There are so many dating apps to choose from these days. Hinge, Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Plenty of Fish… No matter who you’re into or the kind of dating experience you prefer, you’re spoiled for choice.

But these apps aren’t perfect. They make it very easy for you to meet people and go on plenty of dates (or just have quick hook-ups, if that’s more your thing), but it’s not always easy turning a romantic encounter into an ongoing thing.

We live in a dating culture that makes it very easy to arrange sex and rack up a ‘body count’, but makes it quite hard to build long-term relationships, The Sydney Morning Herald relates. In a dating scene that prioritises commitment-free banging over actually developing meaningful connections, how do you make sure you get a second date?

What To Say Online

We spoke to Dr Nikki Goldstein, one of Australia’s acclaimed relationship experts, about how to nail that second date. She revealed that the best way of keeping someone interested both before and after a first date is to make sure your online presence reveals the depths of your personality.

“Make sure that you show the interesting parts of your life,” Goldstein explains.

“Show that there’s more to you. Use pictures that tell a story – say you’re really into a sport: make sure you’ve got a photo of you in action. It doesn’t matter what you’re in to, just show that you’ve got some depth.”

Dr Nikki Goldstein

Of course, being charming and polite will go a long way. No one likes a ‘hey, u up?’ as an opening line, or being ghosted after a date.

What To Say On Your First Date

We also spoke with Heidi Gee, a Sydney-based sex therapist, who also stresses the importance of nailing that first impression.

“Be yourself and be creative with your questions and conversations,” Gee instructs.

“We tend to ask the usual, ‘how was your day,’ ‘what do you do’… Ask questions that are fun and get to know the person and their values. Don’t go too deep, especially on the first date. Keep it light and fun. This will help create a comfortable environment.”

Heidi Gee

Gee suggests creative questions like ‘how would your friends describe you’ or ‘tell me about a tricky situation you had to get out of’ are far more engaging than your usual small talk.

RELATED: Which Profile Pictures Get The Most Tinder Matches?

Goldstein agrees, but relates that you need to bring your wall down enough so that you show a little more of who you are as a person beyond all the niceties.

“Show them the essence of who you are… It’s all about the connection. You need to be open and vulnerable enough to show that you’re serious, and worth getting to know.”

It’s definitely a tricky balance. At the same time, you can’t force something that’s not there. “A lot depends on chemistry… It’s not something you can fake,” Goldstein warns.

Her most valuable tip?

“Ask for a second date whilst you’re on the first date! Or maybe wait an hour after the date and message them. People these days wanna be too ‘cool’ – if you like someone enough, don’t wait. Be direct.”

Dr Nikki Goldstein

If there’s a connection there, don’t leave things up to chance. Be clear with your intentions, and if they’re worth a second date, they’ll reward you in kind.

Good luck, casanovas…

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The post Dating Experts Share Their Tips For Scoring That Elusive Second Date appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Cuts and bruises heal, but shame lives forever. And by god has Lewis Hamilton just put most of us to the sword, debuting a body that proves not everyone was idle in lockdown.

Taking to Instagram yesterday with the caption “with all that is happening in the world, my only getaway is to… channel the emotions and energy into building my body stronger,” the 6-time Formula One World Champion posted the following photo.

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A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jun 18, 2020 at 10:05am PDT

“Staying active both mentally and physically is so important today, I want to encourage those of you out there to keep working out even if it’s only for 20 minutes. Every little helps,” Hamilton added.

“This has been the best training period I’ve ever had, I can’t stop and I won’t!

The transformation is such that 11-time World Champion surfer Kelly Slater commented, “Dude! Ripped.”

Whether or not he remains this impeccably shredded, Hamilton better ensure he’s mentally and physically ready: the F1 2020 season is set to start on the 3rd of July with a trip to Austria for practice, before the first Grand Prix gets underway on the 5th of July.

His post also adds to the growing library of anecdotal evidence that suggests today’s athletes – whether Formula One drivers or football players – are not left with enough time to focus on themselves due to the rampant commercial nature of sport.

With Hamilton packing on gains and Mbappe cruising in a ‘space age’ ice bath earlier this week, perhaps, contrary to many pundits’ beliefs, we will see fewer injuries coming out of lockdown than a usual time period.

Read Next

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The post Lewis Hamilton’s Fitness Is Proof Drivers Have No Days Off appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There is the ~absurd~ that sparks French intellectuals to reject the Pulitzer prize, the absurd that is a first-class passenger ranting about not being served nuts on a plate; then there’s this.

