Anyone who has seen TV dramas Billions or Suits, and not to mention, The Wolf of Wall Street will already have some idea of what life is like on one of the world’s most famous roads. But while these shows and movies portray workers in all positions being dedicated to their job – along with the lavish parties they’re able to throw thanks to their obscene wealth – what they don’t tend to show is how much that cult-like commitment can affect one’s mental health.Unless you work on Wall Street, or you’re incredibly close to someone that does, you’re never going to truly understand what life is really like. However, a leaked informal survey passed around 13 junior Goldman Sachs employees, recently picked up by media, may give you an idea. Not only does it suggest some workers in junior positions were working 90+ hour weeks, but it allowed workers to reveal exactly what sort of toll that had on their mental health.Goldman Sachs is one of the most prestigious banking institutions in the world, with around 40,000 employees.As reported by Business Insider, the survey was completed by 13 first-year analysts, who claimed they were “so overworked that they were left with barely any time to shower, eat or sleep.”

 

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As we’ve previously reported here at DMARGE, some Wall Street workers have claimed not to even go home after a night out. Instead, using 24-hour gym shower and change facilities and using a toilet cubicle as a bed for the night.Talk about commitment.Business Insider continues, “The analysts said they worked an average of 98 hours a week since January and slept an average of five hours a night. All respondents said their work hours has negatively affected their relationships, and they rated their satisfaction with their personal lives at a 1 out of 10.”

 

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One unnamed analyst is quoted as saying,

“The sleep deprivation, the treatment by senior bankers, the mental and physical stress…I’ve been through foster care and this is arguably worse.”

Other comments to come out of the survey include, “beyond the level of ‘hard working’, this is inhumane, abuse.”And, while it may have been proven that those who stay up late underperform at work the next day, and vice versa, comments such as “I didn’t come to this job expecting a 9am-5pm, but I also didn’t expect consistent 9am-5ams either”, insinuate work performance will take a huge hit no matter what time workers go to bed, if at all.

“Being unemployed is less frightening to me that what my body might succumb to if I keep up this lifestyle.”

Some 75 per cent of respondents “said they had sought or had considered seeking mental-health counselling because of work-related stress”, claims Business Insider.

 

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Such long hours and commitment to being called upon at any given moment by senior staff is something many are acutely aware of before they even consider a career in finance, but as we’ve seen before – and as El País adds – the lure of incredible sums of money being deposited into their bank accounts each month is enough to outweigh the negatives.“It is not risky to become a banker. Show up, work hard and don’t break the law: this is all that is really required for you to become inordinately rich,” says former investment banker Alice Fulwood.According to Wall Street Prep, “For a first year investment banking analyst in New York City the base salary is $85,000, and most analysts will receive a year end bonus in the range of $65,000-$75,000.”

“Absolute top performers will get a bonus as high as $85,000.”

“The all in comp for most 1st year analysts thus comes to around $160,000.”Then for third year analysts, $95,000 is allegedly “standard at bulge brackets” with the yearly comp coming to “$170,000 – $210,000.”Responding to the results of the survey, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon told Financial News, “This is something that our leadership team and I take very strongly,” and this is “recognises that our people are very busy, because business is strong and volumes are at historic levels.”

“A year into Covid and people are understandably quite stretched, and that’s why we’re listening to their concerns and taking multiple steps to address them.”

Concerns and requests made by analysts include “not exceeding an 80-hour work week, that rest from 9pm on Friday to Sunday morning should be respected, and that they should have more time to prepare for meetings”, El País relates.

 

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El Pais adds that Goldman Sachs has “promised to enforce the no-work-on-Saturday rule and to transfer employees to departments that are short-staffed.”Time will tell if they follow through.

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• Wall Street Pros Sheepishly Admit To Following Twitter’s ‘Day Trade Army’ For Stock Tips

The post 90 Hour Work Week: Brutal Lifestyle Of Goldman Sachs Employees In New York appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Chances are if you play golf, you already know how important it is to have a pair of quality gloves. You probably also know that fashion is becoming more and more imperative to the game. Therefore, it’s a no-brainer why you need G/FORE’s new limited edition glove, as it’s the perfect combination of practical and stylish.

