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SWAT Team Called After Miami Spring Break Celebrations Spiral Out Of Control
SWAT Team Called After Miami Spring Break Celebrations Spiral Out Of Control

You know it’s been a big party when the SWAT team gets called.Taking Spring Break scenes to wild new heights, the Miami Beach Police reportedly fired pepper balls into crowds of revellers and arrested at least 12 people on Saturday, and have arrested 50 since Friday.Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber had declared a state of emergency and set an 8 p.m. curfew in response to the spiralling partying, saying the crowds that had descended on Miami were too much.

“Too many are coming, really, without the intention of following the rules, and the result has been a level of chaos and disorder that is just something more than we can endure,” Gelber told CNN.News.com.au reports, citing The Daily Beast, which had a reporter on the ground, that, “Even as special weapons and tactics teams rolled in to block the streets and used piercing sound cannons to try to clear the completely packed streets, the parties continue to rage for hours.”

 
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Tweets on Sunday pay testament to that.

“Officers began dispersing crowds at 8 p.m. and ultimately achieved a satisfactory level of compliance,” police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez told CNN.

These scenes come as Florida opens up to tourists after a year of lockdowns and restrictions around the country.Governor Ron DeSantis has called the state an “oasis of freedom” during the pandemic and now the influx of pent up party goers has led to what Mayor Gelber told CNN feels like “a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks.”Though some have taken issue with reporting of the scenes…

…the fact remains that crowds were indeed there.

…Others around the rest of the country were not impressed.

The next big question is how things are going to work in summer, as one Twitter user pointed out…

Maybe Europe has the answer (see: here and here)?

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The post SWAT Team Called After Miami Spring Break Celebrations Spiral Out Of Control appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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‘Biohacking’: The Health Trend High Net Worth Australians Can’t Get Enough Of
‘Biohacking’: The Health Trend High Net Worth Australians Can’t Get Enough Of

There’s more to ‘biohacking’ than Joe Rogan in an isolation tank.

On that note… The last twelve months have forced all Australians to take a good hard look at ourselves and reevaluate our priorities – especially where health is concerned.

We’re not just talking about avoiding or recovering from COVID-19. Some experts have suggested that the stress the pandemic has levied on us alone has health risks comparable to smoking. Being healthy doesn’t mean just going to the gym and eating well any more (in part because we’ve grown used to gyms being closed and supermarket shelves looking barer than usual) – it’s about the bigger picture.

Enter ‘biohacking’: the latest health trend that promises to maximise human health and potential.

“Biohacking – also known as DIY biology – is an extremely broad and amorphous term that can cover a huge range of activities,” a 2019 Vox investigation relates. If it sounds a bit Silicon Valley, that’s because it is: popularised by tech figures like Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, biohacking very much shares that tech industry philosophy of experimentation and challenging conventional wisdom.

It’s a confusing, broad movement – that’s why DMARGE reached out to Perth-based health coach and nutritionist Jake Carter, who was happy to help demystify this exciting new trend.

“Biohacking… represents the optimisation of your biology. This is usually done through lifestyle modifications, either with technologies or simple activities, which enhance fundamental aspects such as energy, sleep or memory.”

RELATED: The Best Time To Go To Bed If You Want To Nail 2021

Part of the confusion around the term ‘biohacking’ is that it’s such an amorphous term that covers everything from behavioural ‘hacks’ (or rather, activities that don’t require specialist technologies) like dopamine fasting, HIIT training or meditation as well as encompassing ‘body hacking’ or ‘grinding’ – i.e. implanting cybernetics into oneself.

It’s the latter that’s taken up most of the spotlight in Australia. In 2018, citizen scientist Meow Ludo Meow Meow (yes, that’s his real name) made headlines after implanting the RFID chip from an Opal card into his arm – drawing the ire of Transport NSW, ABC News reports.

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Not all biohacking is so extreme, but many activities that are considered biohacking can be quite expensive. Nootropics, young blood transfusions, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers… It’s these sorts of things that high net worth Australians, in lieu of (or perhaps as well as) sinking money into international holidays or living large, are instead throwing their money behind.