An American Airlines passenger has been removed from a flight for not wearing a mask and – though he could have easily stayed on, had he wanted to (you know, by saying, ‘ok, fine, I’ll wear the damn thing’), he then took to Twitter to garner outrage.

You know: almost as if he expected it to happen…

Before we get into the nuts and bolts: context. Basically, Brandon Straka, a conservative activist, took to Twitter yesterday to complain about being removed from an American Airlines flight while en route to a Trump rally in Tulsa.

So, to any super sleuths out there looking for their GOTCHA! moment, this tweet was written BEFORE the first flight attendant approached me about the mask. It was a JOKE regarding the general announcement they were making.
And it’s still funny.

— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) June 17, 2020

Though he was quick to point out the first tweet (which many media outlets latched onto as dumb reasoning for not being able to wear a mask) was a joke…

The past 24 hrs has proven conclusively to me what I already knew. I have been inundated with death threats, attacks on social media & email. None of these ppl have asked if I there’s a reason why I couldn’t wear the mask. They are just another arm of the left’s rageful mob.

— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) June 18, 2020

… he remains unable or unwilling to provide a legitimate reason why he could not wear the mask.

Ironically enough, even as he attempts to make a career from pointing out the hypocrisy of left-wing activists…

It’s fascinating how the ppl saying “It’s dangerous for him to not wear a mask” have been cheering tens of thousands of maskless BLM rioters gathering for weeks; & saying “private company, don’t like it then leave”- cheer on destroying cake bakers who exercise private co policy

— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) June 17, 2020

… the one reason he gave for not wearing the mask (“my body my choice”) clashes spectacularly with his beliefs towards abortion policy.

Who would have possibly foreseen that this same jackass saying “my body, my choice” about wearing a mask on an aircraft, but is against abortion.

WEIRD. pic.twitter.com/7qu6YK5Jbl

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) June 17, 2020

The sad part about all this (other than highlighting the bizarre nature of US politics), One Mile At A Time reports, is that the flight attendant was technically in the wrong.

“The flight attendant did ask if he had a medical condition causing him to not be able to wear a mask. He said yes. She followed that up by asking if he had a medical certificate or documentation from a doctor, which is unfortunately a big no-no,” One Mile At A Time wrote on Wednesday.

“While airlines are requiring passengers to wear face masks, those with medical conditions don’t have to do so. And crews aren’t allowed to ask for proof of those conditions, so in this case the guy shouldn’t have been asked (even though his only condition seems to be that he’s… insufferable.”

Read Next

• Absurd Passenger Rant Reveals Ridiculous Business Class Standards Of 2019
• American Airlines Removes Passenger For Getting His Guns Out On A Flight
• Wild Missouri Party Reveals Everything That’s Wrong With The US Right Now

The post Man Kicked Off Flight: Saga Highlights Absurdity Of Peanuts appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In the Wachowski’s iconic 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix, humans are kept in transparent tanks by evil robots in order to harness their bioelectric energy. This is widely regarded as a compelling yet horrific, dystopian vision of the future.

The COVID-19 world of 2020 is a wholly different sort of dystopia, which has radically changed people’s way of life. But clearly not everyone’s seen the Matrix films, because if they had, they wouldn’t have come up with this highly questionable workout solution.

In order to entice people back into working out with them, a California gym has constructed ‘workout pods’ made out of transparent shower curtains and pipes… So now, humans are willingly building transparent tanks to work out on evil machines (i.e. treadmills) and burn energy.

Peet Sapsin of Inspire South Bay Fitness in Redondo Beach, California came up with these makeshift pods as a more cost-effective alternative to erecting plexiglass dividers, TODAY USA reports.

While we admire this gym’s inventiveness – lockdown’s had a huge financial impact on the fitness industry – we have a few questions for Sapsin about this Matrix-esque setup. Does the plastic fog up as people work out? Do you wipe the pods down between users? And do you understand irony as a concept?

At least you’re not shaving your patrons bald and sticking metal pipes in the back of their necks, I guess.

We just hope this trend doesn’t make its way to Australia’s shores. Being that there’s far less coronavirus cases here than in the States, we should be safe from this sci-fi faux pas.