G/FORE is renowned for its luxury sportswear products and The Delta Force Camo Golf Glove is no exception. Precision-crafted from 100% premium AA cabretta leather, this glove boasts unparalleled construction, quality, fit and feel. But the most impressive thing about The Delta Force Camo Glove is its awesome camouflage print on the back complete with a complimenting solid charcoal colouring on the palm which gives it a striking, unique look. This pair of gloves will seriously make all golfers in the vicinity green with envy!

For only US$40 and with only limited quantities available, hurry and get The Delta Force Camo Glove for an ace accessory.

Shop G/FORE Delta Force Camo Golf Glove US$40

The post This $40 Camo Golf Glove Is the Coolest Money Can Buy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Before Russia was known for its World Cup spanking of Spain and its utter disregard for doping laws, it was the USSR – a nation of some of the coolest and strangest cars ever to hit the road. Hell, lots of cars produced behind the Iron Curtain were pretty rad.

The Soviet era was responsible for all kinds of vehicles, from the blandly functional to the surprisingly innovative, many of which are collector’s items today. Take a look, comrades.

ZIL-117

The ZIL-117 is a luxury sedan that is frequently remembered as a Soviet limousine due to its size. ZiL first presented the car at the Autopron (precursor to the Moscow International Motor Show) in 1977. This bad boy wasn’t for regular workers: it contained a 6.9L V8 engine that claimed a maximum speed of between 190 and 201 km/h. On the outside, the ZIL-117 became known for its uncluttered, modern lines. Although only limited numbers were made, the cars proved popular for die-cast model makers. One appeared in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale.

Melkus RS 1000

This little gullwing coupe earned itself the nickname “Ferrari of the East.” East Germany’s only sports car was ‘powered’ (if you can even call it that) by a mid-mounted Wartburg 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Most used the 992cc version (giving a top speed of 175 km/h), but some of the later cars had the 1200cc version. Melkus put out 101 RS1000 cars between 1969 and 1979 from the Dresden factory. The company is now bankrupt, but one of its vehicles will live on forever in the music video for ATC’s 2000 hit Around the World.

Tatra 603

The rear-engined Tatra 603 came out of Czechoslovakia (which no longer exists), where only high-ranking party officials and heads of factories were driven in them. Three versions of the luxury car were manufactured successively between 1956 and 1975. However, as older models were returned to the factory to be exchanged for newer models, the older cars were disassembled and rebuilt to the current styling. As a result, most 603s are of the latest styling, regardless of their original production date. During the car’s 20-year production run, 20,422 were built, mostly by hand. Look at those curves.

Volga GAZ-21

The GAZ-21 was the very first car to bear the Volga name when it was developed in the early 1950s. Whereas Western cars of a similar design tended to have a low and long profile, the GAZ-21 has a distinctive high look. Along with its unusual altitude, the car came packed with a rugged suspension system, a powerful engine and rustproofing that was unheard of for the era. When the 6-cylinder line of GAZ cars was discontinued in 1959, the 21 became the largest and most luxurious car officially sold to individual owners in the USSR.

SMZ

The SMZ microcar was manufactured in Russia specifically for disabled drivers. They were distributed in the USSR for free or at a significant discount through the Soviet Union’s social welfare system. They were not officially sold to non-disabled purchasers at all. After five years of use, the lessee had to return his “motor-wheelchair” (as they were commonly known) to a social care organisation and was given a new one. Nowadays they’re a rare find, particularly the earlier models, and have become a collector’s item.

Trabant 601

Hallo, Trabi! The Trabant 601, East Germany’s people’s car, is the third generation of the model, the one with the longest production run and easily the best known. As a result, is often referred to simply as ‘the Trabant’ or the ‘Trabi’. During its production run from 1963 to 1990, the Trabant was the most common vehicle in former East Germany. The Trabant 601 was built to be reliable but very affordable, and easy to repair and maintain. Performance was appalling and the car was literally made out of plastic, but East Germans loved them. In recent years, the Trabant has become popular with collectors (especially green ones, which are said to bring good luck) and in rally racing.

Lada Niva

This little Soviet workhorse began production by AvtoVAZ in 1977. The Lada Niva is a predecessor to today’s crossover SUVs, which nearly all follow its groundbreaking format: a unibody architecture with independent front suspension and coil suspension. The Niva, VAZ’s first non-Fiat based model, was described by its designers as a ‘Renault 5 put on a Land Rover chassis’. The car became popular as an ambulance and military vehicle, and for use by police forces and utility companies. Almost 40 years later, the Lada Niva is still going strong.

