have to wear a mask though on inbound flights and on all domestic flights (and on outbound international flights from Melbourne). When transiting too (for instance on a stopover in Darwin on a London – Sydney flight), you are still required to wear a mask at the boarding gate. This is confusing when you’ve come from somewhere like Europe, where masks are not mandatory in airports (and are not mandatory on many international flights).

The reason for this inconsistency is that Australia has stricter mask rules than many overseas destinations (like the US, the UK and Italy). Despite this causing momentary confusion for passengers like myself, Qantas appears to hope that it will encourage the Australian government to lift the mask mandate onboard aircraft in all settings.

The leaked Qantas memo allegedly said: “The removal of mask mandates for airports and some international flights reinforces that the lifting of mask mandates onboard aircraft in all settings is the appropriate next step, with global studies showing the risk of transmission inside the cabin is very low.”

“The change to in-flight mask requirements on some international flights is an important step in our transition to living with Covid, and we welcome this change.”

Excerpt from the leaked Qantas Memo. Source: SMH

Qantas passengers flying from Melbourne will still have to wear a mask, but Qantas has apparently vowed to get rid of the requirement as soon as possible. This change also comes after the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee (AHPPC) recommended the scrapping of mask mandates in Australia’s airport terminals (a move which NSW has taken on board, with mask mandates in NSW airport terminals having been scrapped on the 17th of June 2022).

My take? Though it seems a bit strange to have to wear a mask to fly to Perth but not to fly to London, Los Angeles or Rome, I’d rather be a little bit confused and have the option of not wearing a mask on some flights a little bit sooner, than have Qantas hold back that option just for the sake of consistency. So, though this might sound weird, Qantas’ mask mandates make absolutely zero sense, and for that I applaud them.

As for the Flight Attendants Association of Australia, its federal secretary Teri O’Toole has said that while some cabin crew are welcoming the relaxation of rules, others are concerned that the removal of mask mandates could increase their risk of getting COVID, and are worried about how fast the rule has been scrapped.

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The post Qantas’ Latest Mask Rules Make Absolutely Zero Sense appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The longest-running sitcom of all time and Emmy Award-winning animated series, The Simpsons surprisingly makes a frequent animation mistake; one you’ve most likely never noticed…

Despite popular belief, animated shows are not just for kids. The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers – all of which can be watched in their entirety on Disney Plus – Rick and Morty, Archer – which you can find on Netflix – there is an abundance of animated series that are intended for adults.

And most of these animated shows tend to dip into the musical genre; especially The Simpsons. But while the popular show clearly has talented musicians writing and recording the songs (Baby On Board, See My Vest, We Put The Spring In Springfield, They Have The Plant But We Have The Power are ICONIC), the animators must not be able to play the piano.

This is highlighted by the following clip; in the Season 5 episode, Lisa Vs Malibu Stacey (“but she’s got a new hat!”) when the family is at the mall, Homer stumbles upon a giant keyboard on the floor and begins to play it. But what he plays and what we, the audience, hear are two different things.

Youtuber Amosdoll Music regularly calls out animated shows for not animating the piano correctly and makes videos that highlight what the animated piano notes shown on screen actually sound like as well as what keys should’ve been animated for the audio to be correct.

And it turns out The Simpsons is a repeat offender; Amosdoll Music has made many clips that prove The Simpsons doesn’t animate pianos correctly. Other examples of the sitcom getting it wrong include snippets from Season 7’s Bart Sells His Soul and Season 14’s Treehouse of Horror XIII.

At the end of the day, the animators are, well, animators and not musicians, so can we really blame them for these tiny errors? Of course not! Firstly, it’s a cartoon (“Oh Bart, cartoons don’t have to be 100% realistic”) and secondly, the incorrectly animated piano has never detracted from the hilarity The Simpsons is famous for.

