Ever visited Venice in summer and thought, “I wish I could see this place without the crowds?”

Your vision just came true.

Unfortunately, sucking gelato solo is only possible due to a global pandemic that could see you bedridden or dead.

Though coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, some 8,477 kilometres away, if you’re not already in a wifi-less bunker, you’ll know Italy has seen an alarming outbreak too.

As CNN reported this morning, “Italy’s Civil Protection Authority reported the country now has 1,694 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 1,128 confirmed cases on Saturday.”

“Thirty-four people have died. Italy has the most coronavirus cases of any country outside of Asia.”

The worst-affected areas, according to the BBC, are in the industrial north of the country – Lombardy, the region around Milan, and Veneto near Venice.

As of last Friday, of Italy’s 650 confirmed cases of coronavirus, about 111 are in the Veneto region, or which Venice is the capital.

“The outbreak flared last weekend, taking local authorities and the World Health Organisation by surprise. The country had just three cases a week ago,” The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on February 28th.

The result? As The Wall Street Journal reports, “Venice’s high tides have receded,” and “now tourism is running dry.”

“As Italy battles the coronavirus, tourists are shunning trips and Venice faces a big loss of business.”

That hasn’t stopped a small number of travellers from going, though, and flaunting their experience on social media.

Arrived in venice this morning, so glad we came, only 44 people.on the plane, weather is lovely, all bars, shops cafes open, walked for hours, very quiet, attractions that are closed are supposed to be opening sunday, no one seems to be worried about #coronavirus

— Paula Battaglia (@PaulaBattaglia5) February 28, 2020

Unique? Certainly. Brave? Some would be more inclined to call it stupid.

Only shitebags don’t go on hol cause of coronavirus, buzzin for Venice in the morn

— laura pirrie (@LozzaPee_) February 28, 2020

In any case, it appears there are various travellers living it up in the city of Gondolas and Pigeons.

Pictures showing a very empty Venice due to the coronavirus situation in Italy. Hasn’t stopped us having the best time though! pic.twitter.com/tHbWIk12T0

— Holly (@dailydoseofhols) February 29, 2020

Genius, or rude? On one hand, it seems in poor taste. Especially considering locals like the bakery owner the Sydney Morning Herald recently interviewed, are in anguish: “Never had the streets been so quiet, she explained, before tears welled in her eyes and she disappeared into the kitchen.”

You can and you should if you have been in a quarantine zone in Italy.

— Aunty Janet #FBPE (@scarlettpeach) February 25, 2020

But then, if you’re game (and insured) enough to take the risk, one could argue you’re doing Venice a favour by boosting its economy (just make sure you follow the recommended precautions while travelling, and isolate yourself on return).

Oh and also: be prepared for judgemental looks from your stay-at-home neighbours who will see your actions as risking the fate of humanity for a 200 euro flight you booked while drunk last year. But we digress…

It’s not on lockdown. It’s one small village miles away.

— djwefc78 (@damienweston) February 24, 2020

St Marks now looks eerie as hell…

These pictures out of Venice are so striking. St. Mark’s has emptied out because of the coronavirus outbreak. @annamomi reports on what’s going on in the city. https://t.co/B4j0nwxq6i pic.twitter.com/Io9TW16Udk

— Amy Virshup (@amyvirshup) February 27, 2020

… and the traditional Venice carnival masks are more appropriate than they have been for centuries.

Venice carnival: People wear the type of masks used by doctors centuries ago to treat patients afflicted with the plague during a procession on the last day of the carnival pic.twitter.com/bN2Pqbfsm2

— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 26, 2020

Read Next

• Important Dating Rules You Need To Know Before Hooking Up In Italy
• Morning Coffee Mistake Costs Tourists $1,500 In Venice

The post Rogue Tourists Rejoice As Coronavirus Fears Empty The Streets Of Venice appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This story originally appeared on Stockhead. 

As the coronavirus outbreak rapidly evolves into a global pandemic, huge stock selloffs are almost par for the course at the moment.

And so it was again this morning, as the ASX200 promptly crashed by another 2.82 per cent to 6,260 points.

Daily falls on the Small Ords have typically been a little more extreme since the selloff began, and it was down 3.5 per cent to 2,632 points.

Local markets appeared to get a small boost shortly after midday (AEST), when stocks in Shanghai commenced trading. With volatility spiking, whether the gains will be short-lived is anyone’s guess.

Government bond yields continue to plumb new lows as central banks globally indicate their willingness to try and spur economic activity.

Australia’s RBA is set to make its monthly rates announcement tomorrow. Markets are fully priced for at least one rate cut, with some analysts now speculating the RBA could move to cut rates by 50 basis points.

Winners

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday March 2:

Amid the sea of red, there was some interesting price action for mining and construction company VDM Group.

The company released its half-year report on Friday evening after markets had closed. Revenue was down 79.7 per cent to $29,000, resulting in a net loss of $857,000.

However, shares in the company ticked higher to 0.4c — good enough for a morning gain of 300 per cent.

Losers

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday March 2:

A technical correction that’s rapidly turning into a bear market isn’t a great time to issue a profit downgrade.

