Scandinavians are some of the most well-dressed people in the world with an innate ability to make an outfit look like 'all this just happened without effort'.

From Norway to Finland, Denmark to Iceland, Scandinavia has some of the coldest, darkest winter days, but also the longest, summer ones t...

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Around 37% of frequent travellers claim to have taken a solo trip in the past. When it comes to booking a holiday (or adventure) for one, AARP statistics show that 81% of them are likely to take another solo trip in the next 12 months.

But when you plan a round world trip, one tends to picture luscious palm fronds and vacant beaches. Or maybe snow capped mountains and remote hiking trails. Either way, chances are you wouldn’t think of checking out Venezuela’s currency crisis, South Sudan’s political unrest or Mexico’s cartels.

Just in case you were (or if you were interested in Venezuela’s scuba dive spots, Sudan’s national parks or tequila-tasting in Mexico), a new report outlines the 10 riskiest destinations for solo travellers in 2019, as well as handy advice from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office on topics from how not to get kidnapped, to dating apps and travel insurance.

The report compares the population of each country’s feeling of safety and security, sourcing its data from the Gallup Global Law and Order Report and Global Peace Index 2018, which asked residents of 142 countries about; how safe they feel walking alone at night, their confidence with local police, whether they had been assaulted or mugged and more. The responses were then compiled into a Law and Order Index score for each country, from which the “safest” and “riskiest” rankings were born.

10. Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone used to attract upwards of 100,000 visitors a year, attracted to the country’s white sandy beaches, blue waters and swaying palm trees, until the “blood diamond trade” and associated civil war (from 1991 to 2002) firmly removed it from people’s itineraries. Almost 20 years on, Sierra Leone is still recovering from the wartime horrors, but as its position on this list shows, it is slowly getting its stability back.

Coming in at number 10, Sierra Leone received 61 Gallup Law & Order Index “points” (the lower the score, the lesser proportion of the population reports feeling safe). So compared to the rest of the world, the citizens of Sierra Leone don’t feel particularly safe—but still reported feeling more secure than the residents of the other nine countries on this list.

9. Botswana

Endowed with some of the most majestic wildlife spectacles on earth, Botswana is one of the great safari destinations of Africa, and (currently) a relatively safe place to visit. However, as Australia’s Department Of Foreign Affairs points out, conditions can change suddenly—hence the Gallup score of 61 (on par with Sierra Leone).

8. Dominican Republic

The Dominican republic received a score of 60, indicating a similar (although slightly lower) level of trust indicated by Gallup poll respondents. This may be down to: on and off tensions along the Haitian border, street crime, and the presence of cholera and HIV. The US Department Of State issued a warning last year advising visitors to exercise increased caution.

“Violent crime, such as robbery, murder, and sexual assault, is common. The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality.”

7. Mexico

On 58 ‘trust’ points, Mexico is ranked as equally risky as the Dominican republic by the US Department Of State. However, according to this recent Gallup poll, it is slightly riskier. This could be down to: crime, cartels, corruption etc (however this also depends on the region).

6. South Africa

Tied with Mexico on 58 points, South Africa was the 6th riskiest country, according to Gallup respondents. And when you consider South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world (30 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants) you see why it has a negative reputation for safety. However, as pointed out by the travel website The Common Wanderer (and the same might be said for various other countries on this list); “What you really have to understand as a traveller here is that 80% of all homicides happen within a specific social context.”

“(Homicides happen) mostly between people who know each other in certain neighbourhoods. Often, this is gang violence that occurs in townships. For the most part, this violence doesn’t spill into other areas, and when it does it tends to still occur between members who know each other – not random attacks on strangers.”

5. Liberia

On 56 points, Liberia was ranked slightly less safe than South Africa.

4. Gabon

“Crime, road safety & interruptions to power & water are just some of the things travellers need to consider when travelling to Gabon,” World Nomads tells us. Which may help explain their score of 55 in the Gallup poll.