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The post The Surprising Simpsons Animation Mistake You Probably Didn’t Know About appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Trying to pursue a career in Hollywood is hard enough. But Ana de Armas did it without knowing any English at all…

Ana de Armas has quickly become one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Her performances in the iconic films Knives Out, No Time To Die and Blade Runner 2049 were simply flawless.

But what’s interesting about de Armas is how she started her Hollywood career. The Cuban actress, after starring in multiple Cuban and Spanish projects, including the popular Spanish show El Internado, decided to move to LA in 2014 despite not being able to speak any English.

She spent four months taking full-day English classes and then quickly booked her first English-speaking roles in Knock Knock – a horror-thriller starring Keanu Reeves – and War Dogs – the comedy-crime film starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.

But de Armas still hadn’t quite mastered the language…

So she learned her lines for both Knock Knock and War Dogs “phonetically”; de Armas even told The Hollywood Reporter while filming those projects, she “wasn’t really sure what [she] was saying.”

Of course, de Armas persevered and can now speak English fluently which has led to a successful career; we personally can’t wait to see her performances in the upcoming films The Grey Man and Blonde (a biopic that stars de Armas as Marilyn Monroe).

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The post Ana De Armas Couldn’t Speak English When She Landed Her First Hollywood Role appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Tourists could soon be fined more than $1,000 for urinating in or near the ocean in Vigo, a seaside city in Galicia. It remains unclear how the rule would be enforced.

Vigo, a seaside town in Spain’s northwest, is apparently going to make peeing in the sea a fineable offence. According to reports, the city council is going to be installing more public amenities during summer to reduce holidaymakers’ need to wee in the sea (a naughty but widespread activity which, according to YouGov, almost half of Britons’ have previously done). But if you don’t use them, and instead prefer to pee in the ocean, you could find yourself in some hot water…

Tourists caught urinating on the beach or in the sea at Spanish town of Vigo will face a £645 fine.

Potential bad news for the 48% of Britons who have ever weed in the sea, although how they’d get caught is anyone’s guess…https://t.co/AXWZpEgXzD pic.twitter.com/QX1uy3g4Pe

— YouGov (@YouGov) June 21, 2022

The Sun reports that the new ban applies to urinating “in the sea or on the beach.” The offence is to be punishable with a 750 euro ($1,135 AUD) fine. It remains to be seen how authorities would know when tourists or travellers relieve themselves while swimming (spy dolphins?), but that’s a debate for another day.

Per Metro, it’s also prohibited to use soap or shampoo in the sea, or to wash cooking utensils in the water. On some beaches smoking is illegal, too with the local council hoping to reduce butts (no, not that kind) littering the beach.

RELATED: Morning Coffee Mistake Costs Tourists $1,500 In Venice

The Sun also reports that “anyone walking to or from the beach on public streets in just their swimwear across Spain could be handed a £250 fine.” Anyone who has lived in Spain though will tell you this is something that is rarely if ever, enforced though (just check out all the holidaymakers Las Ramblas on a sunny day).

As for Vigo, if this news hasn’t put you off visiting, it’s a beautiful city in the province of Pontevedra, in Spain’s north west. It’s got luscious mountains, amazing seafood, pleasingly acidic white wines, 17th-century fortresses, parks, beaches and an ocean that (presumably) smells like piss…

It’s not just Spain that is cracking down on piss poor tourist behaviour. Australia is getting fed up with some of its itinerant travellers too, with a recent op-ed in a national broadsheet accusing influencers of “shitting all over the country.”

• How Not To Get Shot Or Arrested In The South Of Spain
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The post Spanish City To Fine Tourists $1,135 For Gross Beach Act appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Red Bull junior driver Jüri Vips has potentially destroyed his entire racing career by dropping the n-bomb during a live stream.

Red Bull Racing has suspended the 20-year-old Estonian as they investigate an incident where he appeared to make the racial slur during a Twitch stream, where he was playing Call of Duty alongside fellow Red Bull junior team member, 20-year-old New Zealander Liam Lawson.