RELATED: Australians Paying A Premium For London Inspired Designer Gyms

Thankfully, you don’t need to have tech-bro or pro footballer money in order to ‘biohack’. Many activities that are considered biohacking are easily pursued without much or any investment at all – they’re very much a ‘mind over matter’ thing – or only require relatively little investment. That’s what makes biohacking such an appealing movement: it’s about democratising wellness and taking a more holistic approach to human health.

DMARGE spoke with Sydney-based product designer Vincent Tsang, who began researching the effects that ambient lighting can have on one’s sleep cycle after experiencing persistently disrupted sleep patterns. As part of a University of Technology Sydney design festival, Tsang designed a light that adjusts to one’s circadian rhythm that can be easily manufactured via 3D printing, something anyone can do at home (if they have the tools).

He puts it this way: “technology was causing my problem, so I thought: can technology also solve my problem?”

Tsang’s invention speaks to the alluring spirit of biohacking: it’s fighting fire with fire; combatting the tech-heavy nature of modern life with scientific, grassroots-led, accessible and technology-driven solutions. It’s no surprise, then, that more and more Australians are getting interested in biohacking.

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A post shared by Vincent Tsang (@vincent.obj)

“Biohacking reached an all-time high last year on Google Trends, quadrupling its search volume since 2014,” Perth based nutritionist Carter told DMARGE.

“We are on the brink of [a] new age [of] industrialisation. Technology is growing faster than ever before, and with that, we have new ways to integrate such findings to platform day-to-day life and health with greater ease and convenience.”

“But biohacking isn’t limited to the latest trends and expensive gadgets,” Carter explains. “We can engrain natural ancestral ways of living to regulate our bodily processes.”

“Morning sunlight, humming, tapping, shaking, breath work, morning exercise, cold exposure, aromatherapy, affirmations, and micro-goals are fantastic ways to start the day and calibrate your body’s biological clock to set the rest of the day up for success. In fact, it is exactly how I start every single day.”

RELATED: Bondi Rescue Star’s Sage Advice To Help Improve Physical & Mental Strength

Indeed, the easiest form of biohacking is diet biohacking – making sure you’re following a nutritionally sound diet – which also happens to be the most effective form of biohacking, nutritionist Cliff Harvey told Vogue:

“No amount of ‘hacking’ using supplements or gadgets will make up for a poor diet… The evidence is now clear that the greatest protective effect on health [is following] diets that reduce or eliminate most processed and refined foods and focus instead on whole foods rich in essential nutrients.”

Jake Carter, health expert and founder of The Carter Institute. Image supplied

Sceptics might say that biohacking is just an overly broad or overly fancy umbrella term for things that are already pretty mainstream and by no means ‘hacks’ – a potentially valid criticism. But whatever you call it, trying to be more in tune with one’s health – with or without technological assistance – should be a pretty uncontroversial thing to do.

“The modern-day way of living has become habitually distant from how we have evolved to function,” Carter says.

“Over the last 12 months, there has been a pivotal shift towards health. People are becoming more health-centric given that health has never been so jeopardised before in society. Health is arguably the most desired and necessary topic the world currently faces.”

“The year 2020 has enabled a great deal of introspection. Instead of succumbing to distractions and the fast pace of the 9-5 rush, people have had time to connect with themselves and pay attention to aspects that may have possibly been overlooked,” he concludes.

Looking to take your first step into the world of biohacking? Check out this master trainer’s guide to exercises you can do (without expensive tech or equipment) that’ll not only help you stay fit but help reduce anxiety levels.

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The post ‘Biohacking’: The Health Trend High Net Worth Australians Can’t Get Enough Of appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Australians Finally Allowed To Travel To New Zealand…But There’s A Catch
Australians Finally Allowed To Travel To New Zealand…But There’s A Catch

Australia’s international travel ban has been revised and New Zealand has been struck from the ‘no go’ list.

