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Formula 1 Poised For An Australian ‘Takeover’
Formula 1 Poised For An Australian ‘Takeover’

Australia has always punched above its weight in Formula 1.

Despite being such a small country, we’ve produced a disproportionate number of Grand Prix winners and World Champions. Did you know Australian drivers have won more World Championships than Italian or American drivers? Hell, our greatest F1 driver of all time, four-time World Champion Sir Jack Brabham, remains (and will probably always remain) the first and only driver to win the world championship driving one of his own cars. Impressive stuff.

Australia is currently represented in F1 by Daniel Ricciardo, who after his amazing win for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix last year, has racked up an impressive 8 Grand Prix wins – more than many former World Champions including Keke Rosberg and John Surtees.

But in what’s sure to be an exciting development for Aussie revheads, it looks like we might see two Australians on the grid this year, if we have any luck (or misfortune, as the case may be…)

A few days ago, Ricciardo came down with COVID-19, meaning he had to miss the second round of pre-season testing in Bahrain. While McLaren says they think ‘The Honey Badger’ will recover in time to compete in the opening round of the 2022 F1 season, this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, there’s a good chance he might not make it.

In an unusual move, rival team Alpine has offered that Oscar Piastri – the young Melburnian who won the F2 World Championship last year, who’s Alpine’s reserve driver – can fill in for Danny Ric or indeed his teammate, Britain’s Lando Norris, if either McLaren driver is unable to compete this year.

This is music to many racing fans’ ears. It was highly controversial that Piastri wasn’t given the chance to race in F1 this year despite winning the F2 World Championship. The way F2 works is that if you win the F2 title, you’re no longer allowed to compete in the series… So Piastri’s situation has widely been considered unfair.

RELATED: Upcoming Australian Talent Highlights Massive Problem With Formula One

Alpine giving their young talent as much chance to drive in F1 as possible by offering his services up to McLaren is a very generous move and shows they really care about his development as a driver. It lies in stark contrast to how other junior drivers have been treated by their teams (cough cough, Red Bull).

But as AAP Sport contributor Scott Bailey points out above, if later in the season Norris ends up having to miss a race, we could see both Ricciardo and Piastri on a team together – an exciting prospect. If that happened, it would be the first time in Formula 1 history that two Australians would race for the same team.

Then, when you consider that McLaren was founded by a Kiwi, Bruce McLaren, it seems particularly fitting. Two Antipodeans racing for an Antipodean team? That’s fully sick. Is F1 set for an Antipodean takeover?

Of course, there’s a lot of ‘what ifs’ here. It looks like we’ll probably just see the regular pairing of Norris and Ricciardo at Bahrain on the weekend, or we’ll see Piastri join Norris. While we want to see Ricciardo get well, we must admit we’re excited to see how Piastri performs behind the wheel of an F1 car…

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The post Formula 1 Poised For An Australian ‘Takeover’ appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Could Airbnb’s Empire Come Crashing Down In 2022?
Could Airbnb’s Empire Come Crashing Down In 2022?

Airbnb came at the hotel industry with a mallet when it went from a startup (in 2008) to a booming global business (it really started to blow up in the late 2010s). The philosophy? Live like a local. Discover quirky joints. Have a unique stay. It was even cheaper (in many cases), too.

But like how Instagram used to be quiet and quirky and is now a mainstream 21st-century artery we’re all addicted to shooting up, could travellers now be waking up and stopping guzzling the marketing when it comes to Airbnb? The pandemic hit the entire travel industry hard.

During the tightest pinch, when people were (particularly here in Australia) unable to travel overseas (or in many cases even interstate) Airbnb was popular – rather than risk staying in a hotel where you could catch COVID from 100s of other people, travellers would book self-contained Airbnbs for themselves and their families and significantly reduce their chances of contracting the spicy cough.

But now that the news cycle has swung away from COVID and towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now that many people have now either been fully vaccinated against COVID (or had COVID and recovered from it), it might be time for travellers to rediscover an old flame: hotels.

