Dan Bilzerian is the masculine archetype we’re told not to aspire to. Confident, flashy, provocative – his lifestyle is as controversial as it is contrived.

But whether you dismiss him as a 39-year-old living out the puerile fantasies of a teenage boy with allegedly ill-gotten inherited money, or whether you see him as a larger than life character who cleverly taps into his audience’s psyche, it’s hard to deny the truth behind one of his recent Instagram proclamations.

As part of a series of questions sent in by followers, Bilzerian answered the query: “why are women so crazy about you” with a surprisingly honest revelation.

Rather than claim it’s all in his personality, Dan said it all comes down to having a rad “life set up.” In other words: you can be as dull as dirt, but if you have impressive digs you will attract people.

Bilzerian never claims this will keep someone’s interest in you (this is where personality comes in). But the point remains: the bulk of us like Shiny Things. To what degree we can (and should) overcome this has infuriated authors throughout the ages.

View this post on Instagram

My boat bigger than your sugar daddies boat

A post shared by Dan Bilzerian (@danbilzerian) on Jul 19, 2019 at 1:56pm PDT

The ‘status vs. personality’ dilemma has been explored by everyone from Shakespeare (see: his entire collected works) to Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby).

It’s also not the first time Bilzerian has got people talking about this concept. From 2018 Reddit threads to 2019 Youtube videos, the question ‘why do guys like Bilzerian attract so much attention?’ is a hot topic.

The conclusion? You want to work to achieve the sort of success that will widen a potential partner’s eyes, but without losing your values and personality along the way.

Read Next

• Dan Bilzerian Reveals The Answer To His Most ‘Burning’ Sex Question
• Dan Bilzerian Reveals How The Wealthy Are Maintaining Their Mental Health During Iso
• Dan Bilzerian Reveals How Many Women He’s Slept With

The post Dan Bilzerian Relationship: Infuriating Advice Sparks Age Old Debate appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Ah, the martini. Quite possibly the most famous cocktail of them all (although it has serious competition from the negroni and old fashioned) and one that many enthusiasts will demand be made ‘just right’ before they even consider taking a sip. We’ve already covered the vodka martini, but if history is to be believed, it was, in fact, the gin martini that came first.

The gin martini has been known to be the favourite cocktail of many famous faces throughout the years, most notably Ernest Hemingway, who, according to Martini Cocktail, demanded his martinis be icy-cold for him to drink. He also rejigged the measurements (to a ratio of 15:1 gin to vermouth) to make his own version called “The Montgomery”.

With it being a martini, it’s traditionally stirred (none of that James Bond shaking nonsense) and is an alcohol-only drink, so is ripe for ruin if you don’t make it properly. So, allow us to guide you through the stirred-down and diluted world of the gin martini.

Origin Of The Gin Martini

Proximo’s gung-ho bartender Hayley Dixon tells us that, “like many classics, the gin martini has an unknown origin.”

“Many believe it was an evolution of the Martinez cocktail, which in turn originated from the Manhatten. However, some others believe it was created from the Marguerite which has the addition of Dry Curacao.”

Hayley adds, “Whatever the origin, one thing is for sure, the Martini has become progressively drier over the years. The cocktail initially included simple syrup and was almost 50/50 gin to vermouth in a lot of cases.”

With regards to this, it’s been noted that Dry Martinis started out using a 2:1 ratio gin to vermouth in the 1920s, but with each passing decade, the ratio changed to 3:1, then 4:1. Eventually, it wasn’t uncommon for the Martini to be served at a ratio of 100:1.

“Today, a ‘Wet Martini’ could be considered around two parts gin to one part vermouth in many bars and a ‘Dry Martini’ can in some cases contain almost no vermouth whatsoever.”

Indeed, it has been documented that English playwright Noël Coward once said, “A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy”, since Italy was the dominant producer of vermouth.

Gin Martini Ingredients

As with other conventional martini cocktails – and not modern interpretations such as the espresso martini and porn star martini – a gin martini should contain just gin and vermouth. However, Hayley’s traditional recipe also calls for a dash of orange bitters.

• Gin (Boodles, Hendrick’s, The Botanist)
• Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat, Martini Bianco)
• Orange bitters (optional)
• Lemon twist for garnish
• Olive garnish if serving dirty
• Martini glass or Nick & Nora glass
• Cocktail mixing glass
• Stirring spoon

Classic Gin Martini Recipe Measurements

The debate as to what the correct measurements of gin and vermouth are for a gin martini is a fierce one. However, a good starting point is a 3:1 ratio.