Moskvitch 408 Tourist

The Moskvitch 408 was a small family car produced by the Soviet car manufacturer MZMA/AZLK between 1964 and 1976. The convertible version, the Tourist, was built in 1964. Though it’s based on the Moskvitch 408, almost the entire aluminium body was new and the engine included an experimental electronic fuel injection system that gave it 63 hp and provided a top speed of 130 km/h. Only two prototypes were built, one of which included a removable hardtop. The project was abandoned after country leaders decided that such an automobile would be too luxurious for the Soviet proletariat and export wasn’t safe.

UAZ-3907 Jaguar

The UAZ-3907 Jaguar was an amphibious vehicle based on the UAZ-469. The original UAZ-469 (nicknamed “Goat”) is an off-road vehicle used by Soviet forces and paramilitary units in Eastern Bloc countries. Introduced in 1971, the legendary vehicle was not available for purchase by the public (though many were sold as surplus to private owners). 1980 saw the release of the first prototype of the UAZ-3907 Jaguar, which features two propellers on the front of the rear axle that allowed the vehicle to cross water in addition to most any terrestrial terrain. There’s a ‘in Soviet Russia’ joke in here somewhere…

ZIS 101A Sport

Constructed on the chassis of a seven-seater limousine, the one-and-only ZIS 101A Sport was built in 1939. Prior to its release, there was the ZIS 101 (with a 5.8 L straight-8 engine capable of a top speed of 115 km/h) and the ZIS 101A (with an improved engine that reached 130 km/h). The two-seat ZIS 101A Sport was designed by Valentin Nikolaevich Rostkov in 1939, with a boosted version of the engine from the 101A. Though it was personally approved by Stalin to honour the 20^th anniversary of the Komsomol (the youth division of the Communist Party), the car was deemed useless and promptly forgotten after the celebration. Such is life in Russia.

Communism’s Weirdest Cars FAQ

The post The Weirdest Communist Cars You Never Knew Existed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In case you’ve been living under a rock the last twelve months (which all things considered, might have been a decent plan), one of the biggest effects of the COVID-19 crisis – at least in Australia – has been the ballooning of second-hand car prices.

One of the factors driving this has been a pronounced shortage of new car stock. Disruption to global trade and manufacturing thanks to the pandemic means there have been fewer new cars rolling off production lines and fewer ships bringing cars to our shores, meaning that locals have had no choice but to pick up used or second-hand cars.

To make matters worse, people have also been engaged in speculative buying to take advantage of this sticky situation, driving the prices of some cars up sky-high: take the new Suzuki Jimny, where virtually new examples of which have been going for almost double the MSRP.

Now that we’ve got over the worst of The Spicy Cough and people around the globe are returning to work, you’d think things would ease up – but there’s another, rather unanticipated factor continuing to impact Australia’s car market: a computer chip shortage that the Wall Street Journal has dubbed the ‘chipageddon’.

ABC Science’s James Purtill puts it this way:

“It’s a combination of high demand and inelastic supply (i.e. it’s hard to produce more cars quickly)… A modern car typically has about 100 microprocessors controlling everything from fuel intake to windscreen wipers. Without these chips, no new cars.”

“When car sales slumped early in the pandemic, many car makers cut production and cancelled their computer chip orders. Their spot in the queue was eagerly taken up by consumer electronics makers, who were enjoying record demand thanks to government stimulus measures and people buying webcams, laptops, monitors and other devices to be able to work from home.”

“When car sales rebounded, car makers rushed to increase production but found themselves at the back of the line for computer chips.”

Australia is more exposed to this chip shortage than many other countries as we lack the sort of large-scale computer chip manufacturing capability that countries like China, Germany or South Korea have. Although it’s somewhat of a moot point as far as the auto industry is concerned, as we no longer make cars here any more… It also shows how tech-heavy modern cars are compared to even a decade ago.

RELATED: $715,000 Holden Monaro Sale Highlights Australian Auto Industry Hypocrisy

Another disaster we’re recovering from that will continue to affect global supply chains – and therefore the delivery of new cars Down Under – is the recent Suez Canal obstruction. For almost a week, the Taiwanese container ship Ever Given was blocking the vitally important trade route, holding up billions of dollars of goods and compounding existing global economic recovery efforts. The giant ship was finally freed over the weekend but the disruption will inevitably continue to impact the auto industry.