Not only did the pandemic provide a silver lining for hotel restaurants (by scaring people off venturing out into the street to find ‘unique’ food), but, as we come out of the pandemic, some frequent American travellers are recalling the benefits of hotels, and questioning the benefits of Airbnb (given its prices, in many cases, now rival hotels’).

Though this is unlikely to crash Airbnb’s empire in 2022, it’s interesting to think about how travel demographics (ad consumer choices) could shift this year.

Case in point: the following Tweet, from a Houston based man called Adrian C. Jackson. Jackson took to Twitter yesterday to ask his followers why anyone would choose Airbnb over a hotel.

“I’m being sincere when I ask this,” Jackson wrote. “Why are y’all still choosing AirBnB over hotels? Prices are no longer as reasonable as before; they cost just as much as hotels.”

He also pointed out that hotels provide housekeeping, room service, fresh towels and (in his view) better service, as well as “no cleanup fees” and no “surprise guests.”

He also shared a story of the night he had a surprise guest in his Airbnb.

“‘Surprise guests’ means exactly that…” he responded to one Twitter user. “Like what happened to me during my first (and ONLY) Airbnb stay I had the house to myself; a friend of the owner had access to his home & just casually strolled through while I was there I told the owner & Airbnb…nothing was done about it.”

Commenters on his Tweet added that further benefits of hotels are that you are less likely to find creepy things like cameras or experience racism (or racist objects).

Another said: “Also, hotels don’t contribute to the increased homeless problem the way Airbnb’s do” (a problem we are seeing over here in Australia too, particularly in hotspots like Byron Bay).

Another included a horror story of the time a host forgot to tell their husband that he was staying in the basement of the house.

They wrote: “I stopped using them after a few uncomfortable experiences, including one room being in a heinously overcrowded house (about 10 guests, one bathroom) and one host who didn’t bother to tell her husband I was allowed to be sleeping in their basement suite.”

Not everyone thought it was so simple. Some sang Airbnb’s praises (saying they can be cheaper than hotels for long term stays or FIFO workers).

One Twitter user said hotels can be pretty grim too, writing: “After staying in a Holiday Inn Express about 7 years ago, I swore I was done with hotels. The room was less than clean and reeked of stale cigarettes even though it was non-smoking. The carpet was old and worn. No kitchen, a cramped bathroom, non-working wall hair dryer.”

Swings and roundabouts, we guess.

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The post The Future Of Airbnb’s Empire Is Under Threat appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Tom Brady Comes Out Of Retirement After Talking With Cristiano Ronaldo
Tom Brady Comes Out Of Retirement After Talking With Cristiano Ronaldo

NFL legend Tom Brady has come out of retirement just six weeks after announcing he would be giving up the game. He announced the decision this morning with the following statement: “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family.”

“They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.”

Tom Brady

This comes barely a day after the 44-year-old NFL GOAT was seen at a Manchester United match.⁠

At the match, Brady watched football (soccer, for you Americans) GOAT, Cristiano Ronaldo, bang in a record-breaking hattrick at 37 years of age.

Brady also recently posted a video of Ronaldo making his iconic “SIU” sound on Twitter, which you can watch below.

The news about Brady backtracking on his retirement has some posting memes about how the rest of the teams in the league will be crying their eyes out, some criticising Brady for his flippant attitude, and some are simply celebrating.

It also had some speculating as to whether it’s a coincidence his announcement came after his meeting with Ronaldo. One Twitter user dubbed it “the Ronaldo influence.”

Not everyone was convinced, however…

In other Tom Brady news, the football from the last touchdown pass the NFL great threw recently (reportedly) sold for $518,000.

Here’s hoping he creates a few more historic moments over the next year.

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The post Tom Brady Comes Out Of Retirement After Talking With Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Pirates, Plagues & Putin: Russian Superyachts Taking Huge Risks To Reach Safe Ports
Pirates, Plagues & Putin: Russian Superyachts Taking Huge Risks To Reach Safe Ports

Russian superyachts are scrambling to find safe harbour in the wake of the news that Putin and his cronies are being sanctioned.