However, until New Zealand decides whether to allow Australians to travel ‘quarantine-free’ (the ABC reports a decision on this will happen next month), any Australian travelling to New Zealand will still have to undergo hotel quarantine.

In other words: Australia’s biosecurity laws have been loosened to facilitate a two-way bubble, and the ball is now in the Kiwis’ court.

Health Minister Greg Hunt amended the emergency biosecurity laws today to permit anyone who had been in Australia for at least 14 days to travel “directly to New Zealand” for any reason.

For the last 12 months, Australians have had to apply for an exemption to leave the country. New Zealand is now exempt from this requirement.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today, “I have said that it is close – that we do expect to be in the position to open up the bubble soon.”

“We’ve had 12 gatherings of our officials, between the two countries, to work on country-to-country arrangement,” she told TVNZ.

“We’ve since said: ‘Look, let’s just move state by state because it’s actually just taking a bit too much work, a bit too difficult to get that country-to-country arrangement.'”

“Let’s just operate as Australia has been operating with us. That’s helping to speed this up.”

Australia lifted quarantine restrictions for travellers from New Zealand in October 2020.

Though this one-way bubble was paused in January due to an outbreak in Auckland, it was soon back in action.

The favour has not yet been returned because of the higher number of COVID cases in Australia.

Its January suspension also provides an example of the sort of measures New Zealand could implement if it temporarily became concerned with Australia’s risk level if and when the favour does get returned.

A two-way bubble would have strong economic implications. As news.com.au reports, “Last week Air New Zealand said it would launch non-stop flights between Auckland and Tasmania as soon as the two-way bubble opened up.”

According to the ABC, “Pressure has been mounting on the New Zealand government to allow Australians entry as the country’s tourism sector struggles without international visitors.”

The New Zealand Cabinet committee is now “discussing a report about what form trans-Tasman travel will take,” (news.com.au).

This bubble would waive the need for Australian travellers to quarantine on arrival in New Zealand and boost tourism significantly.

“Ms Ardern told a press conference in New Zealand today that she would reveal a date for the start of quarantine-free travel between the two countries on April 6,” the ABC reports.

Ardern has also told TVNZ reports that “We never do anything we’re not ready to do” and that politics was not the motivating force for the policy.

“A petition doesn’t make this decision,” Ardern said in reference to 42,000 Kiwis signing a petition backed by the National Party asking for the bubble to begin immediately.

“We make it based on health advice. We never do anything we’re not ready to do.”

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The post Australians Finally Allowed To Travel To New Zealand…But There's A Catch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Melbourne’s COVID ‘Double Standard’ Making The Rest Of Australia Highly Uncomfortable
Melbourne’s COVID ‘Double Standard’ Making The Rest Of Australia Highly Uncomfortable

The rest of the world is looking at Australia’s Covid situation as if it were a glistening fourth schooner on a sunny public holiday.We’re not out of the woods yet though, and some partygoing videos emerging out of Melbourne over the weekend show how quickly things could get vinagery.Videos obtained by DMARGE show a bizarre inconsistency where, according to a DMARGE source on the ground, “everyone has to wear face marks in supermarkets and Westfield… but then you go to bars or clubs and nobody has even checked in.”

Melbourne nightclub scene making DMARGE’s Sydneysider source more uncomfortable than a nun at a swingers’ party… Image: DMARGE.
According to our source, who went out in Melbourne on Saturday night, though there are bar codes on tables to sign in, unlike Sydney there are no checks by staff to ensure it is being done.

“We entered the nightclub from the restaurant rather than at the main door and no one checked we had signed in.”

RELATED: Australian Wine Snob Learns Important Lesson After Committing ‘Ultimate Barossa Valley Sin’Another big contrast to Sydney, allegedly, is, “Cafes [are] the same – nobody checks in. No standardised app to do it.”

“Then the city is dead during the week nobody wants to go in[to it].”

“The place is on its head. So many contradictions compared to Sydney.”