3. South Sudan

One of the countries where residents reported most crime and vulnerability was South Sudan—more even than Venezuela, which ranked (for different reasons) as the riskiest country to visit. South Sudan received a poll score of 54.

2. Afghanistan

Like South Sudan, residents of Afghanistan reported some of the highest levels of theft in the list, and is said to be signifcantly riskier even than South Sudan, its score dropping to 45.

1. Venezuela

If you are thinking about going to Venezuela, which received a trust rating of 44, the authors of this report recommend you exercise a high degree of caution. This reflects a country in crisis, and although poll respondents might be exaggeratedly despondent (due to a deep seated dissatisfaction with their government), some facts speak volumes: “Just 17% of residents said they felt safe walking alone at night where they live, and 24% expressed confidence in their police.”

​”The FCO advises against all but essential travel to remaining areas of Venezuela due to unrest, instability and ongoing crime.”

RELATED: The World’s Most Scary Travel Destinations For Those Who Fear Nothing 

The post These Are Officially The Most Dangerous Destinations For Solo Travel appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Fluoro. Check. Turtleneck. Check. White pants. Check. White framed sunglasses. Sure, check.

If you were looking for one of the northern winter’s most outlandish looks this winter then you’ve found it on Jeff Goldblum. The 66 year-old actor is currently doing the rounds at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in Utah and you can bet there’ll be more intriguing looks from Hollywood’s most stylish man today.

In the mean time though, we have Goldblum’s daring outfit during his overnight appearance duties. The look is so progressive that one wouldn’t even know how to classify it. Part après-ski, part 80s dancefloor and part modern winter tailoring, Goldblum has pulled off a seemingly new genre of its own.

Breaking down the outfit we have a camel overcoat worn over a knitted sweater featuring fluoro tie-dye waves. Looking after the functional aspect is a black turtleneck which matches perfectly with Goldblum’s Cartier Tank timepiece and black utility boots.

And just when you thought fitted white trousers were the right finish to the look, Goldblum throws in not one, but two pairs of glasses – a white framed pair with orange tinted lenses for indoors and a pair of classic black wayfarers for the outdoors.

And that, my friends, is how you can own your winter wardrobe without following any damn rulebook.

The post Jeff Goldblum’s Winter Fashion Is A Winner appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

As you roll out of bed, wipe the 6am sleep out your eyes and pop in your earbuds, you’re probably not thinking about the mental health benefits of listening to gangsta rap while jogging slowly on a treadmill. However, a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry has just provided the “strongest evidence” yet that exercise prevents depression.

Better yet: revealed in the study is the exact amount of exercise that could help you reduce the likelihood of developing depression.

Harnessing the genetic data of 300,000 patients, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who did more exercise had a lower chance of experiencing a major depressive disorder. While this has been studied for years, it’s never been established whether ‘not exercising’ is a symptom or cause of depression.

However, lead researcher, Karmel Choi, says the significance of this new study is that it shows exercise has a causal effect on one’s mental well being: “We found evidence that higher levels of physical activity may causally reduce risk for depression.”

Specifically, the research demonstrates that replacing sedentary behaviour with 15 minutes of “moderate to vigorous” activity each day can reduce your depression risk by approximately 26%.

“On average, doing more physical activity appears to protect against developing depression … and any activity appears to be better than none.”

Promisingly, and as pointed out by the ABC, “While the study showed physical activity could prevent depression, it found no evidence that being diagnosed with depression affected a person’s ability to exercise.”

That said, depressed individuals are still at an increased risk of reduced physical activity, Joseph Firth (a senior research fellow at Western Sydney University, who was not involved in the study), told the ABC.

“It’s still the case that people with depression are less active than the general population, but [the study] is saying it’s not necessarily the depression itself that’s driving that relationship,” Dr Firth said.

“It could be social factors, rather than the actual genetics of depression… So, it’s still worth thinking about physical activity interventions for people with depression.”