The ‘chipageddon’ might continue to affect the global new car supply for months to come, but it won’t mean Australia will be without new cars – and it also won’t mean this insanely overheated second-hand car market will continue to stay hot.

DMARGE spoke to Carsales‘ Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair, who suggests that the changes to JobKeeper and JobSeeker will see less people buying cars – especially those trying to ‘flip’ cars for profit:

“This speculative buying is crazy… But it won’t last forever. There’s few cases where there’s a pot of gold at the end of it.”

“You’ll still be able to buy a new car in Australia, and not every type of car has become so unaffordable… There are still over 25,000 cars on Carsales tagged as having a ‘Good’ or ‘Great’ price. There’s plenty of reasonably priced cars.”

At least the new car waiting lists aren’t as long as those for a new Rolex…

Read Next

• ‘Unloved’ Car Brand Becomes Unexpected Australian Sales Success
• Modern Performance Car ‘Malaka Button’ Leaves Australian Motoring Purists Fuming

The post Computer Chip Crisis Could Send Australian Car Prices Crazy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Despite porn eating our brains like a flesh-eating amoeba, at its root (pun intended), true sexual satisfaction will always be about feelings not looks (why do you think American Psycho never really got his rocks off?).

You may think you get a kick out of being with someone ~hawt~ because of their Kardashian-esque glutes, or Hemsworth-like biceps, etc., but really it’s the serotonin boost you get from emotionally connecting with someone you respect or are in awe of (and vice versa) that is probably making you really tick.

That is part of the reason very few people derive long term satisfaction from paying for ‘company.’ It feels too empty when there’s nothing behind the physical (unless you derive your worth as a person on your bank balance – a can of worms which opens up a whole different set of problems).

It’s also part of the reason male escort Mitch Larsson is so popular – he understands the importance of the emotional component of sex, as well as the fact that there is a lot that can increase your attraction to someone beyond sheer looks.

As he recently told journalist turned escort turned ‘madam’ Samantha X on her podcast ‘In Bed With Samantha X‘ though he always carries viagra with him, “it can’t work on its own.”

“I need to be aroused to begin with. Part of the job is finding something in the person you’re with that arouses you: whether that’s physical, mental, stories from their life. A necessary ability of the job is to listen and find something beautiful about the person you’re with.”

“An ugly person to me is racist or sexist – [it’s] not about the physical.”

Case in point: Mitch was once hired by a 73 year old “beautiful warm woman” who was a “very classy, very beautiful, very successful businesswoman” with “a lot of drive and intelligence.”

“Her husband had died a few years before and it had been 10 years since they’d done anything. She was more in need of companionship but also possibly sex as well.”

What did their time involve? According to Mitch, “dancing, holding, waltzing.”

“It took so long to get to the sex it didn’t go that long. She more just wanted the presence of a man in bed.”

This overnight experience cost, Mitch shared, “$38 hundred.”

To that end… The life of a ‘D for dial’ is often overhyped. As Hollywood deals in stereotypes, many people envisage the world of male sex work to be either far more glamorous – or far more transactional – than it really is. The truth, as is often the case, lies somewhere in the middle.

There’s also a lot more than being a male escort that providing the ‘goods.’ A huge amount of emotional labour is involved if you want any kind of longevity in the game. But before we get ahead of ourselves: how, exactly, did Mitch Larsson, become an escort in the first place?

As he told Samantha, “It was just popped into my head from a female friend of mine commenting on the energy I exuded being a sexy sort of energy – it blew me away as well.”

“I suppose I felt sexy and she asked if I’d been a stripper or escort before and you know when you get an idea that pops into your head… it just did this time.”

“This is when I was 41. I’m 44 now.”

“Before that I’d been through all sorts of sales roles, 9-5 corporate stuff, practised law very briefly, my ex had my son back then – hated the 7am to 10pm aspect of the job – decided to be the prime care giver while she worked, started a photography company, then all of a sudden this called to me.”

“I just made the decision and did it.”

Samantha then asked, “Would you describe yourself as really good in bed?” to get a sense for what sort of men the role would suit, to which Mitch said: “Yes – you have to be.”