This isn’t the first time in recent weeks a Sydneysider has been shocked by events elsewhere. A DMARGE correspondent recently had his mind blown (in a positive way) by the healthy nightlife scene in Adelaide (which put Sydney’s dead Kings Cross to shame).
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There are also various organised events going on right now in Melbourne in which patrons are permitted to get quite close.Recent scenes captured by Australian Paralympian, tennis player and speaker Dylan Alcott, and posted to his Instagram story, at Melbourne’s URBNSURF facility show the venue going off.

Though this is perfectly legal, it does make for a stark comparison to the measures in places like airports and shopping centres (where masks are mandated).
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A post shared by URBNSURF (@urbnsurf)

Though there is a crucial difference between Melbourne, where this activity is sanctioned, and say, America, where revellers recently brazenly broke curfew to listen to Dreams and Nightmares, the inconsistency in how Covid protocols are enforced in Australia between places like airports, cafes and nightclubs – though, clearly, much appreciated by many – does seem contradictory.RELATED: ‘Infuriating’ Instagram Video Has Americans Up In Arms About Life In Australia 

A similar debate erupted recently in America over the pros and cons of a new plane boarding system, originating in Brazil, which would see airline boarding gates fitted with moving projections on the floor showing passengers how far away they need to be from each other (and how fast they need to move) in the boarding gate line.

Though some Instagram users reacted positively to the video, making comments like, “I live for this kind of organisation…” and “every airline should have this,” others were more scathing.

“Then you get on the plane and everyone removes their mask to eat… captain puts covid on pause.”

Of course, proponents of nightclub-going (after a day of shopping in a mask) and efficient boarding procedures (preceding being knee to knee with someone on the plane) will – correctly – argue something is always better than nothing.Melbournians would also be correct to point out they have endured far tougher lockdowns this year than Sydneysiders. So the point of this article is not to judge, but ask: is there a middle ground that can be found, given the low rates of Covid we are fortunate enough to be experiencing compared to the rest of the world?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.”Here’s hoping.

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Lionel Richie’s ‘Smooth As Cognac’ Outfit A Masterclass In Dressing Over 50
Lionel Richie’s ‘Smooth As Cognac’ Outfit A Masterclass In Dressing Over 50

If you were to look up the dictionary definition of ‘smooth’, chances are you’d find a picture of Lionel Richie. (You know, if you’re the kind of person who owns a picture dictionary past the age of 10.)

The perenially popular crooner – famous for hits like Hello and Endless Love – isn’t just one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, but he has also been one of the best-dressed gents in showbusiness for decades. The man’s 71 but he barely looks 40, with his impeccable dress sense only adding to his youthful appearance.

Don’t believe us? Just take a look at this outfit he donned ahead of his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last week. The dapper don looked slick as hell, contrasting a cognac brown Amiri shirt jacket with an otherwise all-black fit consisting of slim Acne Studios jeans and pointy Saint Laurent boots.

You could easily imagine him blending in at a university bar in inner-city Sydney or Melbourne, ordering an Aperol Spritz and discussing NFTS… All jokes aside, there’s a lot that men who are over 50 and looking to dress well can learn from this outfit. Let’s break it down.

 

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Firstly, notice how Richie’s kept it fairly simple. Sure, he’s wearing a necklace and plenty of rings, but the overall fit is fairly straightforward: it’s really just a t-shirt, jeans and overshirt. The brown of his jacket provides a nice contrast but it’s still rather understated. Richie looks collected, but not like he’s trying too hard to make a statement – which, really, is the best statement you can make.

Black is also a very slimming colour, which can be helpful if, like Richie, you’re not as lithe as you used to be. Also notice how Richie’s t-shirt is an ever-so-slightly different shade of black to his pants: if your shirt and your pants are too identical in colour, it can look rather jarring or like you’ve put too much effort into your outfit.

RELATED: The Freshest Black Jeans For Men To Buy Right Now

Actually, the ‘double black with a jacket’ is kind of Richie’s signature look. He varies it up with different jackets – from suit blazers to leather biker jackets and everything in-between – but it’s a look he consistently gravitates back towards. But it never looks overplayed, because it’s versatile. Developing an easy-to-pull-off signature look that you can easily change up is another key to looking fresh in your 50s and beyond.