• 60ml/2oz Gin
• 20ml/0.7oz Dry Vermouth
• 1 Dash Orange Bitters (optional)

You can obviously adjust the measurements of the spirits to your liking, some people may prefer to keep the 60ml of gin, but bring the amount of dry vermouth down to 10ml. It’s all about trial and error, and that’s the most exciting part of cocktail making.

How To Make The Gin Martini

Forget what you hear every time you watch a James Bond movie. Even though the British secret agent drinks vodka martinis, the very fact he asks for his to be shaken and not stirred is one of the most sacrilegious sentences ever uttered in the history of the human race.

To make your gin martini – in this case, a dry one – the right way, following these simple steps.

1. Pour all ingredients into cocktail mixing glass or container.
2. Add a good scoop of ice, you want your gin martini to be served cold.
3. Stir ingredients together until ice-cold. You also want to make sure you stir enough times to dilute the mixture, but not so much that it ends up tasting like water.
4. Strain into Martini or Nick & Nora glass
5. Garnish with a lemon twist

If you want to make a wet martini, simply add more dry vermouth to the mixture. Most common recipes call for a 50/50 ratio.

A dirty martini adds olive brine or olive juice into the mix, and olive to garnish. Again, you’ll want to experiment with measurements until you find the best tasting gin martini for you.

Alternatively, you can follow Hayley’s twist below.

Expert Twist On The Gin Martini

Hayley tells us, “I am such a sucker for a dirty martini. Interestingly, a drunken night out and a mystery Dirty Martini is actually the only reason I even like olives, couldn’t stand them beforehand and I have got to say, for a Tequila Specialist, I sure drink a lot of Martinis.”

“They are a cocktail that is so often done wrong and not just at home, in bars also.”

“For this twist, we are going to keep it relatively traditional (maybe a tiny twist) but we are going to learn how to make them properly. No skipping corners for this one, your taste buds will thank you. If you do not like a dirty martini, trade the Vermouth and brine for 30ml Lillet Blanc and a grapefruit twist, follow the rest of the instructions and you will be equally as satisfied.”

‘Boodles Martini’

Ingredients

• 60ml Boodles London Dry Gin
• 10ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
• 15-20ml Olive brine
• Garnish olive and chili oil

Method

1. Make ice. Your regular, small ice cube trays will not cut it for this one, the ice needs to be much larger. Get a Tupperware container, even a takeaway one is great. Give it a good clean and fill it up around 3 – 4cm with filtered water. Once completely frozen pull it out and remove the ice from the container, allow it to sit for around 10 – 15 minutes until it starts to defrost a tiny bit. Using a serrated knife and something to ‘tap’ the top side of the knife begin cutting your ice into about 4cm cubes. The trick is to score the ice about 0.5cm in, until it feels smooth, hold the knife firm and tap the top side of it. The ice should crack right through.
   A quick Google search will bring up plenty of videos for how to make the best ice at home and even how to make beautiful crystal-clear ice.
2. Get everything in the freezer, EVERYTHING (almost). Your glass to serve in, gin and mixing glass. Do not take them out until you need them and make sure they are as frozen as possible before using
3. Put everything else in the fridge, the vermouth, olives and brine. I can not reiterate enough how important the temperature of a martini is to its overall flavour
4. Get your bar spoon, jigger and your garnishes prepared. If you cannot find chilli oil at your grocery store you can simply make it at home by infusing fresh chilli into olive oil. You will also need a straw or ‘dropper’ to float your oil drops on top of your cocktail. Choose your favourite olives, but make sure they are in brine
5. Add all your ingredients to your mixing glass, be sure to leave the glass you will be serving it in in the freezer until the cocktail is ready
6. Fill your mixing glass to the absolute top with ice, feel free to crack a few smaller pieces in. As you’re stirring and the ice is diluting, keep topping it up
7. Stir for a LONG time. Make sure you taste as you go. If everything is as cold as it should be this can take up to about 5 minutes, sometimes longer. Stirring is to add dilution to the cocktail but also to make sure it gets as cold as possible. Ice should start to form on the outside of the mixing glass. That is when you know you are doing it correctly!
   Tip: if your cocktail reaches a good amount of dilution before it reaches the correct temperature, put the whole thing in the freezer until it is nice and cold
8. Strain cocktail into your frozen glassware
9. Garnish with olive by dropping it in and allowing it to sink to the bottom
10. Carefully float 2 small drops of the oil on top
11. Drink quick enough that it does not get too warm, but slow enough you get to enjoy every drop!