Dr Firth added that this latest study has provided “the strongest evidence” yet for using exercise to prevent depression, telling the ABC, “These findings could ultimately inform new public health schemes, which use physical activity and exercise to not only reduce the risk of physical health problems, but also to combat the mental health epidemic.”

However, if you don’t want to wait for a public scheme to get your butt moving, you are always welcome to try replacing 15 minutes of your daily sedentary behaviour with “moderate to vigorous” activity, which the study found could reduce your depression risk by about 26%.

 

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On that note: as always when scientists come up with a new finding (or suggestion) made ever more suggestive by media hype, one should assess it with a level head. In this study, for instance, although 15 minutes was found to be an effective “mood booster” for 300,000 research volunteers, one must remember that it was a random number, chosen by scientists, that happened to work for the bulk of the group.

But when it comes to applying this scientific development to your own life, you need to consider if you are already doing more (or less) exercise than the average citizen, as well as any other personal circumstances you may have. For that reason, when it comes to improving your mood, or—for that matter—anything related to your mental health, you should always consult a doctor (and perhaps also in this case, a PT) before making any changes (or attempting to ‘treat’ or diagnose yourself).

As Dr Choi points out: “More work needs to be done to figure out how best to tailor recommendations to different kinds of people with different risk profiles.” To that end she and her team are looking at, “Whether and how much physical activity can benefit different at-risk groups, such as people who are genetically vulnerable to depression or those going through stressful situations.”

“(We) hope to develop a better understanding of physical activity to promote resilience to depression.”

In other words: don’t go pulling out the Nobel Prize just yet. But good news is good news, so watch this space…

The post Exercise Prevents Depression According To New Research appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Made cool in the fifties by Brando, McQueen and James Dean, the leather jacket has since sustained a long lasting covenant with the modern man.

The timeless wardrobe piece has seen us through the proceeding decades effortlessly, with only a slight shoulder-pad and acid-wash glitch in the eighties...

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It’s a fact that men hate the thought of losing their hair and many will fight tooth and nail until the bitter end. John Travolta was once such a man, however not today.

After many years of denial and incredibly bad hair pieces John Travolta has finally accepted his fate. The man is bald, has been bald and will probably always be bald and for that we salute him.

Stepping out this week at the annual G’Day USA event in Los Angeles, Travolta sported a totally shaved hairdo. A refreshing change from his strategically placed follicles. Combined with a steady beard and wearing a classic black suit / white open collar shirt, Travolta cut a suave and masculine figure that we totally endorse.

With his acceptance of baldness and god given ability to grow substantial facial hair, it’s safe to say he’s a contender for more badass heroes and hard as nails villains in future movies.

Let’s hope Mr Travolta continues this trend and remains a beacon of light for bald men everywhere.

John Travolta Unveils New Bald Look for Living Legends of Aviation Awards https://t.co/PZ8HLA0iQH pic.twitter.com/Kq5KiH6tZm

— celebnewstoday (@celebnewstoday2) January 19, 2019

Wanna know what #JohnTravolta thinks of the reaction to his new ‘do? Don’t miss ⁦@Studio10au⁩ this morning! #GDayUSA #qantas pic.twitter.com/SSCAhtIbZB

— Angela Bishop (@AngelaBishop) January 27, 2019

The post John Travolta Is Now Bald & It’s Great appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When you think of Australia (let alone one of its islands), warm water, scorching sand and a rustling undergrowth probably come to mind. Heard Island however, the land down under’s best kept secret, features none of the above (it does plays host to some strange noises, but you’ll have to trade the undergrowth for glaciers and crocs for seals).

A seven day boat trip from Fremantle, getting to Heard Island is a bumpy 4,000-kilometre journey that only fishermen, poachers, and small groups of research scientists dare to make. Aside from that, few Australians are aware this rugged island exists.

According to the CSIRO, an American sailor, John Heard, discovered Heard Island in 1853, “And promptly named it after himself…” Britain then formally claimed Heard Island in 1910, later transferring it to Australia in 1947. And apart from a brief stint in the 1880’s (when sealers almost wiped out Heard’s elephant seal population), Heard Island has been left to its own devices—and developed such biological purity it was named a World Heritage Site in 1997.