Finally, chelsea or elastic-sided boots like Richie’s are also an invaluable pair of shoes for any man to have, regardless of age. They perfectly straddle that fine line between casual and formal – and you don’t need a pair of French designer boots like Richie’s to look like a million bucks.

Richie’s currently filming the 19th season of American Idol alongside fellow judges Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. He’s also set to tour Europe this year, and recently performed at the 63rd Grammy Awards as part of an ‘In Memoriam’ segment honouring Kenny Rogers, who passed away last year.

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The post Lionel Richie's 'Smooth As Cognac' Outfit A Masterclass In Dressing Over 50 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Woman’s Viral Video Shows Why Falling In Love On A Plane Is Surprisingly Common
Woman’s Viral Video Shows Why Falling In Love On A Plane Is Surprisingly Common

Where else but a plane could you wake up with butterflies in your stomach and a stranger’s head on your shoulder?

According to an HSBC study, 1 in 50 people fall in love on a flight. That means, during the average flight, two couples meet and fall in love.

On top of that, 47 percent of air travellers admitted to striking up a conversation with the stranger next to them, 12 percent of travellers said they had made a “lasting friendship” with their fellow passenger and 13 percent said they had made a “strong business connection.”

Whether or not you believe those dramatic findings from one single study can be perfectly extrapolated out to the world’s 8 billion people, the fact remains – there is a romance to up-in-the-air encounters that is anecdotally proved time and time again.

Enter: the following video, first posted to TikTok by user Allieschnacky, then reposted to Instagram by Reel aggregator @mooditrend.

The video shows a tale as old as air travel itself (and a tragic side to ‘airplane love’ the upbeat studies of the world forget to mention): two strangers getting giddy for each other on a flight, then never seeing each other again.

Captioned, “Why is there so much tension between you and someone your age on the plane,” the video was actually picked up by the object of Allieschnacky’s attention (@nburge05), after he saw it blow up online. He turned into a duet.

However, despite Internet commenters’ furious desire for this “modern day cinderella kinda stuff” to succeed (The Washington Post even commented “When does this movie come out?”) it remains to be seen what has come of their TikTok jousting.

@nburge05 wrote: “only time will tell friends. I’m here for it tho.”

TikTok users quickly chimed in though telling him “bruh she has a bf.”

Others disagreed.

These two people are far from the first two passengers to find something special up in the air. CNN Travel reported in February on one couple who met on a plane, got married after two years and are still together 16 years on. Their story is a complete work of fate, since Mafalda Feliciano wasn’t meant to be on the flight she found her husband-to-be on. Her original flight was overbooked, so she was bumped to another, flying from Brazil to Egypt, via London.

As CNN Travel reports, “After they lost their original seats, Feliciano ended up on her own [separated from her sister and brother-in-law], in the middle of a row, between two strangers.”

“She had no intention of making conversation with the passengers on either side of her.”

“About two hours into the journey, bored of napping, Feliciano went to turn on the inflight entertainment. She reached for what she thought was her remote, built into the armrest, and hit the on-button.”

“It was the wrong remote. She’d accidentally turned off the screen belonging to the guy in the window seat next to her.”

“He was like, ‘Excuse me, but I was watching a movie and you just stopped my movie’. Embarrassed, Feliciano apologised, ‘Oh I’m sorry, sir,’ she said.”

“Laughing at the formality of her apology, he replied, ‘I haven’t been knighted by the Queen.”

“They started talking.”

Numerous Twitter users have picked up on the remarkable tension that can develop between travellers too.

The reason for this tension? The fact there is nothing pre-planned about the encounter, you have something immediately in common, and the fact you are likely never going to see each other again all contribute to lending the eyes across the aisle more mystique than they might otherwise deserve.