How To Drink A Gin Martini

Before you even think about making a gin martini at home, you need to ask yourself, “am I sophisticated enough?”. If the answer is no, or if you even have to hesitate before forming an opinion, stay well clear and stick to a beer, wine or vodka lime and soda.

Gin Martini FAQ

Read Next

• How To Make A Vesper Martini
• How To Make A Singapore Sling

The post How To Make A Gin Martini That Ernest Hemingway Would Be Proud Of appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

While anyone can damage a perfectly good car by driving it off the road or simply neglecting to maintain it properly, it takes a certain kind of skill (and budget) to absolutely ruin one.

Celebrities are notorious for this; they’re so rich and so famous no-one’s got the cojones to stand up to them when they want to butcher their whip.

That’s assuming that most car lovers or manufacturers have any sort of principles, of course. Ferrari are notoriously strict about what they’ll allow owners to do to ‘their’ cars, but not all brands are so discerning. Rolls-Royce, for example, will let you do just about anything to their vehicles as long as you’re ready to pay for the privilege.

Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian clan, has recently taken delivery of a Rolls herself – and what she’s done to it proves once again that money can’t buy taste.

Jenner took to her Instagram Story to celebrate her new Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV. This monster’s sticker price starts at AU$685,000, but the sky’s the limit when you option it out – like Jenner has, with a bright pink interior and ‘constellation’ roof.

Jenner, supermodel and beauty mogul, has an incredibly lavish car collection. Among other motors, she owns a white Bugatti Chiron, an orange Lamborghini Aventador, a ‘frappucino brown’ G-Wagen, a rare LaFerrari Aperta, and many custom-made Rolls-Royces alongside this newest purchase.

RELATED: I Was Chauffeured To Work In The Latest Rolls-Royce & It’s Ruined Me For Life

The first SUV and first all-wheel drive vehicle for the British marque, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is already quite an ungainly tank of a car, weighing 2.7 tonnes and pushing 563hp (420kW) from a twin-turbo petrol V12. Upholstering such an ungraceful vehicle in neon pink leather is almost literally like putting lipstick on a pig.

Jenner’s also shelled out for Rolls’ famous ‘Starlight Headliner’ option, which adds literally thousands of fibre-optic lights into the roof of your luxury barge in order to simulate the night’s sky. This is cool, we admit, but also a touch over the top. Also, if you want to see the stars, why not just buy a convertible?

Another bespoke feature of Jenner’s car is a nameplate on the driver’s side door sill that reads ‘Stormi’s Mom’, referencing Jenner’s two-year-old daughter Stormi Webster from her relationship with SICKO MODE rapper Travis Scott.

While it’s a cute touch we shudder to think how it might affect the resale value (though, to be fair, Kylie probably isn’t too hard up for cash).

Read Next

• Dolph Lundgren Spotted In LA Driving The Most ‘Sophisticated’ Ferrari You’ll See This Year
• Justin Bieber’s Latest Lamborghini SUV Could Have This Summer’s Coolest Custom Wrap

The post Kylie Jenner’s Custom Rolls-Royce SUV Confirms Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

What hoops would you jump through; what vials would you fill, to help international leisure travel return sooner rather than later? As airlines experiment with different testing strategies to help us find a ‘new normal’ that works, that’s the question on everyone’s minds.

Enter: Etihad. The Abu Dhabi based carrier has just partnered with Mediclinic Middle East to launch a ‘call out’ coronavirus testing program, enabling passengers to have a medical professional come to their house and test them (and get results) before they even set off for the airport.

The test uses a Polymerase Chain Reaction to determine whether a patent has The Virus. According to The Australian Government Department Of Health, reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, “typically take several hours to generate results, and require complex laboratory equipment and trained technicians.”

They are, however, one of the most effective tests out there (The Australian Government Department Of Health also states that “PCR tests are currently considered to be more clinically sensitive than serology assays for detecting early infections”) and are now starting to be developed in packages that can be used outside the laboratory.

“There are now some near patient SARS-CoV-2 PCR instruments available that can be used outside of a laboratory. These systems can provide quicker results, but cannot do as many tests at once.”

According to Live Science, “PCR tests work by detecting specific genetic material within the virus. Depending on the type of PCR on hand, health care workers might swab the back of the throat; take a saliva sample; collect a liquid sample from the lower respiratory tract; or secure a stool sample.”

“Once a sample arrives at the lab, researchers extract its nucleic acid, which holds the virus’ genome. Then, researchers can amplify certain regions of the genome by using a technique known as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. This, in effect, gives researchers a large sample that they can then compare to the new coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2.”