The company said its previous guidance for a small downgrade “will now not be met due to rising arrears in its business finance division, prompting higher write-offs and bad debt impairment provisioning than previously expected”.

Thorn Group also announced it had completed its enforceable undertaking with ASIC, which required it to remediate eligible customers “in relation to historic lending practices”.

Read Next

•  Smart & Simple Ways To Get Filthy Rich In Your Forties 
• The ATO Is Investigating Australian Office Workers After Receiving $1.5 Billion Worth Of ‘Essential’ Uniform Claims

The post The Best Performing Australian Stocks As The Markets Implode appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We’d all lick a flight attendant’s feet for an upgrade, but what would you do to avoid being shunted down? At least nine business class passengers recently faced this dilemma, with United Airlines offering them a $10,000 voucher to downgrade from business class.

This decision was forced after an “equipment issue” meant the airline used a smaller plane than usual to service an 11-hour direct flight from New Jersey’s Newark to Hawaii’s Honolulu.

As CNN Travel reports, “United Airlines had to swap out Boeing 777 aircraft for a Saturday flight from Newark to Hawaii, resulting in a reduction of business class seats.”

“These aren’t the passengers an airline wants to annoy.”

“So the airline offered miles to passengers willing to sit in a lower class of seating on the Boeing 767-300 for the 11-hour plus direct flight.”

In the end nine passengers accepted $10,000 in travel voucher compensation each for a total of $90,000.

On this, United spokeswoman Maddie King told CNN Travel, “Occasionally we have to change aircraft at the last minute and when that happens, we try to do the right thing and make the impact to customers as minimal as possible.”

King then revealed the passengers weren’t downgraded to economy, but to “premium plus”, United’s version of premium economy.

Not a bad day’s flight.

This then led into a broader discussion around downgrades, something known as an unlikely but cruel fate, but which now appears to be something airlines are really working on eliminating (or improving the experience of).

United offering 10 passengers $10,000 each for a downgrade from “business” to “premium plus” on a Newark to Honolulu flight today. What a time to be alive! pic.twitter.com/ZecZKAM2Gz

— Joshua Browder (@jbrowder1) February 23, 2020

Whether or not other airlines start matching United’s exorbitant payoffs, it’s evident that United themselves have re-assessed their suck it up policy.

This becomes especially apparent when you compare it to their controversial treatment of a doctor in 2017, who was dragged kicking off a Louisville-bound aircraft by Chicago police officers in an incident that quickly went viral.

As People reports, “Following the incident, United outlined a list of changes, which included allowing employees to offer up to $10,000 to encourage passengers on overbooked flights to take a different trip.”

Read Next

• First Class Passenger Rant Sparks Flight Attendant Fury 
• The Biggest Myth People Still Believe About Business Class

The post United Business Class: Airline Solves Ultimate Indignity…But At What Cost? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="247401" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://www.tedbaker.com/us/Outlet/Mens/Clothing/c/mens-outlet-clothing?int_cmpid=_m_mn_us_outlet_clothing&skimoffer=921800"][vc_column_text]There are plenty of menswear sale...

↬ Click here to view the full article/gallery on D'Marge

The post Score Up To 60% Off At Ted Baker’s Outlet Sale appeared first on DMARGE.

You’d think by now people would know their nutrition. We all know sugar and (excessive) carbs are the enemy, and healthy fats are no longer to be feared. Protein is as popular as ever and ‘woke’ consumers are now switching soda for kombucha and beer for wine.

And we all still love a smoothie.

RELATED: Shop Dairy Free Protein Powder

But, according to a recent article published in The New York Times, there are still two big illusions many harbour under, and they are to do with milk and juice. We reckon most people already know juice is just empty calories, however, so are going to focus on milk.

Basically, as Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of paediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, the author of the piece, explains, this common beverage, found in the fridge of every household (whether vegan or carnivore), is as vital to your wellbeing as your appendix.

While the piece mainly focusses on the folly of quibbling over the difference in cow’s milk as opposed to vegetable milk (it argues this is a pointless debate, since we require neither) in the context of children, it also contains an often forgotten truth for most adults: the only beverage you need past the age of two is water.

“All other mammals consume only two liquids over the course of their lives: breast milk and water.”

In other words, you don’t see an Ox or a Gorilla sipping protein shakes, or slurping on chocolate milk. However, as a species, we still persist in drinking milk, to the point where even those that give it up (vegans, the lactose intolerant, those with IBS) substitute it with a plant-based alternative, so ingrained is our love for insipid liquid.

“Arguments that it’s good for you because it has protein and other vitamins and minerals could be made about many, many other foods (but those foods don’t receive such official recommendations of support).”

While here at DMARGE we love a creamy macadamia latte as much as the next hipster, we have to admit: it’s probably going to be beneficial to your conception of nutrition (and your bank account) if you accept that sometimes it’s ok to have a long black or to make your porridge with water instead of almond milk.

And if you are going to drink cow’s milk, we’d argue you should do it early-ancestor style – like an opportunistic omnivore. In other words: infrequently and rapaciously (that Cadbury’s Dairy Milk won’t know what’s hit it).