Yet another reason for the world’s Lost In Love to pray for the success of vaccine passports, the opening of borders, and a resumption of normal flight patterns…

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The post Woman's Viral Video Shows Why Falling In Love On A Plane Is Surprisingly Common appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Drake Shares ‘Self-Indulgent’ Ritual More Men Should Try
Drake Shares ‘Self-Indulgent’ Ritual More Men Should Try

It’s hard being on top – just ask Drake.

The Canadian superstar is easily one of the most successful musicians of all time. Not only does he have one of the most stacked trophy cabinets in the business, including 4 Grammys, 2 VMAs and a record 27 Billboard Music Awards, but he’s also got his fingers in all sorts of money-making pies: clothing collections with BAPE and Nike; his own music label and production company; his own bourbon brand…

When you’ve got so many plates spinning at the same time – on top of making music – it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You’ve also got to keep your fans happy by keeping up on social media. Thankfully, when you’ve got buckets of cash, you can afford to relax in style.

Perhaps that’s why Drake shared a photo of himself getting a facial, the 34-year-old looking distinctly relaxed and youthful getting skin cream massaged into his face.

Fans on social media were quick to pass comment about the self-indulgent moment – joking Drake’s “still doing everything but bringing out the album” – but it’s a ritual more men should take advantage of, even those without Drake’s millions.

Image: @champagnepapi

Obviously, taking care of your skin is incredibly important. Establishing a healthy skin care routine is crucial to help fight the signs of aging as well as preventing nasties like acne or dark circles.

But taking time out of your daily routine to relax; treat yourself a little – that’s exceptionally important, too. That doesn’t have to mean spending big on a private spa session or fancy health products, either. You don’t want to get to 50 and have regrets about the self-care habits you didn’t build for yourself when you were younger.

Drake isn’t alone in his recent promotion of self-care, with numerous other celebrities taking to Instagram in recent weeks to share their favourite – and in some cases controversial – “me time” habits (something which we should both be sceptical about, but also learn from, meditation experts have told DMARGE).

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RELATED: P. Diddy’s ‘F*ck It Friday’ Ritual Has An Important Mental Health Message Behind It

All we’ll say is Drake’s masseuse must be good at their job if they’re wearing a Rolex, too…

While fans are still waiting for his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy (which has been pushed back multiple times and is now set to come out in April this year) Drake’s hardly been sitting pretty. Last year he released the mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes and just this March he dropped a three-track EP titled Scary Hours 2. All three of its tracks are currently on top of the Billboard Hot 100, too – nicely done.

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The post Drake Shares ‘Self-Indulgent’ Ritual More Men Should Try appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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There’s Never Been A Better Time To Leave Australia & Never Come Back
There’s Never Been A Better Time To Leave Australia & Never Come Back

Much has been said about Australia’s Prison Policy. Sure: it’s helping us keep relatively Covid-free, which is great for the economy, public health and (morbid) international bragging rights. But it’s also stopping perennial travellers from living their best lives.

Sad.

On that note, we think it is our moral duty to point out there has never been a better time to leave Australia and never come back. This is thanks to a variety of tantalising factors (i.e. there’s more to it than the ongoing influencer ambush on Byron Bay).

RELATED: I Moved To Byron Bay; Here’s What I Learned In My First 30 Days Of Being A Cliche

First of all: flights leaving Australia are cheap. That’s right: though flying here is expensive and unreliable (to the point where returning expatriates are booking business class tickets because so many economy passengers are being bumped), leaving will sting your wallet remarkably little.

 

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One way flights in April and May from Sydney to London are being slung for as little as $600 (on airlines like Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Malaysia Airlines).

Even if you’re looking for a more upmarket experience on both legs, as Traveller recently pointed out, the prices are still reasonable – providing you are not coming back.

Last weekend, “If you were looking to book a one-way fare from Sydney to London… on Qatar you’d get economy for around $1000 with business class about $3000,” Traveller reported.

On the other hand, “If you wanted to book a one-way flight from London to Australia leaving in two weeks with Emirates, you’d be having to pay about $11,000 at the cheapest. With Qatar, you’d have to fork out almost $14,000,” (Traveller).