“It’s not an innate ability – it involves knowing the person you’re with and their vibes, when you learn the job you learn consistencies of what works what doesn’t and you get better than the average person.”

He explained he was not necessarily known for being good in bed either before he started working as an escort. Before starting his career he had been married for 9 years and before that had had a few “flirtatious” one night stands but nothing crazy.

As for his first few times, Mitch recounts the following experience: “While I was still married, I had been advertising a week, tucked the little fella away, got a text message beforehand from a friend who wanted to hire me for a friend about an hour away – gave them chance to chat and get to know me – gave them a call and got a room of giggling girls on the other end of the line.”

“We eventually set up a date and time.”

“Tucked him in – said ‘dad’s off to work’… partner was supportive from the very start and knew [about the nature of the job].”

“I jumped in car, drove for an hour, knocked on the motel door, it was a dodgy-looking place, a young cute woman, bit of acne – whatever still beautiful – opens the door and was absolutely shaking like physically shaking couldn’t talk all just squeak answers at me. So sweet.”

“Straight away I knew I had to be comforting and calm her so it was just instinctive that I grabbed her and gave her a huge hug until the nerves calmed down. I stroked her hair and said, ‘It’s all going to be ok.’ I didn’t want to push her into anything so just said, ‘We don’t have to do anything. Lets just relax.’ We held for a while then kissed. Then, you know, we had a bit of really good sex actually.”

“It wasn’t anything athletic or crazy it was beautiful, lovely, vanilla, passionate sex.”

“I usually do take control,” he added, when asked how that dynamic tended to work,  because, “People are very nervous when they see me so they’re not likely to make the first moves and they’re not sure if it’s the right thing to do sometimes. So I’ll suggest that they might give me a kiss; once you kiss it’s easy everyone realises where they’re at and it just flows from there.”

“Sometimes I’ll say, ‘do you feel like undressing by any chance?’ to remind them that I’m there for them.”

“The whole night is about them and what they want.”

He also shared a few horror stories from the early days, telling Samantha, “I don’t really like being treated like meat.”

“It’s the ones that have seen many [escorts] for years and swing[ers] that have extreme requests.”

“One time I went to a person’s house and she basically said to me, ‘I didn’t pay for hugs I payed for dick.’ She was also sucking down bongs.” Suffice to say Mitch wasn’t into it and cut the ~experience~ short.

I said: “Look I think I might head home soon. How about I give you back x dollars and we put it towards a better experience next time.”

Mitch also shared some of the things he wished other men knew about women:

“What surprised me about women’s desires is how restrained they are in saying what their desires actually are.”

“It’s disheartening but not overly surprising if they say, ‘You really want me to tell you what I like?'”

“How else are we going to have really nice sex?”

“Women want to feel sexy and hot – they want to feel desired, they want to please the person they are with, but see the person they are with is really enjoying being with them genuinely. There’s really not a lot more to it than that, being loved and appreciated.”

This notion is shared by ‘Lorenzo’ – a former active male escort and CEO of A Gentleman Caller, an Australian escort agency, who previously told DMARGE, “90% of the male escort industry is about companionship.”

RELATED: Good Sex – How It Defines Your Relationship’s Success

Back to Mitch though – and speaking of appreciation – his advice to men in long term relationships is the following: “a big ‘no no’ is getting complacent and getting lazy and saying, ‘what you reckon hun?'”

“Make sure [it’s] two sided.”

“Be a responsive lover. Be vocal – don’t be a porn star or anything but make noises and show how much fun you’re having.”

“Be a good kisser.”

“Really cherish and adore their whole bodies, stroking hair, kissing face, kissing neck…”

“Be well maintained – give yourself a trim down there.”

“What they all generally don’t like – trying to manipulate them into doing something they are not comfortable with it.”

“Another one is when guys come and they think that’s the end of it.”

“Don’t just roll off and go to the shower – stay there and appreciate what’s just happened and what she’s done for you.”

“Communication – set the mood by asking what she likes – higher or lower – not too much though because you have to read what’s going on.”