All passengers flying to any Etihad destination from Abu Dhabi International Airport can use the new at-home testing service, and the initiative comes as several countries around the world now require travellers to have negative COVID-19 results before they fly (even if travellers leaving the UAE are not legally required to take a Covid-19 test before flying out of the country).

Dr Nadia Bastaki, vice president of medical services at Etihad, told The National the testing program is also designed to put passenger’ minds at ease: “Enabling home PCR testing will remove much unnecessary stress from the travel experience during this challenging period.”

David Hadley, chief executive of Mediclinic Middle East told The National: “All testing is carried out by a trained professional, and our dedicated Covid-19 testing laboratories in Abu Dhabi and Dubai mean that results are available quickly and accurately.”

Etihad says the process is simple: passengers keen to be tested must first book a flight with Etihad, after which time they should contact Mediclinic to book an at-home testing appointment. This can be done via telephone, online or by email at etihad@mediclinic.ae.

Lots of destinations mandate the PCR test must be conducted at a specific time before travel, so Etihad recommends appointments take place at least 48 hours prior to departure.

A health professional will come to your home and conduct the test, which takes only a few seconds. Results will then be available within 24 hours. Guests can also opt to book an appointment at a Mediclinic facility in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, Etihad says.

As for the results, if the test comes back negative, travellers can print their results and continue on with their trip. For destinations that require a negative Covid-19 test before departure, Etihad check-in staff will review tests results before completing passenger check-in.

If results are positive, travellers must rearrange their flight for a future date. The Department of Health will be informed and the patient will need to follow strict quarantine guidelines in accordance with UAE regulations.

The tests come amid a number of other health and wellness initiatives, which have included trialing contactless screening to help identify passengers with health conditions at the airport, putting trained Wellness Ambassadors onboard every flight and – most recently – partnering with Medicus to launch a COVID-19 risk assessment tool to empower passengers to make informed decisions about travelling.

In collaboration with the Austrian-based healthcare technology company Medicus AI, Etihad has created a COVID-19 risk-assessment tool which will guide Etihad’s guests in evaluating the probability of having contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus by responding to a set of 22 questions.

The self-administered assessment, which takes less than five minutes to complete, is based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines that are updated daily.

Read Next

• 19 Things We Loved & Loathed About Etihad’s A380 Business Class
• New Innovation Could CHange Economy Travel Forever

The post Etihad's 'Discrete' New Virus Detection Strategy The Latest Step In Airlines' War On COVID-19 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Australian wine industry is gargantuan, producing nearly 1.3 million litres of the good stuff each year. Naturally, all that wine has to be produced somewhere, and so there are numerous winemakers dotted all around Australia, with every single state being home to its own collection of wine-producing wizards. The changing climate conditions of the states, and the sub-regions within them, result in a huge variance in flavours and aromas that make Australian wine so popular around the world.

The Barossa Valley, found in South Australia and northeast of Adelaide, is perhaps the most important wine-producing region in the whole of the country. It experiences warm climatic conditions, making it perfect for producing Syrah/Shiraz vines which became increasingly popular with overseas markets starting in the 1980s. ‘Barossa Shiraz’ has its own distinctive flavour profile, which includes notes of chocolate and spice.

The Barossa is also home to some of the biggest names in wine – many of which will receive mention in a moment – including Penfolds, Peter Lehmann and Wolf Blass. It is, therefore, one of the regions you simply have to visit if you consider yourself a wine drinker, aficionado or sommelier.

But which wineries should you be putting at the top of your list? With so many to choose from, it could be as easy as just jumping in the car and stopping off from door to door – yes, there are hotels in the area – but for the very best experiences, we’ve rounded up the wineries that really are worthy of your custom.

Penfolds

Penfolds was founded in 1844 and as such, is one of the oldest wineries in Australia. We won’t go into the long history of Penfolds too much, but the most important snippet came during the 1940s and 50s when Max Schubert took the reins as the chief winemaker. He spent some time in Bordeaux that inspired him to create the Grange Hermitage, later named Grange, easily Australia’s most famous wine.

Penfolds has a number of vineyards across various South Australia regions, including the Magill Estate just outside the Adelaide CBD, but the vineyards in the Barossa are the ones that contribute fruit to the Grange wine, as well as a selection of the Bin family of wines.

The Barossa Cellar Door is found in Nuriootpa, surrounded by many other premium winemakers, and is the place to go if you want to try your hands at blending your own Penfolds wine, as well as tasting a selection of some of the brand’s most celebrated drops.