While some people in the comments of the aforementioned Traveller article were quick to point out this information is “bit irrelevant really as we’re not allowed to leave the country,” they forget a crucial point. You can leave the country – if you have a good reason.

RELATED: I Visited ‘Australia’s Northern Lights.’ It Completely Blew My Mind

Score a business opportunity, or have family or personal reasons to move overseas, and you have a shot at requesting an exemption to break Australia’s ‘no travel’ rule from the government (there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved, but you can at least try).

The only catch is that you have to leave, DMARGE understands, for a minimum period of three months. And of course, in returning you will have to go through the administrative nightmare that is booking a flight to Australia (and then pay for your own hotel quarantine when you arrive).

But if you plan on leaving and never coming back, that’s not a worry.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported in August 2020 that 3 out of every 4 requests were being denied.

If you’re one of the few to be approved, however, and have no health or moral qualms about gallivanting the globe, then there are plenty of countries accepting Australians right now.

The list includes: the USA, the Maldives, the EU, the UK and Cambodia, Traveller reported in September 2020 (there may be more on that list now, and more added to it as we progress through 2021).

 

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Another reason to bail from Down Under, DMARGE reported earlier this week, is some interesting research recently conducted at Purdue University in the United States. The boffins have come up with a metric called ‘income satiation’ – basically, the point at which you have enough money to be happy.

Money and business blog Expensivity then used Purdue’s research to come up with a ‘happiness premium’ for every country in the world using purchasing power ratios sourced from the World Bank and comparing that with local cost of living data.

RELATED: Incredible Photos Australians Really Shouldn’t Look At If They Miss Travelling

The result is something few Australians will find surprising: Australia is the most expensive country in the world to be happy (excluding Bermuda). Expensivity calculates Australia’s happiness premium as 135,321 USD (~174,970 AUD) – almost 20 times more than the least expensive country in the world, Suriname. (The global average is $85,000, by the way.)

 

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A post shared by Buenos Aires ‍♂️↔‍♀️ (@buenosaires)

After Suriname, Argentina was the country with the second cheapest ‘happiness premium.’ You know: the place with cosmopolitan cities, ravishing restaurants, mega museums, hectic hiking, beautiful beaches, scintillating shopping, magic music, world-class wine and next-level nightlife.

A European lifestyle at one-fith of the price, indeed.

Skyscanner puts one way flights from Sydney to Buenos Aires at $1,353, at the time of writing.

Unfortunately, Argentina remains one of the countries not accepting Australians at the time of writing, with SmartTraveller stating: “Argentina’s borders, airports and sea ports remain closed to most foreign nationals and non-residents, including Australians until further notice.”

It’s also worth noting, as a counterpoint to everything written above, that one third of all countries in the world are currently closed to tourists, and even if you are accepted by an overseas country right now, the experience won’t be a walk in the park.

Not only are there many questions over travel insurance (as far as we understand it, insurance doesn’t cover Covid now it’s a known event) but depending on how the country you visit copes with the pandemic, you could end up far more limited in what you can do than you would have been in Australia.

Videos like the following, also show how good Australians have it right now, compared to many other places (something which has many Americans up in arms).

 

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Moving forward tourism operators (and national tourism PR teams) must strike a balance between instilling (sensible) levels of bravery in travellers as well as cautiousness – helping them keep in mind the realities of the situation we now all find ourselves in, and not moving too quickly.

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The post There’s Never Been A Better Time To Leave Australia & Never Come Back appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Crazy American Bastards Invent World’s Most Sacrilegious (& Easy) Negroni
Crazy American Bastards Invent World’s Most Sacrilegious (& Easy) Negroni

Every gentleman reaches a point in life where boxed wine and light beer no longer does it for them. Discovering your favourite cocktail is part of the process of becoming a man, like learning how to tie a tie or shaving; being able to back in a trailer or cook a steak properly, and developing a strong handshake.

But developing a more complex taste in alcohol also comes with a drawback: cocktails are inherently more complex and time-consuming to make than simply pouring yourself a glass of Pinot Grigio or pilsener.