Though news broke last week that they were heading for the Maldives (and some indeed did head there), it has been alleged by citizen journalist/luxury yacht enthusiast eSysman SuperYachts that they are actually, ultimately, heading to (as he semi-jokingly dubbed it) “the Russian Riviera” of Vladivostok.

The Youtuber, who is known for using his knowledge and experience from “20 plus years at sea and in the Super Yacht Industry” (but who doesn’t reveal his name), recently took to Youtube claiming multiple sources told him Motor Yacht Nord is heading to Vladivostok.

This, combined with other educated guesswork, has him predicting multiple other yachts could be running the gauntlet to get there too.

“It turns out they can’t disappear from this incredible community,” he said. “I have people from all over the place sending me photos and details about different superyachts… even though they’ve turned off their AIS [automatic identification system] to try and hide.”

He cites a number of superyachts, which he believes are making their way from Europe to Vladivostok via the Suez Canal.

“Amadea,” he says, “turned off [its] AIS the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” He then claims the yacht was found in Antigua.

“I suspect she will move from there soon.”

Amadea is reportedly owned by Suleiman Kerimov, who is on the sanctions list. However, Imperial Yachts, who manage Amadeus, deny that Kerimov owns the 106-metre yacht.

Another luxury yacht, Quantum Blue, was recently temporarily detained in Monaco by authorities, and then eventually allowed to leave. It has apparently been moving south and then southeast towards the Suez canal since then (according to eSysman SuperYachts).

eSysman SuperYachts predicts Quantum Blue is going to Port Said – the staging area for transit when you’re going through the Suez canal.

RELATED: Which Superyachts Belong To Which Russian Oligarchs? An Investigation

eSysman SuperYachts adds that superyacht My Solaris was in Barcelona but has now also left and is probably headed toward the Suez canal as well (“bit early to say but I think that’s the direction they’re going in,” he says).

Another yacht, belonging to the same billionaire (Roman Abramovich), The Eclipse, has been cruising across the Atlantic in quite a hurry too (as eSysman SuperYachts puts it: “she is a fast vessel but to do 17 knots across the Atlantic is unusual unless your boss requires the boat in a hurry”) and could well be ultimately heading down to Port Said (via the Mediterranean) too.

Image via Google Maps

Finally, eSysman SuperYachts singles out Madame Gu, reportedly owned by Andrei Skoch, who is on the EU sanctions list, which he says left Dubai harbour to go hang in the bay at anchor and turned off her AIS – something which is against nautical rules and is only allowed in situations where the captain of the boat believes leaving it on to be a danger (like, for instance, if you were sailing off Somalia and thought pirates could be using it to track your location).

Speaking of Somalia, all the superyachts mentioned above will have to sail on past Somalia as they come out of the Red Sea/Gulf Of Aden, if they indeed take the route eSysman SuperYachts predicts to Vladivostock.

Motor Yacht Nord is another vessel the video singles out (and, seemingly, the main basis for the Vladivostock claim). He claims multiple sources have told him it’s heading to Vladivostock – a port on the east coast of Russia, which houses “the whole of the pacific fleet of Russian navy” and is a place where (we presume this is tongue in cheek) you can “pop down to North Korea for the weekend.”

In other words: it’s not a normal place for a superyacht to hang out.

He also clarifies that he received an email from Imperial Yachts categorically denying that Amore Vero is owned by Igor Sechin and categorically denying that Amadea is owned by Suleiman Kerimov (either directly or indirectly) and a statement from Imperial Yacht’s Simon Clark, saying: “Imperial yachts complies fully with all applicable relevant law and regulation in all jurisdictions in which the Company operates” (when asked about why they were seen to be switching off their AIS).

eSysman SuperYachts says in this opinion, this is false, because the boats are (in his estimation) switching off their AIS, not because of imminent danger, but rather to avoid detection from authorities, which are trying to potentially seize them.

As one Youtube commenter puts it: citizen journalism at its finest. We tend to agree.