Address: 30 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa, South Australia, 5355
Phone: 08 8568 8408

St Hugo

St Hugo is another wine producer that has a long history in the Barossa, with the first vines being planted in 1847 (back then known as G Gramp & Sons), although it wasn’t until 1983 that the first St Hugo wine was released, which was a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon made using the 1980 vintage. To this day, the brand is known especially for its Cab Sav prowess.

The winemaker veers more towards red wines for its collections, although does offer a Chardonnay and a Riesling, but these are made in the Eden Valley. For the red wine enthusiasts, St Hugo offers a few Shiraz varieties, including the traditional Shiraz; Grenache Shiraz Mataro and a Cabernet Shiraz in its St Hugo table wine collection.

Found just down the road from Penfolds and next door to Jacob’s Creek, St Hugo’s Cellar Door offers up a range of wine tasting experiences alongside a restaurant serving up some incredible dishes. Better yet, there’s a Novotel hotel nearby so you can drink to your heart’s content.

Address: 2141 Barossa Valley Way, Rowland Flat, 5352
Phone: 08 8115 9200

Jacob’s Creek

Jacob’s Creek also has Johann Gramp’s first 1847 vines to thank for its existence with those first vines being planted along the banks of Jacobs Creek. Since then, Jacob’s Creek wines have become some of the most well-known throughout the world and is the leading brand in the UK, New Zealand and Asian markets – its wines are exported to over 60 countries in total.

With a world-famous name and reputation to uphold, Jacob’s Creek has a range of different wine styles to suit numerous tastes. The company’s Barossa Signature series is at the more premium end of the scale and is designed to reflect the very best the Barossa has to offer. The Double Barrel range is finished in aged whiskey barrels to deliver a deep, smooth taste and the classic range is what you’ll find in most supermarkets and bottle shops, catering to a number of varietals.

The Cellar Door welcomes anyone wishing to try any of the company’s wines, have a bite to eat at the Our Table restaurant, or even take a walk along the banks of Jacobs Creek to gain some cultural and environmental knowledge.

Address: 2129 Barossa Valley Way, Rowland Flat, 5352
Phone: 08 8521 3000

Henschke

Henschke has been producing wine in South Australia for 152 years and is regularly considered to be responsible for some of Australia’s highest-rated wines by renowned Australian wine critic James Halliday. Henschke is found in Keyneton, which is actually in Eden Valley, a sub-region of the Barossa and known for its cooler climate and higher altitude. Henschke’s founder Johann Christian Henschke purchased the land in 1862 and his son, Paul, bought some more near the Gnandenerg Church in 1891. This land is now known as ‘the Hill of Grace vineyard’ and is the one responsible for producing those well-rated wines.

Henschke is best known for the ‘Hill of Grace’ Shiraz, but is a big producer of white wine too, including Sémillon, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris. A visit to the company’s Cellar Door is an absolute must, as it was built in the 1860s and offers one of the most intriguing experiences in the whole of the Barossa. Along with the main tasting room, there is an underground cellar to experience, along with a private tasting room and the Henschke Wine Room which proudly displays the entire collection.

Address: 1428 Keyneton Road, Keyneton, 5353
Phone: 08 8564 8223

Seppeltsfield

Seppeltsfield didn’t start life with the intention of being a wine producer, but rather a grower of tobacco. However, upon purchasing 158 acres of land in 1850, Joseph Seppelt soon realised he couldn’t grow tobacco from the soil, so turned his hand to winemaking. By 1867 a full winemaking operation was in force, although founder Joseph died in 1868, so unable to see the completion of the cellar. His son Oscar Benno Pedro, known as Benno, took over control.

Around the 1900s, Seppeltsfield was Australia’s largest winery, churning out some 2 million litres each year and in doing so, became regarded as one of Australia’s most iconic. It’s best known for its Tawny ‘Centennial’ collection, which releases a 100-year-old vintage every year, the only winery in the world to do so.

The Seppeltsfield Cellar Door is something to behold, offering visitors four separate tasting ‘PODS’ or a VIP mezzanine lounge where you can enjoy a private tasting.

Address: 730 Seppeltsfield Road, Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley, 5355
Phone: 08 8658 6200

Wolf Blass

Wolf Blass is a relatively young winery by Barossa standards, having been established in 1966 by Wolfgang Blass, a German native who moved to Australia in 1961 after having gained a Masters in Oenology. Wolf Blass’ main home is in the Barossa Valley, but it owns vineyards all over South Australia, which it calls upon to source grapes for blending.

It’s because of this vast ownership that Wolf Blass is able to produce a number of varietals, including Shiraz, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. It’s also a wine brand that caters to all budgets, with many highly affordable bottles to be found alongside more exclusive releases.