Red Bull has issued a statement where they emphasise “as an organisation, we condemn abuse of any kind and have a zero-tolerance policy to racist language or behaviour”. Vips has also taken to Instagram to make a public apology.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jüri Vips (@juri_vips)

It’s an unfortunate incident for many reasons. Obviously, Vips ought to be punished for using the n-word like this; it’s a vile slur. At the same time, this might have scuppered Vips’ hopes of a Formula 1 career, which would be a shame.

Vips, who was the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 champion and currently competes in Formula 2 (where he’s netted a few wins and podiums), has long been touted as a future Formula 1 star. He’s currently one of the reserve drivers for Red Bull’s 2022 F1 campaign and even made his F1 free practice debut at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, taking Sergio Pérez’s place.

But knowing how hard it is to get a seat in the highest tier of international motorsport – and how particularly ruthless Red Bull is with its juniors – this relatively minor slip-up could seriously torpedo his hopes at an F1 drive. Red Bull has shown time and time again it doesn’t need much of an excuse…

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This is not the first time a young gun has self-destructed their career thanks to dumb comments made online. 23-year-old British racer Dan Ticktum, who currently competes in Formula E, got released from his Williams Driver Academy contract after calling current Williams F1 competitor Nicholas Latifi “poo” during a Twitch stream last year.

Controversial 23-year-old Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, who raced for Haas last year, almost ruined his chance at F1 after posting an Instagram story in 2020 in which he appeared to inappropriately grope a woman’s breasts, leading to major fan outrage and the hashtag #WeSayNoToMazepin to trend on Twitter. In the end, he still got to race in 2021… Until he got booted from the team in light of his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

RELATED: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Feel Sorry For Nikita Mazepin

Streaming and being ‘always online’ is undoubtedly an important part of being a modern (and marketable) racing driver – but these young guns have got to remember that just because you can drive fast, doesn’t mean you can be fast and loose online.

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The post Future Formula 1 Star Suspended By Red Bull For Dropping Racial Slur appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Xavier Musk, the transgender daughter of the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, has filed a petition to not only change her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson but also to strip herself of any association with her father. The petition was filed in April 2022, but awareness of it has only recently been obtained by TMZ.

Xavier Musk, who turned 18 in April 2022, wants to legally change her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson, to take her mother’s maiden name. But, according to the official court filing, Vivian not only wants to confirm her gender identity, but she wants to remove all association with her father.

The official reasoning for the ruling is cited as being, “Gender identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”

Elon Musk’s 18-year-old daughter has filed to legally change her name to confirm to her gender identity.

The official reason given: “Gender identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.” pic.twitter.com/t04P9m8fEI

— KnowNothing (@KnowNothingTV) June 20, 2022

The court hearing is scheduled for Friday 24th June 2022.

Who Is Xavier Musk?

Xavier Musk was born a biological man with twin brother Griffin in 2004 to parents Elon Musk and his former wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson.

Elon and Justine were married in 2000 but divorced in 2008 and agreed to share custody of their children. The couple also has triplets, Damian, Kai and Saxon, who were born in 2006. Their first daughter, Nevada Alexander Musk, passed away from sudden infant death syndrome at just 10 weeks old.

I absolutely support trans, but all these pronouns are an esthetic nightmare

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 16, 2020

Elon Musk has previously expressed his support for the transgender community, but has, in true Elon fashion, been the subject of controversy in regard to his comments on the use of pronouns.

Pronouns suck

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2020

Elon Musk hasn’t commented publicly on either the gender change or the court filing, but Vivian’s mother, Justine, has expressed she is “proud” of her daughter in a series of tweets.

“I had a weird childhood,” my 18 year old said to me. “I can’t believe I’m as normal-seeming as I am.”

I said, “I’m very proud of you.”

“I’m proud of myself!”

— Justine Musk (@justinemusk) June 20, 2022

Elon Musk is currently the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of $214 billion and who recently bought social media platform Twitter for $44 billion.