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The post Russian Superyachts Fleeing To Grim New ‘Riviera’ appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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‘Go To A New Cafe’: 10 Easy Ways To Meet People…Without Apps
‘Go To A New Cafe’: 10 Easy Ways To Meet People…Without Apps

If you’re a single dad or a recently divorced dude who’s ready to get back into the dating game but is over navigating dating apps – that all pretty much result in a few dates that fizzle out rather than blooming into a relationship – you’re in luck. There’s something very simple you can do to meet your potential new partner.

All you really have to do is try new things; go to a different cafe to get your morning coffee, get your lunch from somewhere you’ve never been to before, try a new activity after work – like a team sport – or enrol in a short TAFE course. You’re probably wondering why and what on earth does all that have to do with getting a girlfriend? Well, because of what’s called the ‘proximity effect’.

As Anna Swoboda, professional Matchmaker, certified Dating & Relationship Coach and founder of Heartmatch, explains, the proximity effect is how people are proven to “develop positive feelings towards people [they’re] familiar with”; and it’s proven that those who have been in and ended a long-term relationship are more likely to develop their next long-lasting relationship with someone they’ve met numerous times.

“Changing just one habit statistically doubles your chances of meeting your next love. Stop at a different lunch place, start a new activity you enjoy… [just] start something new, something you enjoy; put yourself in a place to meet new people multiple times, allowing the proximity effect to work its magic.”

While this can seem daunting – just think that that’s how dating was done prior to the apps – you don’t have to ask someone out right away. Just make small conversation with someone who also regularly goes to your new coffee shop or who is also learning French in your new short course and build up a rapport. Once there’s a connection there, you can essentially become friends and then make a move…

If you want some inspiration for putting ‘the proximity effect’ into action, here are 10 ways of shifting up your routine, which may help you be exposed to more new people, more regularly.

  • Frequent a new cafe
  • Go to a new bar
  • Join a language class
  • Join a sports team
  • Move overseas
  • Walk your dog in a different dog park
  • Join a new gym
  • Frequent a different restaurant
  • Join a book club
  • Take a self defence class

If you’re not completely convinced, and want to stick to the dating apps, Anna also has advice for how single dads or divorced men can attract a new partner.

Most single dads and divorced men find love with someone they’ve met multiple times. Image Credit: Getty Images

“I see a lot of successful men in their late 30s to late 50s who have been through an exhausting divorce [and] they want to find a loving partner but have taken a self-esteem hit and are really really busy,” she said.

“They wonder how they will keep things going at work, be a good father to their kids from their first marriage and have the time to find a new partner…”

The key to dating apps is to create a very strong filter, based on potential compatibility, to avoid time-wasting and disappointment… If you are going to try online dating, here are Anna’s practical tips:

1) Create a list of what’s important to you, what you value and enjoy and want in a relationship. Who is the person you want to attract? Take the top 3 to 4 of those and build your online profile around that. That way you are way more likely to attract the right people. Be real, be quirky, stand out for who you are.

2) Put thought into your tagline. Again being real, quirky and playful works best. Women rate ‘someone who makes me laugh’ and ‘ we can have fun together’ very highly in partner selection.

3) Put aside a maximum of one hour per day for dating activities.

4) Have a phone chat or a zoom first date and spend a little time getting to know each other before you meet in person. A first date should be all about testing for compatibility. Do you value similar things and have similar interests? This will really save you a lot of time.

5) Men are visual, but often make the mistake of relying too much on looks in photos. Chemistry grows with proximity and time together. If someone is highly compatible, give it three dates. If not highly compatible, give it one date.”

So there you have it. Go forth single dads and divorcees and meet the (next) love of your life, and make sure you thank us in the speech you give at the wedding…

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The post ‘The Proximity Effect’: Dating Trend Good News For App-Exhausted Single Dads appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Sydney Artist Alesandro Ljubicic Is Creating Art On A Scale Not Often Seen In Australia
Sydney Artist Alesandro Ljubicic Is Creating Art On A Scale Not Often Seen In Australia

The following article was produced in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen.