The Wolf Blass Cellar Door’s circular design is an architectural masterpiece and worth the visit for the state of the art facilities alone. The producer’s full range is available for tasting if you want to drop in, or you can book yourself onto a more intimate experience.

Address: 97 Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa, 5355
Phone: 08 8568 7311

Pepperjack

Pepperjack is responsible for some of the best Australian red wine around, and is a master producer of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, with both being regarded as some of the best value red wines in the whole of Australia. Founded in 1996, Pepperjack immediately set out to show off the best the Barossa has to offer and prove why it really should be seen as one of the crème de la crème of wine-producing regions.

Pepperjack drinkers worldwide marvel at the producer’s ability to make a wine that pairs exceedingly well with steak and other red meats (the winemaker has even made bottles specifically to be drunk with both scotch fillet and porterhouse steaks) which is a testament to the technical prowess of chief winemaker Richard Mattner. Richard grew up in the Barossa, so knows the area like the back of his hand.

A visit to the Pepperjack’s Cellar Door (which is actually the Saltram Wines Cellar Door, it’s parent company) will give you the chance to try the wines, not only at a tasting bar but at the Salter kitchen alongside some of the finest quality steaks around.

Barossa Valley Wineries FAQ

Read Next:

• The Best Australian White Wines You Have To Try
• Best Australian Online Wine Stores To Satisfy Your Inner Wino

The post Best Barossa Valley Wineries For Sampling The Finest Shiraz appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When it comes to running there are several factors you need to consider in order to perform at your optimum. Obviously you need to control your breathing and get your running technique right, but investing in the right pair of running shoes can gift you numerous benefits. 

You’re not exactly left wanting when it comes to the choice of running shoes on offer, but naturally, some will be better than others, and this Under Armour pair are right up there with the very best. Specifically, they’re the Phantom 2, which are part of UA’s HOVR family of sneakers. UA’s HOVR technology was launched in 2018 and is designed to offer the ultimate in cushioning to help absorb the energy from each stride and propel you forward for the next. 

This pair of HOVR Phantom 2s can also connect directly to Under Armour’s MapMyRun app for iOS and Android, to analyse your running metrics and record your distance and time, to help you beat your PB times. 

Elsewhere on the shoe, you’re given a compression mesh, which UA called Energy Web, which amplifies the benefits of the HOVR cushioning. 

And of course, you want your running shoes to look good, and the HOVR Phantom 2 more than deliver on that front, with a perfect blend of white and “seaglass blue”, with hints of orange for a sporty and fierce look.

If your runs are in need of a boost, check out the HOVR Phantom 2 and watch those PB times plummet.

You May Also Like

• The Best Running Shoes To Buy Right Now
• Coolest Men’s Running Shorts To Buy Right Now

The post Under Armour Hovr Phantom 2: These $150 Running Shoes Will Put You Strides Ahead Of The Rest appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 is a particularly bad year to be single.

With social distancing de rigeur across most of the world right now, the only kiss the majority of people are getting is The Bat Kiss. If you’re coupled up, at least you can be locked up with your partner – hell, lockdown might actually be helping your relationship.

But if you’re single like me, dating this year has been a nightmare. It’s been a real challenge to even go out for most of this year gone past, what with venues being shut down, and essential travel restrictions preventing any ~casual encounters~. In Sydney at least some restrictions have lifted so you can go out again – yet most date spots still aren’t open, even if you can get a date in the first place.

If by some miracle you find someone keen (or crazy) enough to contemplate going on a date with you, finding a gap in everyone’s calendars is a bloody nightmare. The spontaneity of romance is dead, people: the necessity to book ahead at a venue and the insane schedules required of us by the economic hellscape The Pandemic’s levied on the world means that most of us simply can’t be bothered with dating, particularly considering the risk of contracting the dreaded virus.

Imagine my deflation, then, when I’d finally lined up a dinner date – at Employees Only, popular Sydney cocktail bar/restaurant and one of the city’s top ‘casual romantic’ locales – after weeks of planning and trepidation, only for my date to cancel on me last minute because work called her in late and she couldn’t make the reservation.

It’s not her fault: work’s work and with rampant unemployment, you need to keep a hold on your job! At least she didn’t just straight-up cancel the night before (because I’ve had that happen to me).

So what should I do? I don’t want to let this dinner go to waste. When’s the next time I’ll be able to get a table anywhere? I did what any self-respecting, considerate young gentleman would do in this circumstance:

I desperately messaged half my friends list on social media, gave up, and took my mum as my date.