He has two further children with Canadian musician Grimes, although, the couple have revealed they are no longer together. The naming of their first child drew confusion, as it was originally X Æ A-12. The State of California told the couple they had to change the name, because it used characters that aren’t available in the English alphabet.

The couple eventually changed their child’s name to X AE A-XII Musk. A second child, a daughter, was born via surrogate in December 2021.

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The post Who Is Xavier Musk? Elon Musk’s Trans-Child Who Wants A Separation appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The illustrious ‘off-market’ deal is a rare and mysterious beast reserved only for the savviest of real estate investors.

An ‘off-market’ deal refers to a property that hasn’t been publicly listed for sale or advertised through a real estate agent.

Now, you might be wondering why anyone would choose not to advertise their property, especially if they’re trying to sell it. The first answer to this question is usually privacy. The seller may not want to spook their tenants by putting the property publicly up for sale. The second is that the seller may be looking to save money by not avoiding real estate agents and their subsequent fees and commission.

If you’re interested in tracking down one of these elusive property deals, the next 3 steps will make this process much, much easier. 

#1: Make Friends With Real Estate Agents

You might be wondering why the first step to finding an off-market deal is to start networking with real estate agents. Surely if an agent knows of a property going up for sale, it’s already too late, right? Wrong.

Real estate agents have these things called buyers and sellers lists. Getting access to local agents’ sellers lists can be a huge win for you as a bargain hunter. Real estate agents keep a sellers list so that they can prompt property owners on these lists to start getting ready to sell if they think that market conditions are becoming more favourable.

Furthermore, many agents often have these things called ‘pocket listings’. A pocket listing is a listing for which an agent has exclusive rights to sell and won’t be listed publicly. Many local real estate agents may keep the listing in their ‘pocket’ (hence the name) to keep word from getting out, which can be a benefit to the seller.

Once you’re able to establish yourself as a serious buyer and investor, agents will take you more seriously and actually want to bring you deals because they know that you’ll follow through and close sales quickly.

#2: Get In Touch With Tradies

Tradies and contractors can be a great way to find off-market deals because they’re usually working with property owners.

If an owner is prepping their property to be sold by fixing it up, there’s a pretty good chance that they’ll share that information with their contractor. If you can get in touch with a bunch of contractors in the area you’re scouting out, you can figure out which properties are going to be sold before they’re even listed.

Occasionally, a property owner may even ask their contractor if they have any other clients that would be interested in buying their property. As a property investor, having good working relationships with contractors can often prove to be majorly advantageous and put you miles ahead of the rest of the market.

#4: Take A Drive

Driving around neighbourhoods can be an interesting yet effective way to find off-market properties. Drive around an area and look for vacant or ‘distressed’ properties, as these will be the easiest potentially off-market homes to spot with very little effort. To spot these sorts of properties, keep an eye out for overgrown yards, scattered items in the yard, or boarded-up windows.

Jot down the addresses of the properties you find and search for the owner’s contact information in local council records. While this process can be a little time-consuming, it’s an entirely free strategy. Depending on the area you’re checking out, it can be a super-efficient way to find off-market gems.

Summary

Overall, off-market properties offer serious benefits for investors who know what they’re doing. By offering less competition and flexible negotiations, off-market real estate can land you some impressive profit margins. 

Once you have used these tips to find an off-market deal, make sure to run it by a trusted real estate professional before making an offer – this will prevent any unwanted surprises, legal or otherwise.

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The post 4 Simple Steps To Finding Rare ‘Off-Market’ Property Deals appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Fans of the UK’s 8 Out of 10 Cats will be delighted that Jimmy Carr will be bringing his comedy show, Terribly Funny 2.0 to Australia next year.

Jimmy Carr, the British comedian, known for hosting the popular shows and specials, 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, has just announced that in 2023 he will perform his comedy touring show Terribly Funny 2.0 in various places across Australia.