Alesandro Ljubicic didn’t waste a second getting his assignments done in university. So much so his teachers would give him extra work just to keep him busy. While the average art student might put off their assignments until the eleventh hour, Ljubicic knew the value of, or rather his, time.

As early as he can remember he’s been a tinkerer who loved pulling things apart just to find out what makes them tick. “At an early age, I always wanted to do something different, to explore. But it wasn’t until high school that I started taking art seriously,” he reminisces.

And it didn’t take long for his teachers to notice. “My teacher in grade eight said to me, ‘You’re going to be an artist… I can tell’,” he recalls. “I thought they were dreaming.”

As it turned out, that teacher was right. In just a couple of years, he was one of 60 students given the opportunity to attend the National Art School for an intensive two-week course. Fast forward a couple of years and he would return, this time to complete a degree in fine art. Upon graduation he passed up the opportunity to complete an honours degree, wanting to use his time to start his career.

Over the next six years, he would work on various projects while figuring out what was more important to him… And now, he’s one of the most dynamic and interesting artists in Australia.

When push came to shove, he worked out what he wanted to work on was the kind of art he himself would appreciate after a long day of work. “When I come home, what I want on my wall is something that can take me to another place,” he says. “I want to look at things that evoke emotion, things that I can connect with… When I look at the work I want to see happiness, joy and pride.”

What goes into a painting that invokes so many feelings? It took the first six years of Ljubicic’s career to find out. Initially, he would use only the bare minimum amount of paint. And then something clicked.

“It didn’t really represent who I was… Because I’m a bigger guy, who was involved in sport all my life, I wanted to do something more physical.”

The result? Much like Ljubicic, it’s large, explosive and carries its worth in weight. “Some of the works actually hold 50 to 100kg of oil paint so the work is absolutely crazy,” he says. It’s the kind of work that can’t be done with a standard brush.

“When I decided to use excessive amounts of paint, I threw those brushes away and actually started using pallet knives as my tools of the trade. This is when my art exploded,” he says.

The explosiveness of Ljubicic’s art is part of the reasons he’s made waves in his industry. His works are bright, colourful and almost feel like they’re about to jump off the canvas… In a good way, of course.

Alesandro Ljubicic wears the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 (ref. IW329303). Image: DMARGE

Some will recognise his work from Sydney Concord Hospital’s Cancer Ward. He admits getting it in there was no easy task: he had to convince various executives why a 4x6m canvas was necessary, let alone what kind of effect it would have on the patients.

“When you start a project like that, you have to look at shapes, colour and balance. And when a patient sees the work, automatically it should lift them, it should bring hope,” he says. 

“The patient should be able to say it’s taken me back 10 years ago to when my partner gave me flowers or when they gave them to somebody else.”

Of course, such large projects are no easy feat. “When I walk into the studio and I have a look at these canvases, they’re daunting,” he says. “When you’re doing a work that’s 4x6m, you’re not looking at the work from 2m away but rather you’re seeing it from 15 to 20m away.”

Ljubicic says once you’ve thought about the scale, then the work begins to form in your mind. “During the process, the shapes become objects, almost a representation of what I want them to be,” he says.

Alesandro Ljubicic wears the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 (ref. IW329303). Image: DMARGE

While the canvases may be different and the place the art is displayed, or rather worn, may vary, there are a lot of similarities between Ljubicic’s work and his IWC Schaffhausen watch, he says.

A couple of years ago he got to visit the IWC Schaffhausen Manufakturzentrum in Switzerland where their iconic timepieces come to life. “It was mind-blowing,” he says. “Inside, I learnt about the type of oil used and the machines that make precision pieces.”

“Of course, when we wear watches, we think they’re amazing. But when you see how it’s made, it really puts things into perspective.”

Ljubicic said seeing the craft of a watchmaker first-hand reminded him a lot of the care he takes with his own work.

“We both really take pride in what we do. I feel like IWC have this amazing design and attention to detail,” he said. “There’s meaning behind each watch, much like how I feel about my work.”