• The average age of his clients is 48, but ranges from early 40s to early 50s (and some in their eary 30s and early 70s).
• There’s “no pretence and they know what they want as get older.”
• “Vaginas don’t age.”
• The shortest booking time Mitch offers is 2 hours (for $800).
• Married women booking without their husbands knowing is “not that common.”
• He loves his clients but “not in a long term committed emotional way.” Mitch says, for him, “Love is infinite” and there’s no reason why has to be restricted to one partner.

Read Next

• High Class Escort Samantha X Sums Up Australia’s Loneliness Crisis In One Photo

The post How To Get Instantly Better In Bed, According To An Australian Male Escort appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Audemars Piguet is a titan of the watch industry. One of the ‘Holy Trinity’ brands alongside Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, these prestigious Swiss brands boast centuries-long histories of fine watchmaking, and few brands have had an impact on the world of haute horlogerie like these three.But in many ways, it’s Audemars Piguet whose influence can be felt strongest in today’s watch world. In 1972, AP introduced the Royal Oak: designed by legendary watchmaker Gérald Genta, the Royal Oak was the first luxury sports watch in the world. Even today, its design is avant-garde and eye-catching. Inspired by traditional diving helmets and featuring an integrated metal bracelet, the Royal Oak is an absolute icon.The success of the Royal Oak spurred other watch brands to release their own luxury sports watches, such as the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Piaget Polo and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas. But AP was the first, and the Royal Oak radically changed the landscape of modern watchmaking.These days, AP makes literally hundreds of variations of the Royal Oak, in different materials and with different complications, but the most iconic is arguably the ref. 15202ST, also known as the “Jumbo”. Widely considered to be the ‘purest’ expression of the Oak, the stainless steel sports watch stands out as a particular fan favourite – which makes it particularly shocking when AP announced they’re discontinuing it.CEO François-Henry Bennahmias casually dropped the bombshell during an ‘AP Social Club‘ live product presentation on social media over the weekend, making explicit reference to Patek Philippe’s recent (and headline-grabbing) discontinuation of the iconic Nautilus ref. 5711, Patek’s parallel to the 15202ST:

“So another huge watch company, actually, said recently that they would stop making the 5711, which is so Patek… We could say there will be a new reference for the 15202 next year. So we will not make 15202ST, but that will be replaced by something else, and for specific reasons that we will not talk about today.”

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Naturally, prices for the 15202ST have exploded in recent days – on top of already wildly inflated prices. The watch retails for 26,700 CHF (~37,000 AUD) and had been going for around 70,000 AUD on the aftermarket, but now they’re going for as much as 120,000 AUD on marketplaces like Chrono24.It’s a bizarre choice for AP to make. Like virtually all luxury stainless steel sports watches, the demand for the 15202ST remains astronomically strong and waiting lists for the model stretch into the years… But it’s precisely that waiting list length that’s probably precipitated this decision, The Truth About Watches’ Robert Farago relates:

“Patek eliminated the 5711 to walk away from the wait-list-a-mania bedevilling the model, presumably to increase sales of its other, more profitable pieces. It makes sense that Patek’s crosstown rival would follow suit by dropping the Audemars Piguet 15202ST. There’s currently an eight-year waiting list for the most Genta of Royal Oaks.”

While the move might pay off for Patek, Farago suggests that it’s perhaps a riskier play for AP to make, considering how wildly divergent the two brands’ product ranges are.“Patek Philippe has a much wider variety of watch styles and designs to ‘fall back on’ (i.e. divert buyers from a watch they couldn’t get to one they can). All AP has to offer are the [bloated range] of Oaks and the Code 11.59, an unsuitable Oak alternative.”

“[Bennahmias] promises to replace their steel grail Oak with something [but] it’s hard to believe that this something is going to be something other than another Royal Oak of some sort or description (though I can’t think of any variation they haven’t already created).”

RELATED: Australians Are Finally Becoming More Adventurous With Luxury WatchesCase in point: Patek currently offers 27 different versions of the Nautilus – hardly a small amount, but only a fraction of the total number of models Patek produces. In comparison, AP currently offers a whopping 114 different Royal Oaks… And that’s not even counting their Royal Oak Offshore or Royal Oak Concept lines.