Carr will be performing new material for Terribly Funny 2.0 but that doesn’t mean it won’t be controversial like his previous touring show, Terribly Funny.

Despite all the backlash, it seems Carr is unbothered and will continue to make ‘offensive’ jokes, as when the Australian dates of Terribly Funny 2.0 were announced, the following warning was also issued:

“Having political correctness at a comedy show is like having health and safety at a rodeo. Now you’ve been warned, enjoy the laughs.”

Jimmy Carr

In early 2023, Carr will perform Terribly Funny 2.0 in all Australian capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin – as well as in Ballarat, Bendigo, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Mandurah, Launceston, Adelaide, Caloundra, Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin and the Gold Coast.

Jimmy Carr Australia Tour Dates 2023

• 17th February 2023 – Melbourne – Hamer Hall
• 22nd February 2023 – Ballarat – Civic Hall
• 23rd February 2023 – Bendigo – Ulumbarra Theatre
• 24th February 2023 – Newcastle – Entertainment Centre
• 25th February 2023 – Sydney – State Theatre
• 4th March 2023 – Wollongong – Win Entertainment Centre
• 5th March 2023 – Geelong – Costa Hall
• 6th March 2023 – Canberra – Canberra Theatre
• 9th March 2023 – Mandurah – Performing Arts Centre
• 10th March 2023 – Perth – Riverside Theatre
• 18th April 2023 – Hobart – Wrest Point Entertainment Centre
• 19th April 2023 – Launceston – Princess Theatre
• 20th April 2023 – Adelaide – Thebarton Theatre
• 23rd April 2023 – Brisbane – QPAC
• 27th April 2023 – Caloundra – The Events Theatre
• 28th April 2023 – Toowoomba – Empire Theatre
• 29th April 2023 – Townsville – Convention Centre
• 30th April 2023 – Cairns – Performing Arts Centre
• 2nd May 2023 – Darwin – Entertainment Centre
• 4th May – Gold Coast – HOTA

Tickets for Carr’s Terribly Funny 2.0 go on sale at 9am on Monday the 27th of June through Ticketmaster Australia. Ticketmaster members will be able to score tickets earlier though during the presale that starts Thursday the 23rd of June at 11am.

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The post Jimmy Carr Announces Australian Tour, Goodbye Political Correctness appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Located in the seaside suburb of St Kilda in the Saint Moritz precinct, a new restaurant named LOTI is set to open its doors to the public tomorrow. And people can’t wait.

LOTI, once opened on June 22nd, will be the perfect place – whether you’re a Melbourne local or tourist – to grab a delicious meal and a few delectable cocktails. The kitchen is helmed by Head Chef Elijah Holland, one of Australia’s top chefs who’s previously worked at Lume, NOMA Australia, Aria and Quay; meaning the Mediterranean-inspired menu is simply scrumptious.

A whole lobster butter poached and wrapped in kelp, barbequed with lemon-scented tea tree and kelp ditalini pasta and a BBQ rack of Turbot ribs with sea parsley, grilled lettuce and capers are just some of the luxurious and appetising meals that will be available at LOTI.

To no one’s surprise, Elijah ensured that the menu is not only delicious but also celebrates Melbourne.

“My menu is inspired by nature, the coast and history of St Kilda. We are visiting local producers weekly, foraging centuries-old wild, native and naturalised botanical and using new-age cooking techniques to form seasonal and approachable dishes that are packed full of flavour and hero our Victorian produce.”

Elijah Holland

LOTI is also hoping to entice people with their cocktail menu which will consist of classics with a fresh take – native herbs, locally made spirits and unique garnishes galore. Plus, the bar will also be home to many locally sourced beers and wines.

Whether you’re wanting a few casual drinks after work or an enjoyable sit-down dinner, LOTI is the place to go – from tomorrow, of course – with its sun-drenched terrace where you can overlook the waves and its cosy, elegant interior (which boasts beautiful high ceilings and curvacious architecture).

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