And for any upcoming artists, he has one thing to say; “The biggest lesson I’d tell to any young artist or creative in any industry is to be true to yourself. If you’re trying to please or pretend to please someone to get ahead, people will see straight through that.”

“If you’re true to yourself and represent who you are, you will be accepted. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned.”

Discover the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 collection here.

The post Sydney Artist Alesandro Ljubicic Is Creating Art On A Scale Not Often Seen In Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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5 Biggest Traps & Pitfalls Cryptocurrency Investors Fall For
5 Biggest Traps & Pitfalls Cryptocurrency Investors Fall For

Over the past 13 years Bitcoin has grown an eye-watering 44,371,892% to its current price of US$39,615 (54,464 AUD). This means that if you’d been wise (or lucky) enough to have purchased just $1 worth of Bitcoin in July 2010, you’d now be sitting on a very tidy $443,000 today. In fact, Bitcoin is actually the best performing asset of the past decade, eclipsing all other high growth assets by a margin of over 1000%. 

The stories of people who’ve experienced these life-altering returns certainly aren’t hard to find — they’re posted all over the internet: driving cryptocurrency coverage and the number of brand new investors engaging in “FOMO” buying, to new all-time highs. 

These are some of the most important things that every new (and seasoned) crypto investor needs to know about. 

1) “FOMO” Buying

FOMO-buying looks a lot like this: you’ve been watching the charts for Bitcoin and Ethereum go up for the past few days and that big green line has you kicking yourself for not jumping in sooner. 

You think “screw it” and jump in on an impulse without checking the news, or looking for information that might tell you that you’re acting emotionally. You keep checking your portfolio as the token continues to go up, but in a few hours you’re down 10% and in a few days you’re down 30%. You wonder why the market seems to only go down after you buy something, so you sell at a 25% loss, lick your wounds and then repeat the process again in a couple or weeks or days.

FOMO-buying or what experienced traders often call a “bull trap” — is the number one pitfall for any investor, in any market, whether it be stocks, commodities or cryptocurrency. However, crypto is especially dangerous because prices are so much more volatile, with random new altcoins surging over 500%, seemingly every 24 hours.

Wealth manager and behavioural finance expert, Shari Reches says that every new crypto investor should find a partner to discuss a potential investment with, whether it be a friend or family member or financial advisor, before dropping any hard-earned cash.

“Sometimes just talking it through, you start to hear yourself and you realize what you’re saying is emotional and not intuitive and doesn’t make sense…getting that extra dollar may cost you a lot more in the future,” she said to CNBC. 

Another great way to actually get some real-time information that can help prevent FOMO-buying is by visiting sites that conduct short-term technical analysis and give some idea of where the price is headed based on actual data. FXStreet is a great resource for getting up-to-date technical information on most crypto assets and it can help investors get a better idea of what to expect in the coming days.

2) Buying A Token Because Celebrities Endorse It 

Nearly everyone seems to have “promoted” a cryptocurrency in the past, whether it be Kim Kardashian or Jake Paul. Simply because a celebrity or influencers posts about a certain token on social media does not guarantee that the token will grow in value or maintain its price at all. 

This is especially true now, as so many people have caught on to the shady dealings of “pump and dump” schemes, where sketchy actors use influencers to drag unwitting investors into a token before “rugging” and running away with all of their money.

It goes without saying, but unless the celebrity in question is the “Oracle of Omaha” aka. Warren Buffet, they’re probably not people that you should take financial advice from. 

3) Investing In Early Stage DeFi Projects

Decentralized Finance or DeFi is a rapidly growing sector in the cryptocurrency market that all crypto investors should approach with a good deal of caution. 

Essentially, DeFi is just replacing the old-school borrowing and lending procedures used by banks with updated blockchain technology that can provide large yields for traders and initial investors.

Richard Galvin, CEO of Digital Asset Capital Management told the AFR that DeFi is a lot like the internet in the 1990s — clunky and only for people that really want to try it out.

However, just like the internet in the 90s the technology and the business involved in the technology are only just finding their feet, meaning that many of the big assets and “high yield” tokens of today may be worth nothing in a matter of months or years.