One advantage of taking your mum on a date is that mums usually don’t care that they’re your second choice because they love you and all that. In fact, Mum was actually quite pleased that I was treating her to a night out on the town, and it’s lowkey a lot less stress trying to charm your mum than it is trying to charm a cutie. So that’s a win, I suppose.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Employees Only Sydney (@employeesonlysyd) on Jul 4, 2020 at 3:52am PDT

Arriving at Employees Only, it was painfully apparent that my mum was the oldest person there. That’s not to say that she’s old; it’s more a testament to Employees Only’s usual clientele: young professionals, foodies, and couples going on dates.

Looking around I’d say conservatively 30% of guests that night were on a date… And I reckon maybe 90% of people thought that my mum and I were on a date, too.

“Do I look like a cougar?” my mum asked.

I didn’t know what to say: there is no good answer to that question.

Luckily, the food and drinks were so delightful we were distracted from feeling self-conscious about the potentially weird optics of our dinner date.

I had the whole butterflied BBQ spatchcock with Israeli couscous, homemade hot sauce, cranberries & parsley, and mum had crispy skin barramundi fillet w/ cherry heirloom tomato, asparagus, capers & lemon beurre blanc. For drinks, I ordered a ‘Foreigners Tonic’ (Beefeater 24 Gin served tall with sparking herbal tea + homemade grapefruit & bitter gourd bitters) and mum got a ‘Stay Clean’ (a clarified cocktail with Martell, a dark + white rum blend, spices & pineapple, served over a coconut coated ice block).

The drinks were delicious and fancy. Normally I wouldn’t get something so difficult to eat like spatchcock while on a date – all the tiny bones are so fiddly and there’s no cool or graceful way to eat it. But my mum’s not going to judge me, so why not? So that was a plus.

We both wanted the chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream & condensed milk for dessert. I was incredibly full but insisted we order separate tarts: I didn’t want to go halves and make it look like some weird romantic (or mummy’s boy) thing. Our stomachs bulging, we waddled out of the bar. The only kiss goodnight I got was on the cheek. Great.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Employees Only Sydney (@employeesonlysyd) on Jul 6, 2020 at 6:26pm PDT

Thankfully we left the restaurant before Employees Only’s biggest claim to fame started: as part of their winter overhaul, they’ve launched a “dinner and show” format where they run two shows a night – burlesque, with jazz DJs in between shows.

For most date nights, this would be a spectacular piece of entertainment that might help you get in the mood for some more intimacy later in the evening. But I draw the line at watching stripping with my mum. Sorry. That’s a step too far.

I’m still not sure if my night out was a success, or if my well-laid date night plan spectacularly backfired on me. Objectively I enjoyed myself, but I can’t help feeling a little bit sorry about the whole ordeal.

It’s a shame because Employees Only is the perfect place to take someone for a date in Sydney. It’s classy but not stuffy, has a fantastic menu, friendly staff, and a unique entertainment option that’s hard to find anywhere else in the city. It would be perfect to set the mood for a little romance.

Read Next

• Dating Coaches Reveal How Your ‘Bedroom Approach’ Will Have To Change In 2020
• Eugenie Bouchard Offers ‘Brutal’ Dating Lesson Every Man Needs To Hear

The post Employees Only Review: I Tried Sydney’s Most ‘On Trend’ Date Spot & It Was A Disaster appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

New York is the beating heart of the world’s financial system. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are two biggest and most important stock exchanges in the world, and traders around the globe follow the American stock market religiously.

Something that’s been baffling stockbrokers and the general public alike in recent months is how the American stock market seems to have recovered to pre-COVID levels, despite the fact that The Pandemic is still wreaking havoc in the US.

The sort of market recovery we’re seeing in countries that have mostly beaten back the virus, such as New Zealand, makes sense – the NZX tanked in March but is now back on track. Yet a similar trend can be observed on the US’ S&P500, for example, which has returned to levels similar to December 2019.

In particular, the so-called ‘MAGA stocks’ (Microsoft, Apple, Google and Amazon) which underpin much of the American economy have continued to thrive despite the dire economic conditions (ironically, the first initials of the only four American companies worth over 1 trillion USD also spell out Trump’s infamous campaign acronym).

Economically, it looks like America’s descending into an apocalypse, so why are their stock markets doing so well? James Whelan, Investment Manager at Sydney-based VFS Group and all-around financial wizard has shared some harsh insights into America’s stock market magic.

“The premise is thus: everything is a buying opportunity with the market being underwritten by the money printer that is the Fed [the US Federal Reserve, i.e. the American central bank]. The existence of an ‘end’ is irrelevant… global recession is doing more to assist asset prices than to hinder them,” Whelan relates in a recent issue of VFS Group’s Knowledge Strategy Wealth round up.