Heard Island is also Australia’s tallest mountain (measuring 2,745 meters at its peak—517 taller than Kosciuszko) and an ancient geological goldmine. But very few people have heard (heh) of it, let alone stopped by for a visit. This is down to a number of factors: Heard Island is shrouded in thick cloud for about 360 days per year. It also features an active Volcano, with molten rock gurgling up through its middle; spewing forth and (gradually) increasing the island’s size.

Most volcano’s are located on the boundary of two tectonic plates, where they rub (or smash against) each other. But Heard Island, like Hawaii, is part of the 5% of the world’s volcanoes that sit on “hotspots” in the middle of tectonic plates. As the ABC explains, “A hotspot is a place where an unusually high flow of convective heat, known as a mantle plume, rises from deep within the earth. The plume melts through the earth’s crust, forming a volcano.”

In other words: Heard Island is like a pimple, forcing its way through the earth’s crust.

If it wasn’t for the volcano there would be no way for such a rich variety of species to exist on Heard Island (and the surrounding waters). As research scientist Dr Trull recently told the ABC, “The island’s volcanic activity is a source of iron. Iron enters the water and fertilises phytoplankton productivity in the Southern Ocean… Phytoplankton are the plants of the sea.”

“Smaller animals, like krill, eat the phytoplankton. Crustaceans and fish then eat the krill. Birds and seals eat the fish,” (ABC).

Suffice to say, Heard Island is an interesting—if unaccessible—place to visit. Which is why it is so fascinating to listen to someone who has been there multiple times explain what this wildlife-rich, exposed outcrop is really like. Dr Doug Thost, a former glaciologist with the Australian Antarctic division is one such individual. Talking to the ABC, he describes it as a “danger and a privilege” and explains why he has mixed feelings about the place.

“Humanity deserves to know a bit more about this place; it is a jewel in the southern Indian Ocean. I’d hate to see it loved to death, but I’d love to see it on Australia’s list of things to do from a research perspective… Being in such a remote and wild place is pretty humbling. You have to be very aware of the potential danger you could be in and how unlikely it is that you could be rescued if something does go wrong, but it’s invigorating.”

In fact, 15 years ago, one of Dr Thost’s fellow glaciologists almost died exploring the island to study how fast one of its glaciers was melting: “We were at the top of the glacier and my co-researcher and I turned around to go back. We were roped up, thank God, because my colleague suddenly fell into a crevasse. He was a dead weight hanging down there for a bit,” Dr Thost told the ABC.

The weather can be just as nasty, with wind speeds at Heard averaging a cool 33 kilometres per hour, and maxing out at 200 kilometres per hour—something which Dr Thost had the misfortune to experience on top of a glacier, during an impromptu blizzard. So despite luxury cruise ships braving more dangerous destinations this year, don’t expect a tourism boon here.

Having said that, if tourism could ever be implemented sustainably, it would be a remarkable trip for nature lovers. According to the ABC, “Three species of seal live on and around the islands. There are also two endemic bird species, the Heard Island sheathbill and Heard Island cormorant. Fifteen species of flying birds breed there as well as four species of penguin.” And that’s not to mention the Antarctic cod and icefish, or the human-sized Patagonian toothfish (and rare lantern fish).

 

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Like the Galapagos, Heard Island was granted UNESCO World Heritage status due to its biological purity (“Heard is the only subantarctic island virtually free of introduced species,” ABC). And as Dr Trull saw for himself—that purity is reflected in the behaviour of its wildlife.

“The penguins are so curious,” Dr Trull told the ABC, “They aren’t fearful of humans, so they come up to the boat and get so excited that they get silly. They dive and jump like dolphins, trying to get a look at the boat, and they just look stunned.”