Investing in projects that offer “high yields” of over 50% per year are extremely risky, no matter how good their advertising or promotional material is. Only invest in DeFi what you can afford to lose.

4) Being Unaware Of A Crypto’s Actual Price

If you start getting involved in DeFI or buying NFTs (non fungible tokens) often these digital goods are priced in Ethereum (ETH). So, when you’re scrolling through a page where everything is on sale for 0.1 ETH, that can look pretty harmless, but it’ll actually set you back around $360 AUD.

5) High Gas Fees 

Last but not least, is the almighty “gas” fee. Gas fees are the ultimate sneak attack for the new investor looking at buying NFTs or getting involved in DeFI that happen when you transfer ETH around to different wallets and exchanges. 

It works like this — if lots of people are using the Ethereum network at a given time, it means that you have to pay more to have your transaction validated. When the network gets really congested you can think that you’re transferring $50 worth of ETH but get hit with a gas fee of $300…

Always, double (triple) check the total amount being charged before you press “transfer” or “accept” on any transfer involving ETH, whether it be on MetaMask or OpenSea.

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The post 5 Biggest Traps & Pitfalls Cryptocurrency Investors Fall For appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Olympic Champion Emma McKeon’s Laser-Like Focus Is The Secret To Her Success
Olympic Champion Emma McKeon’s Laser-Like Focus Is The Secret To Her Success

The following article was produced in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen.

Emma McKeon has spent most of her life racing against the clock. 

A four-time Olympic world record holder, the 27-year-old has spent her swimming career with one eye on the dial of a watch. “Looking at the time is what kind of drives me,” she tells DMARGE. “I want to get faster and faster.”

In many respects, the rest of the country also associates McKeon with time. When they watched her swim her way to four gold medals and three bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year, a timer aired on the bottom televisions across the world as she gracefully glided past her competition.

“Swimming is all time. We look at time every single day at training,” she concedes.

McKeon has very much lived a life on the water. “Both my parents were swimmers on the Australia team, that’s actually how they met. They started a swim school before I was born,” she says.“

But really, I was just around the water, playing at the beach. As I got older I kept swimming because I loved the social side of it then kind of led into competition.”

Much like swimming, her relationship with the Olympics began at a young age. “When I was young I remember watching the Olympics and watching people do incredible things. I remember watching when they would win or finish a race, the emotion that was behind it. You could tell how much it meant to them and how much hard work was behind it,” she says.

“Even from a young age, I think that really stood out to me and made me really think I wanted to do something special like that.”

So a young McKeon put an Olympic games in her future sights, despite how far away it may have seemed at the time. “Back then it was more of a dream for me, but as I got older it became a goal.”

As she grew up, she began to compete more and more. At age 19, she moved to Queensland and began training with a different group of athletes. And that’s when her career as an athlete really began to take off.

“I love pushing myself and working hard as that is how I just kept going in the sport.”

While McKeon may make it look easy to the home viewers, becoming one of the world’s fastest swimmers was very much a rollercoaster ride.

Emma McKeon wears the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 (ref. IW329304). Image: DMARGE

Like every athlete, she’s had her ups and downs. And unlike other sports where a few centimetres or metres may go unnoticed, the stopwatch doesn’t afford such luxuries to a swimmer. “It’s quite a perfectionist sport. As an athlete we definitely are perfectionists – we want to get everything right.”

But unfortunately getting it right isn’t always an option. “I’ve definitely had years when I haven’t achieved what I wanted to and as disappointing as it is at the time, I think it’s actually been a blessing … you can’t always win and you can’t always just go straight to the top.”

As the old saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. “Focusing on my goals all the time and knowing what I want to do is what keeps me motivated every day,” she says. “Everything I do inside of training and everything I do outside of training is what’s going to get me there; it’s gotten me to where I am now because it’s allowed me to learn how to deal with failure.”