Read Next

• ‘Ugliest Seiko Ever’: Australian Watch Retailer’s Brutally Honest Recommendation To Customers
• This 1940s Cartier ‘Watch’ Might Be The Most Unique Timepiece You Ever See

The post Audemars Piguet Discontinues Its Most Popular Men’s Watch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Some things are universally considered un-Australian. Not saying ‘thank you’ to the bus driver, charging someone for tomato sauce with their pie, low-alcohol or mid-strength beer…But there’s one cultural artefact that is more sacred than any other: the mullet. The ‘business in the front, party in the back’ haircut is quintessential Australiana; reviled and loved in equal measure – but always respected.So when an elite Perth private boy’s school decided to ban the mullet, it immediately sparked outrage. Trinity College, which charges $15,140 a year for tuition, has attracted headlines after formally banning the haircut, providing a stuffy-sounding explanation for the decision in their most recent newsletter.“It is without reservation that the College sets… a high standard for personal presentation,” the school says, suggesting that “the current trend of growing the hair at the back of the head and/or closely cropping the sides of the head to accentuate the ‘mullet’ style [is] untidy, non-conventional and not acceptable at Trinity College.”Trinity College is just one of a number of private schools who’ve decided to ban the mullet over the last twelve months. The decision comes off the back of another Perth private boy’s school, Mater Dei, who banned the mullet last year, prompting Redditors to describe the ban as “class war” and “anti-Australian.”Last year also saw a Perth local refused entry to a pub on his 18th birthday thanks to his mullet, 7 News reported at the time.

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All this anti-mullet sentiment has prompted a surprising statement from Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, who threw his weight behind the classic mullet.

“I’m very pro mullet, it’s a unique Australian invention – one we should be selling to the world, but I’ll let the school make their own decisions,” he told reporters on Tuesday, according to news.com.au.

RELATED: I Got Brad Pitt’s ‘Fight Club’ Haircut & Now I Deeply Regret ItIt’s not just government coming out against private school cultural hang-ups. When Sydney’s Waverley College banned the mullet back in February, pro surfer and mullet advocate Mikey Wright – who has long inspired others to rock the ‘dirty’ hairstyle and even kept his mullet for his wedding day – came out in support of the schoolboys, running a competition to find “the best mullet in school uniform.”It’s not just Australia where the mullet has found an unexpected following among private school boys, either: last year, VICE UK reported on how the mullet has fast become the haircut to have among English private school boys, too.It’s not quite speaking truth to power… but it’s at least funny to think that it’s become such a problem among private schools that they have to issue such Footloose-esque edicts about haircuts.A real head-scratcher for sure.

Read Next

• Watch Lovers Of The Internet Spark ‘Highly Questionable’ Men’s Grooming Trend
• I, An English Backpacker, Am On A Mission To Make This Australia’s Most Popular Haircut

The post Australia’s Most Iconic Men’s Haircut Banned From Posh School appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Vodka in Russia. Fosters in Australia. Caramel macchiatos in Seminyak. Guinness in Ireland. Budweiser in America. Some things are just so cliche they have to be done.Enter: Thailand’s full moon parties. A rite of passage for South-East Asia backpackers, an all-round good time, and the only thing most of us heathens know Koh Phangan for.The island’s days of buckets of vodka and neon lights (and 30,000 visitors per month) may be numbered though – with a pandemic sweeping the globe a whole lot of things have changed.

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Though some appear to have been doing their best to party in recent months…

Thai police arrest 89 foreigners for Covid breach at Koh Phangan party https://t.co/knqBIkxIDZ

— The Guardian (@guardian) January 28, 2021

… according to CNN Travel, compared to before, “The deserted streets of this small town are a study in neglect.”

“Shabby shops offering cheap Thai massages or advertising bamboo tattoos are shuttered, their doors fastened by heavy chains. The only things missing from the eerie scene are giant balls of tumbleweed: not a possibility in this verdant tropical paradise.”

Before and after photos demonstrate this.

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Old photos (and top posts) under the Koh Phangan and Haad Rin beach geotags are full of people and partying (see above). Recent photos are either throwbacks or show much quieter scenes (see below).

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Before The Spicy Cough rocked the world, a normal full moon night in Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin beach would see bars crammed with revellers, inhaling punchy cocktails served in buckets and nodding along to ear-busting beats.Some locals have their fingers crossed such Full Moon scenes will (safely) return however, this summer.

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“We are hopeful,” one local member of the Haad Rin Business Association told CNN Travel.The future of Thailand’s Full Moon parties is being discussed on Twitter too.