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• The Best Gym Tops For Men To Buy

The post Gym Pods: Post-Lockdown Trend We Hope Doesn’t Hit Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’re a amateur mechanic, going to the wreckers is already a pretty fun experience. Picking parts out of write-offs and saving a huge amount of money on car repairs, all while getting your tool on? It’s pretty hard to beat.

But this scrapyard in Dubai takes that to a whole other level. Scoring some rims from a totalled WRX is one thing, but what about from a Ferrari?

Emblematic of the insane wealth of the Gulf states, this wreckers is filled to the brim with exotic cars. Amongst the more normal offerings of Nissan Patrols and Toyota Corollas, we can spot Rolls-Royces, AMGs, Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, G-Wagens, and Porsches.

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A post shared by SUPER CAR (@supercargoal) on Jun 11, 2020 at 9:42pm PDT

Some have been in proper accidents, but others are in pristine condition: repossessed by banks or the police, and some simply abandoned. Imagine just abandoning a Ferrari California T! Oh, the humanity!

People regularly abandoning their supercars is not a recent phenomenon in Dubai. The UAE has no bankruptcy laws, so if you go bust you’re pretty screwed, news.com.au reports.

The UAE practices some elements of Sharia law, where failure to pay debt is considered a criminal offence that can attract jail time. Many former high rollers try and flee the country to avoid their debts and a prison sentence, literally leaving their cars with the keys in the ignition behind.

These orphan supercars make their way to car yards like this one, and get auctioned off at bargain basement prices.

Read Next

• $400,000 Porsche 911 Destroyed In LA Riots May Not Be All It Seems

The post Supercar Scrapyard In Dubai appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Since The Bat Kiss ravished the world, we’ve all been trussed up at home. The result? We’ve cast our eyes over everything from airline procedures to cafe-culture changing, from the boredom of our couch.To counter the ennui (and to get a less Dorito-stained low down on ~travel~) we spoke to Group Director of Food and Beverage at Ovolo Hotels, Vincent Lombino.While we expected doom and gloom (and while Vincent admitted this was one the largest challenges the travel business has ever faced) he also told us about an interesting silver lining the high-end Itchy Foot industry could enjoy.That lining? People may now, temporarily, be scared into giving hotel restaurants another chance, after snubbing them for decades.“Will things will have to change post-pandemic? I’ve been in this business a long time [and] the whole concept was people never liked to eat in hotels.”“[The industry’s task] has been to develop really cool restaurants and bars inside hotels… [and previously] it was really hard to crack that,” Vincent said.

“You just didn’t think you could have a good experience, you didn’t think you would find cool stuff, you didn’t think you would find good bartenders.”

However, two things, according to Vincent, have now changed. First of all, individuals and organisations like Ovolo (which has boutique, luxury hotels everywhere from Sydney to Hong Kong) have “fought hard” to make the hotel restaurant experience less sterile. And second: “if you do it really well [particularly right now], I think people are going to feel a lot safer [in hotels].”“Over the next 12 months [tourists are] really going to be looking hard at everything – where you’re staying, what you’re eating, what you’re drinking and the cleanliness level [of places you’re dining and staying in].”“People will find trust and faith in the strong brands,” Vincent told us. In fact, “instead of running out the door” Vincent hopes they’ll stay “in their cool little bubble,” enjoying 5-star hotels like Ovolos’ produce, products, and reputation.“Hotels that do it well are actually going to see a renaissance – back to the good old days (20, 30, 40 years ago) when all the best restaurants were all in hotels. They moved out but they have an opportunity to come back,” Vincent told us.

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A post shared by Cavo Tagoo Mykonos (@cavotagoomykonos) on Jun 15, 2020 at 2:22am PDT

Adding to the likelihood of this reversion, is hotels are arguably better equipped to cope with the economic pressures of 2020 than restaurants: “We don’t pay rent for the restaurant and bar – it’s all within the footprint of our hotel – we don’t have separate gas bills and electric bills [and] we have shared back of house services with book keeping.”“We can afford to have more staff, we can afford to have higher quality products, we can charge less coming out of this thing because we’re not carrying so many of those fixed costs. I think we [the hotel dining industry] have a chance to win back some of that trust and loyalty from consumers and guests.”“If you go back in time all around the world, the hotel companies would go out and find the best chefs and pay them massive amounts of money, they could invest a lot into the fit-outs, they had a well-trained staff, they would have an army of people; they could afford to have the best of the best in charge.”

“Then they got to a point where they got very watered down – every hotel would try to do a restaurant.”