Thankfully, one enterprising American has come up with what might be the easiest (and most entertaining) cocktail solution known to man. Enter the ‘Togroni’: a simple solution that promises a quick Negroni anywhere, anytime – much to the chagrin of fancy mixologists.

All it is are three small bottles wrapped together – Campari, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth and Botanist Gin – and all one has to do is “crack, crack, crack and pour”. It’s a visually appealing and elegant way to make the popular Italian cocktail on the go that’s quickly gained traction on social media.

“The only problem to date for Negroni lovers is that it can’t be found on every menu, and by special request, it can often miss the mark. Thus, one hasn’t been able to enjoy a Negroni truly anywhere – until now,” Nick O’Connell, the Togroni’s inventor, shared with Boston.com.

“The inspiration for this came when my brother Mike informed me that Campari is available in 50ml ‘nips’. I immediately searched for the best gin and sweet vermouth available in the same format. Hand rolling the three of them together with tape to dispense rapidly into a glass of ice in under five seconds was the beginning of a movement… the Togroni provides another level of excitement with its triple-barrel pour. The process is almost as enjoyable as the cocktail.”

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The beauty of the Togroni is that it’s something anyone can assemble at home. All you need to do is get some ‘nip’-sized bottles (available in bulk from stores like Dan Murphy’s or Australian Liquor Supplies), tape them together in sets of three, and you’re good to go. You’re not constrained to O’Connell’s favourite spirits, either – you can pair the Campari with whatever gins or vermouths take your fancy.

You could also emulate the concept with other cocktails. Substitute the gin for a little bottle of whiskey and you’ve got a portable Boulevardier (although that’s not quite as punny as the Togroni).

Of course, bartenders might scoff at this quick and dirty Negroni – pouring alone is unlikely to sufficiently and consistently mix the cocktail – but even they’d have to admit that it’s a fun way to get people drinking cocktails when they might otherwise opt for something simpler (and less classy).

Speaking of pun-tastic cocktails, some Australian businesses have also come up with some brilliant ready-to-pour cocktails.

Archie Rose Distilling Co., one of Australia’s most highly-awarded distilleries, have long made a range of premixed craft cocktails, such as the Nougatto: a gin-based cocktail that features notes pandan, amaretto and dark chocolate, all backed up by a hint of rose. The beauty of Archie Rose’s cocktails is that they come in a 700ml bottle, which contains enough for 10 serves: you can pour a whole round of cocktails quicker than you could pour a pitcher of beer or sangria, for example.

Continental Deli Bar Bistro in Sydney have also come up with a clever range of takeaway canned cocktails, such as the Can-Hattan. Similar to the Togroni, they combine premium ingredients with a fun, retro serving experience. These canned cocktails became particularly popular during lockdown periods over the last twelve months: even if you couldn’t drink at the bar, you could still enjoy a Continental ‘quaran-tinny’ at home.

L: The Archie Rose ‘Nougatto’. R: Continental Deli’s ‘quaran-tinnys’.

From Togronis to Nougattos, what is clear is that more Americans and Australians are developing an interest in premium spirits and cocktails. DMARGE recently spoke with Alice Newport, a bartender and spirits ambassador for Pernod Ricard, who suggests that the dearth of international travel and nightlife we’ve experienced over the last twelve months with COVID-19 is largely responsible:

“Right now, everybody is drinking better, everybody is drinking less, and people are thirsty for high-quality products… people want nice things, and they want nice experiences. And if you can’t go and have a nice experience somewhere else, I think people want to have that brought to them.”

RELATED: Unexpected Premium Spirit Fast Becoming Australia’s Favourite

Cocktails are an easy way to bring an element of class to any proceedings, whether that’s relaxing at home, having fun at a party or enjoying a night out at your favourite bar. It’s no wonder, then, that people are increasingly looking for fun and convenient ways to mix them up for themselves.

Thirsty? If you’re looking for some tips on how to make classic cocktails at home, check out DMARGE’s comprehensive collection of cocktail guides. Soon you’ll be mixing up tasty tipples with the best of them.

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