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It’s a tale as old as mainstream travel itself: the formerly chilled out, hippie gig began as a low key event but has now – in many people’s eyes – turned into an overcommercialised, crime-ridden invasion of the island.

I visit Koh Phangan a lot. The island’s economy revolves around these parties. They may not like them but they like the money.

— Khun Happy (@khunhappy) March 29, 2021

Some want the cash cow killed, some want it to return bigger and more profitable than ever, and others want to adapt it to better suit everyone (as is happening all across the globe, from Amsterdam to Croatia).

This is why it’s so important to get the people of Thailand vaccinated, not just the people of Phuket and other touristy areas. https://t.co/bu8fObHw3y

— David Luekens (@DavidLuekens) March 29, 2021

Others called for a focus on Thailand beyond just the tourism hotspots, in order to facilitate a sustainable return to tourism for the country.P Noi, owner of Tommy Resort, a longstanding Koh Phangan backpackers, told CNN Travel the pause on partying (it was banned last March) had affected people on Koh Phangan terribly.“The last event before the pandemic in February, we had 20,000 people at the party. The absence of customers has had a knock-on effect on everyone from business owners to food sellers, migrant workers and taxi drivers.”

“We accept constructive criticism, but there’s no reason why the Full Moon Party cannot come back when tourism opens up again.”

The group Noi is part of – Haad Rin Business Association – told CNN Travel they would like to improve the area.As CNN Travel reports, “They accept the need for mask-wearing and social distancing: at least until the pandemic is firmly in the rear-view mirror [and] hope to attract a wider diversity of higher-quality businesses to Haad Rin to replace the massage and tattoo parlours and tacky souvenir shops, many of which are closed permanently.”

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It’s also worth reminding tourists there is a lot more to the island than the parties too – something the million-odd Instagram posts with the ‘kohphangan’ hashtag pay testament too.The problem of crowded events – and how best to manage them – is being experienced all around the globe – from Australia to Miami to the Netherlands.In the Netherlands, for instance, a music festival is taking place, despite the rest of the country being under a lockdown.As the BBC reports, “The two-day experiment aims to see if there’s a safe way to allow large-scale social gatherings to restart, without increasing the spread of the virus.”Fingers crossed they find a way.

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The post 'Before & After' Photos Show What Thailand's Full Moon Party Beach Looks Like Now appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’re fortunate enough to consistently go a full night’s sleep without needing to go to the toilet (and can easily remember what you had for breakfast yesterday) then the idea of passing the 50-year-old age mark sometime in the future may send shivers down your perfectly intact spine.However, as we’ve seen recently here at DMARGE, life beyond 50 need not mean any less of a life. In fact, as the likes of Terry Crews and Lenny Kravitz have shown, as long as you push yourself, you can get in the best shape of your life.Adding yet further weight to that argument is Italian playboy billionaire turned husband and father Gianluca Vacchi. A consistent source of “you’re only as old as you feel” inspiration, and proving that you’re never too old (within reason) to have a child – perhaps aided by a serious leg workout to boost your naturally dwindling testosterone – Vacchi recently took to Instagram to post a workout video that should really sort the men from the boys.

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Posting a video of himself to his nearly 20 million followers, in what we presume to be his incredibly fancy home gym (complete with swimming pool), Vacchi finds himself on a regulation workout bench performing incline dumbbell chest presses and overhead shoulder dumbbell presses. So far so normal – both these movements likely feature in any gym junkie’s collection of chest and shoulder workouts.However, Vacchi takes things one step further – and shows off his insane fitness at the same time – by performing both movements with his legs elevated off the ground. In doing so, Vacchi needs to embrace his core in order to give him the solid base to get the dumbbells pushed up above his head.Usually, when one performs incline chest presses or shoulder presses, your feet would be planted on the floor and you would channel your energy through them so that you essentially ‘push’ from the floor, as opposed to pushing up with your arms. Taking that foundation away only serves to increase the difficulty, while also helping you on your way to washboard abs in the process.Epic gains or (if done incorrectly) a back injury awaits…

Watch how to get ripped like Gianluca Vacchi below

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The post 53 Year-Old Gianluca Vacchi’s Upper Body Workout Will Destroy Most Men In Their 20’s appeared first on DMARGE Australia.