“The entire place is stunning, and it’s ours. It’s our volcano and glaciers and animals,” he continued. “It startles me that Australians think of their beaches and red deserts, but they don’t know about this other part of their landscape.”

The post Australia’s Most Remote Island Is A Danger appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Around 44% of Australians admit to infidelity in a relationship. When it comes to playing up while abroad a recent US survey discovered around 36 percent of men and 13 percent of women gave into temptation while on a holiday or business trip. They may be some pretty dismal stats when it comes to trust in a relationship but don’t worry it’s not all bad news.

What if your partner does cheat and you find out while they’re still abroad? Do you confront them over the phone? Do you write a shitty email? Or maybe just forget to pick them up from the airport. “Where are you?” “Oh I’m sorry I don’t pick up cheaters from airports.”

This week, a local Melbourne hero took it up a notch with this creative and cold blooded approach to confronting his cheating partner at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

It’s presumed he was welcoming home his partner from an international adventure and instead decided to call the cheater out…. in public with a big sign saying “I know YOU cheated”.

At Melbourne airport today he was waiting to greet his cheating partner… I AM DECEASED pic.twitter.com/zhqJ4TwRIp

— Kryz (@KrystaalA) January 23, 2019

In true internet style it didn’t take long for the trolls to add their two cents. It seems his sandals were not a hit.

From the look of that sandals he got on, i wld’ve cheated too. That sandals were cancelled way back chile…

— (@JustMYSELFandI0) January 24, 2019

In the Birkenstock’s. Relaxed AF

— Billy Baratheon (@kNo_Mercy) January 24, 2019

Those shoes were probably why

— Sass Panda (@TamsynFrankson) January 24, 2019

Thankfully someone came to this legend’s defence.

The fact that so many people would “cheat on him because of his sandals” is also the reason that so many of y’all “can’t find a good man”

— Regina George (@jourrrrr) January 24, 2019

The post Man Confronts Cheating Partner At Melbourne Airport appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

From Neil Armstrong thanking the team of engineers who kept him alive during the moon landing, to John Lennon thanking the Smothers Brothers for not hitting him for showing up drunk at their club (and heckling them during their act); being able to write a classy thank you letter is a crucial life skill.

A life skill, we might add, that the venerable Winston Churchill, had mastered. And it’s not just important if you’re famous: the skill evident in this 1945 “thank you letter” masterclass applies to far more than your annual Christmas thank you note to your long lost aunt.

Whether it’s to get yourself out of a jam (or into a party), you don’t have to be an old fashioned soul to enjoy putting pen to paper: thank-you letters are useful for job interview follow-ups, acquaintances who’ve helped you find a job (or hooked you up with a networking contact), colleagues who have covered for you while you were sick, or anyone who has gone out of their way to help you at short notice.

These actions deserve more than an Instagram #shoutout. But the question remains? If writing a thank you letter is a dying art, how does one come up with something that doesn’t sound like a social media #sponsored post? With practice—and this guide.

And who better to turn to than the best? Here’s how to write a thank you letter with meaning, demonstrated by one of the classiest men in history: Sir Winston Churchill.

To start with: address the person (or group) you are thanking appropriately. Remember: nothing screams insincere louder than getting someone’s name (or title) wrong. As you can see from Churchill’s admirable letter he wrote to IWC after they made him a watch, he plays it cool (but respectful), addressing the group as “gentlemen.”

Next he acknowledges what they have done for him, “I have now received the very fine gold watch which you have so kindly given me for my 70th birthday.” This is followed by an earnest expression of gratitude: “I ask you to accept my warmest and most sincere thanks.”

Finally, he offers a personal explanation of what the gift means to him: “I should like you to know how much I value the goodwill which you have shown in subscribing to this handsome and carefully chosen present as well as the trouble you have taken in having it so beautifully inscribed.”

“Yours very faithfully, Winston Churchill.”

Class. Pure class.

The post Winston Churchill Letter To IWC Proves Men Have Lost The Art Of A Thank You Letter appeared first on DMARGE Australia.