“Every beverage other than water and breast milk might be treated the way alcohol is for adults — you can have it if you want it, but don’t be under the illusion that you need it.”

This scepticism regarding the necessity of milk appears to be shared by the BBC, who last year wrote, “Set against the 300,000-year history of our species, drinking milk is quite a new habit. Before about 10,000 years ago or so, hardly anybody drank milk, and then only on rare occasions.”

Milk for thought.

Read Next

• Lebron James Diet Revelation Proves Keto Warriors Wrong
• Why Spaniards Will Never Understand Australia’s Obsession With Wellness

The post Milk Nutrition: Illusion Most Adults Still Believe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If ever you wanted a glimpse into what clothes and materials we should be wearing in the forthcoming seasons, mega-famous celebrities are usually a good indicator, and one such talisman of emerging trends is Kanye West. The outspoken rapper/rockstar consistently strives to be on the very cutting edge of fashion and his latest look only confirms a burgeoning menswear trend.

Making an appearance in Paris on Sunday the 1st of March 2020 to conduct another one of his Sunday Services at the 19th Century Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, as well as to attend the Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2020/21 fashion show, the Stronger rapper showed us all that leather is indeed set to become a major player in the fashion world.

That’s because he was seen rocking a pair of black leather jogger-style pants with a cream stripe, and zipper-opening over the ankle, which prove to be far more casual than the pair Rob Lowe was recently seen wearing. Kanye’s pair are as yet unidentified, but you can snap up this similar pair from Acne Studios for A$1,500.

And if you needed more proof that leather is ‘the next big thing’, you only have to take one glance at his wife Kim Kardashian and her sister Kourtney, who both wore full leather latex bodysuits.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9M_OPgH4Wd/

Kanye teamed his shiny pants with a black suede shirt/jacket and a pair of his own, yet-to-be-released Yeezy Boost 451 sneakers. The sneakers are certainly head-turning with a wave-style sole – and aren’t too dissimilar from his Yeezy Foam Runners – although they were likely the perfect footwear to match the rainy weather of the French capital.

Read Next

• This Could Be The Most Frightening Menswear Trend Of 2020
• Happy Kanye West’s Denim Jacket Is The Ray Of Sunshine We Needed

The post Kanye West Just Confirmed This Alarming Menswear Trend appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="247357" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://huckberry.com/store/terrane/category/p/58110-oklahoma-whiskey-set"][vc_column_text]Picture this, you've had a long, hard day at work and you've just gotten home after a m...

↬ Click here to view the full article/gallery on D'Marge

The post This $230 Whiskey Set Is The Ultimate Gift For Any Whiskey Lover & Is On Sale appeared first on DMARGE.

If you’re in the market for a truly luxurious sedan, you have to spend big money on something like a Rolls Royce, a Bentley, or even a Mercedes Maybach. These modern-day high roller vehicles represent the very best in comfort, quality and are the best way to show the world you have money.

But if you want to achieve a similar feat, with a car that’s been around for some time, one of the very best examples is this 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, which is available right now on Carsales. The 450SEL 6.9 is, as the name suggests, based on the 450SEL which was first introduced in 1972. However, this particular model was built by Daimler-Benz at its Stuttgart factory in Germany, where it was given its very own production line.

That’s because it was a top-of-the-line model that was built in limited numbers, with a total of 7,380 of them being produced. Compare this to the nearly 60,000 ‘regular’ 450SEL sedans made and you can immediately see how much rarer the 6.9 model is. That 6.9 figure refers to the 6.9L V8 cast iron engine found under the hood, which at the time was the largest engine fitted to any non-American car post-WWII.

It proved especially handy in the 1998 film Ronin, where it was used in the first major car chase sequence, where it was driven by Jean Reno’s character, Vincent. Ok, so it might not features in the chase scene that many critics cite as one of the best in cinematic history, but it still more than holds its own speeding around the streets of Nice. Of course, we don’t encourage you to do the same should you buy it.

An Australia-specific model was made without a catalyst and produced 198kW of power, but this model on sale was destined for other territories and so gets the higher-powered 210kW output, giving it a top speed of 225km/h. But while the 6.9 didn’t have as luxurious an interior as one might have expected – don’t worry, it has leather seats – it made up for it with superb ride quality thanks to its hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.

When it was first launched, Mercedes-Benz charged US$40,000 for the 6.9 in North America, putting it on par with a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, which then demanded a $43,200 price tag. Both were significantly more expensive than a similar $16,000 Cadillac.

Read Next

• Research Reveals Ugly Truth About Luxury Car Owners
• What No One Tells You About Buying A Second Hand Car

The post Rare Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 From ‘Ronin’ Is Your Chance To Own A Piece Of Cinematic History appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="247416" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://www.eastdane.com/brands-reigning-champ/br/v=1/20633.htm#/?f=merchandiseCategory=%26sortBy.sort=PRIORITY%3ANATURAL%26filterContext=20633%26tDim=220x390%26swDim=18x17%26bas...

↬ Click here to view the full article/gallery on D'Marge

The post A Mere $265 Will Score You The Ultimate Grey Tracksuit appeared first on DMARGE.