McKeon’s hard work paid off, particularly in Tokyo. She recalls the moment that she finished the 100m freestyle event as one of the greatest in her life. “For so long I had wanted to win an individual Olympic gold medal and then to actually pull it off is the thing I’m most proud of,” she says.

“Touching the wall, knowing I’d won and I’d broken an Olympic record while doing it – it still kind of gives me goosebumps, it still doesn’t really feel real.”

Emma McKeon wears the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 (ref. IW329304). Image: DMARGE

When she’s not in the water, McKeon maintains her relationship with time, opting for a staple timepiece on her wrist – the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43.

“Well, being a swimmer, I don’t really get the chance to wear a nice watch that often – but I love dressing up and going out for dinner and events like that so I’m really excited to wear an IWC watch,” she says.

“I love how it looks against my skin and I feel like it’s a really good size for my wrist.”

Discover the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch 43 collection here.

The post Emma McKeon’s Laser-Like Focus Is The Secret To Her Success appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Ben Simmons Receives Hostile Reception On Return To Philly
Ben Simmons Receives Hostile Reception On Return To Philly

Ben Simmons, the 76ers’ not-so-prodigal son, has returned to Philly with his new side the Brooklyn Nets. At the time of writing, The Nets are winning 72-51, and Simmons is taking the heat in his stride, bopping his head along to rude crowd chants, apparently unbothered by them.

But things weren’t going so well earlier. Simmons, who left the 76ers amid a controversial ‘holdout’ from the team (Simmons cited mental health concerns, as well as other factors, as what made him decide to leave), received a hostile reception from some Philly fans earlier today.

After a bit of a standoff with the 76ers coach over comments made regarding his ability to win them a title last year, Simmons refused to train with the 76ers while still under contract with them, citing mental health concerns, and eventually transferred to the Brooklyn Nets.

Many 76ers fans feel Simmons simply couldn’t handle criticism, while Simmons appears to have felt disrespected and that the struggles he went through as a result of the controversy have gone unappreciated.

Whatever the case, when Simmons rocked up with his new team today, certain fans really gave it to him. One video by Twitter user Tori Lahren shows what she calls the “first ‘f*ck Ben Simmons’ chant” in the stadium.

Another video by @thegameday shows more fans mouthing off about Simmons in the parking lot outside the stadium.

Other videos on TikTok show fans yelling at him outside his hotel and in the street.

Other fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the game, which, at the time of writing is still being played.

“If Embiid dunks and and then points at Ben Simmons Wells Fargo might break the sound barrier,” Twitter user @tommyob95 wrote.

Others debated whether Simmons deserved to be booed.

Others, like sports announcer Michael Grady, claimed the music had to be turned up to drown out the ‘f*ck Ben Simmons’ chants.

Simmons didn’t hide – warming up when he didn’t have to, despite the hostile reception – and is on the bench, presumably for the sake of not creating chaos.

Fox Sports reports that Simmons is refusing to back down, despite the rude chants.

“Despite all of the visible angst directed towards Simmons, he’s taken it all in his stride,” Fox Nexs reports.

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal complimented Simmons for having the strength of character to show up, too.

During TNT’s pre game show Shaq said: “It would’ve been a better night if Ben was playing.”

“I give him credit for going out there, I wish he was playing.”

Shaquille O’Neal

“He had to go [to the game] and I’m glad he’s sitting on the bench. If he didn’t, that would’ve told me a lot about him.”

Simmons was even filmed bobbing his head along to the “f*ck Ben Simmons” chant, apparently not letting the atmosphere get to him.

The Ben Simmons saga has divided fans into three camps – some are understanding of his situation and think those giving him grief should leave him alone, as they probably don’t know the full story.

Others reckon Simmons should have stepped up and handled the heat (last year) better, but still don’t believe you should ever level such abuse at anyone – professional athlete or not. And others, it seems, are more than happy to heckle.

At the very least, the Ben Simmons situation has sparked an important debate around mental health in America. Hopefully, people will be less quick to judge in future, as people realise we have some retrograde attitudes to mental health that are holding us back as a society.

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The post Ben Simmons Receives Hostile Reception On Return To Philly appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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