Suffice to say, they did it poorly. According to Vincent, “boring, crappy elevator music, polyester uniforms” plus stupid prices and not so great bartenders made the hotel dining experience feel “very average.”

“People had such a bad experience they just started saying: ‘Ugh, don’t eat at a hotel.’ For so many years people had so many bad experiences they stopped going.”

Worse: all while this was happening, entrepreneurs and chefs outside started doing “all this funky stuff” from killer restaurants to small bars, so that it was no longer just backpackers interested in checking out the local culinary offerings, but also bougie tourists.However, according to Vincent, if they do it right “from start to finish,” luxury hotels now have the chance to “capture a nice little chunk of business… coming out of this.”Of course, some might argue that once people have the confidence to travel they’ll also have the confidence to eat out. But – whether or not it comes true – Vincent’s hypothesis is certainly interesting.Only time (and restaurant reservations) will tell.

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The post Eating In Hotels Is Making A Comeback appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and a must-visit during any Europe trip. But while other European capitals are famed for their beautiful architecture or exquisite food, the Dutch capital is known for weed, brothels and beer.

It’s a shame, because Amsterdam has a lot more to offer than sin. Its iconic narrow townhouses, famous canals and fantastic museums are just as worthy of your attention.

Indeed, Amsterdam locals are seriously considering revamping their city’s image and approach to tourism in the aftermath of The Pandemic, which has revealed just how soulless Amsterdam can feel when the streets aren’t filled with tourists.

 

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A post shared by Amsterdam (@amsterdam) on Apr 19, 2020 at 10:47am PDT

A recent report in Traveller details how the dearth of tourist activity during the pandemic has revealed the extent to which Amsterdam’s historic city centre is dominated by businesses purely catering to travellers. While tourism generates over 6 billion euros (9.8 billion AUD / 6.7 billion USD) in revenue for the city, it comes at the expense of liveability for Mokum locals.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wants to ensure that the city centre isn’t “just dotted with shops selling souvenirs, cannabis and Nutella-lathered waffles but has companies where residents can work, houses where they can live and grocery stores and outlets that cater to them.”

In particular, the city’s looking to clamp down on Amsterdam’s famous ~window brothels~ and coffee shops, and potentially move them out of the city centre. It’ll be a challenge because the city’s got no money at the moment (so they can’t just buy them out), and these business are unlikely to want to leave.

 

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A post shared by I Love Amsterdam – Gabriel (@ilove.amsterdam) on Jun 16, 2020 at 11:57am PDT

It’s a difficult balance and potentially a controversial move, but the economic impact of COVID-19 has revealed how necessary it might be. The current lack of foot traffic might also give Amsterdam – and other cities looking to clean up their act – a good opportunity to reinvent themselves before global travel starts back up again.

There are signs of change already: leading fintech firms like Adyen and Ohpen have moved into the city centre, and the government is actively encouraging other innovative businesses to make the move too. The nature of global tourism is likely to be very different post-pandemic, too, so maybe we’ll see a different class of tourist – more Rijksmuseum trips as opposed to hash ones.

Read Next

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The post Amsterdam Red Light District Could Close To Tourists appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Online dating is rough. Not only can it be a challenge to find a decent date in the first place, but getting a second date? Sometimes it feels like you’d have better luck winning the lottery.

This recent Reddit thread reveals a common mistake women make when constructing online dating profiles – and it’s something men should take heed of too.

“My best friend has been single for a while. She keeps running into ‘assholes’ that will talk to her for a few weeks and then ghost her either shortly after seeing her or immediately after. Of course assholes exist, but I think the real problem is that she is catfishing people.”

“She doesn’t look like her pics. She looks like a 9 [out of 10] in pics, but in reality she’s more like a 7. She has a lot of neck fat… and she’s very good at hiding it in pictures. Her pictures actually make her look like she has a strong jawline (model like) when in reality she has the complete opposite…”

“I feel so bad for her and want to help because she gets so down on herself every time this happens. I think she genuinely believes she looks like her pics… which involve filters, editing, and optimal angles. She doesn’t understand why she can only meet guys who ghost her shortly after seeing her, and I want to help her. How do I tell her she doesn’t look like her pics?”

Catfishing, for those who aren’t aware, refers to the practice of pretending on social media to be someone different, in order to trick or attract another person. It’s also used as shorthand for deceptive personal images on social media.