While Trump would like to take the credit for the success of the MAGA stocks and the stock market more broadly, the American market’s recovery is more a factor of the Fed’s aggressive intervention into the American financial system.

To understand what has happened to the U.S. stock market, you need to first accept that $MSFT, $AAPL, $GOOGL, $AMZN (the $MAGA stocks) are no longer stocks. They are variable-rate Treasuries backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

— Apollo Trading (@apollotradingsd) July 1, 2020

The Fed has been pumping billions of dollars into the American economy to help keep it afloat during The Pandemic, which has forced millions of Americans to lose their jobs and over 138,000 to lose their lives. The US is undoubtedly the nexus of the global pandemic, with almost 3.5 million confirmed cases, representing over a quarter of the world’s infected.

So what does this mean for the average trader? Whelan explains that the bizarre current reality of the US stock market reveals a painful truth about trading:

“Trade the market there is in front of you and NOT the one you think there should be.”

“The Fed has the power to, and is, buying corporate bonds on the secondary market. They spend 6.8 billion USD buying US bond ETFs. We’re well and truly through the looking glass of ridiculousness but this is what cuts the jib at the moment… [indeed] it took me a little while to get the hang of it.”

“An example of this was someone chronically and unprofitably shorting the S&P500 claiming he was right, saying ‘well if you took away the $7 trillion in Fed funny money see what happens…’ [But] that’s the point. We’re not in that hypothetical market. We’re in this simulated market. Hell, we may well be in a simulated existence (prove me wrong!) but we’re tasked with playing the ball in front of us and not the hypothetical ball on a different field.”

In short? Wishful thinking isn’t going to change the stock market. There’s no good being right on paper and then losing money hand over fist when reality doesn’t line up with your convictions.

Read Next

• ‘Vegan Investors’ Set To Bring Home The Bacon During Pandemic
• American Betting Company Lets You Profit From Your Friends’ Misery
• Incredible ‘New Normal’ Manhattan Scene Shows Everything Wrong With America

The post The Harsh Truth Of The American Stock Market Every Investor Should Know appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Historically speaking, few human beings ever got the chance to fly. Fewer still got to enjoy that golden era when budget flights and points promotions could take you all around the world at the tap of a credit card. And even less got (or indeed, get) to make a living from sipping champagne and pontificating the merits of reverse herringbone seat configurations.

Of course, travel as usual is expected to slowly (and with a few bumps) return over the next three years. But right now we find ourselves in a pandemic with no clear end in sight. As such, there are new dynamics in the skies: empty seats in bizarre places being one of them.

Enter: prolific frequent flyer and The Points Guy correspondent Summer Hull. Summer recently took to Instagram to show why flying First in the US (the equivalent to Business in Australia) doesn’t always give you more space than flying economy.

For The Points Guy, the mid tier United gold member wrote she normally “gets especially excited” about an upgrade. However, on a recent United flight, that was far from the case: “This time, when the upgrade cleared 24 hours before the flight… I immediately started wondering if I should decline it.”

While some airlines (Delta, Southwest and Jetblue), are still offering capped capacity flights, several – including United – are not. United, though it will warn you (and allow changes) if your flight is getting super full, has returned to processing automatic first class upgrades and not guaranteeing blocked middle seats.

Summer quickly found a bizarre consequence to this by stalking the seat map: “first class appeared to be 100% full with 20/20 seats filled, including our two upgrades.”

Premium economy was apparently better, but the real deal was “regular old economy toward the back of the plane” which had rows and rows of empty seats.

Of course, this is a one off. As DMARGE recently discovered on an cattle class flight across the pond in Australia (from Sydney to Noosa, to be precise), economy can get full too (in which case you’d clearly be better off in business or first).

But Summer points out the benefits don’t end there: she says there’s also less temptation to eat or drink in economy (which means less walking to the bathroom and touching of handles) and that there’s a better deplaning experience (though again this could come down to the fact that economy was, on this specific flight, incredibly sparse).

Interestingly, internationally, we may see (in some cases) the same phenomenon play out, with returning Australian expats alleging that airlines had canceled their economy tickets and forced them to upgrade to business class if they wanted to keep on the same flight, due to new arrival number restrictions in Sydney airport.

Read Next

• Why Flying First Class Is Actually More Stressful Than Flying Business 
• First Class Etiquette Rules Business Class Passengers Have No Idea About

The post Why Flying First Class Is Not Always The Safest Option In A Pandemic appeared first on DMARGE Australia.