A Chinese beauty blogger made worldwide news last year after exposed how uncannily real today’s filters can look when her livestream glitched, briefly revealing her real, much plainer appearance.

There’s nothing wrong with playing around with filters and visual effects on dating apps, but this Reddit thread exposes how there’s clearly a limit. There’s a big difference between digitally editing the saturation on a photo to bring out certain facial features, and changing a profile picture so radically that it barely resembles you.

No-one likes to feel as if they’ve been catfished. These days, people are very savvy to the common tricks people use to disguise their looks online. Sometimes, like this Reddit thread shows, there’s such thing as too much.

Instead, you’re much more likely to get a second date if how you look online more closely matches how you look ‘IRL’ (in real life). A commenter in the thread agrees:

“For the brief period of time that I engaged in online dating, I was quite successful. I don’t look like a model, but the pics I posted were not filtered, edited, or altered in any way. Pretty much every guy I met for the first time was like ‘Wow, you look better in person’. Always got asked for a second date. You want the dude to be pleasantly surprised, you keep the expectations real with unedited pics.”

 

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A post shared by DYLAN ALCOTT (@dylanalcott) on Apr 16, 2020 at 5:13pm PDT

To understand if this dating advice was dubious or genius, we spoke to Dr Nikki Goldstein, relationship expert and one of Australia’s leading sex educators, about what overly edited dating profile pictures tell a prospective date.

“It makes you question their honesty level,” Goldstein confirms.

“There’s definitely a balance – everyone has insecurities and maybe they’ve edited their photos so drastically because they have self esteem issues. However, an obviously dishonest image makes you wonder if they’re lying about other things, too.”

Goldstein relates that there’s two common mistake ares people fall in to when making photos for online dating: physical and digital mistakes.

“By physical, I mean makeup,” Goldstein explains.

“We’re wearing more makeup than ever in this ‘Kardashian era’. There’s nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward with a bit of makeup and hair styling – I do that too – but too much makeup could hint at insecurity.”

Too much makeup is more forgivable than too much editing, however.

“Having fun with filters is ok, as long as it’s still clear that it’s real. In fact, playing around with filters can show off your creative sign. But when the image is so dramatically changed that it no longer resembles you, that’s a big warning sign that they aren’t who they say they are, or that they’ve got some self-image issues.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dr Nikki Goldstein (@drnikkig) on May 10, 2020 at 12:00am PDT

How To Take Good Personal Pictures

• When taking a profile picture, consider what angle you’re taking the photo from. A low angle is usually unflattering and straight-on can be a little intense, but a high angle is a common trick used by those looking to disguise their weight. A subtly high angle is the ticket to a good profile picture.
• Don’t commit the regular dating profile sins. Photos of you showing off a fish you caught, big group photos, and memes (why do people still think it’s okay to put memes in their dating profiles?) are all overplayed, dumb ideas. Keep the photos about you first and foremost.
• Moderation is key. There’s nothing wrong with using filters and visual effects, just be restrained. A single sepiatone photo can be cool! A whole gallery of them makes you look like a wanker. And like our unlucky-in-love friend from Reddit, don’t throw every effect in the book at your pictures.

Your next date awaits.

Read Next

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• I Just Had My Biggest ‘WTF’ Dating Moment… Without Even Going On A Date

The post Get Better Matches: The Key To Scoring On Apps appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Who doesn’t love a sale? With the Australian economy starting to resurface after the pandemic period, consumers are going to be keen to get out shopping, but spending as little as possible.

We also imagine a fair few Australians are going to want to get back into the gym, and right now Adidas is offering up to 40 per cent off a range of clothing and footwear, meaning there’s never been a better time to invest in some back-to-gym clothing. 

The 40 per cent off offer only applies to a limited selection and is only valid until the 28th of June. So right now you can score money off a pair of NMD_R1 sneakers, a full 3-stripes tracksuit, a retro-style pullover hoodie, a tech crew neck sweatshirt, or a pair of Adidas’ Own The Run shorts.

The offer is available to both Adidas Creators Club members and the general public, but for the latter, there’s a slight catch. Creators Club members will have the 40 per cent off automatically applied at the checkout, but everyone else will need to use the code ‘SHARE40’ at the checkout process. 

Now there’s really no excuse to start shedding those extra iso pounds. 

The post Australians Can Score 40% Off At Adidas For The Next 10 Days appeared first on DMARGE Australia.