Taking yourself to the gym several times a week can feel like a slog to some people. Others, of course, live for the gym and would spend 24 hours a day there, if they could. Part of the reason for the lack of motivation experienced by some is the belief they have to spend at least one hour working out to see any results. But that might not be the case…

People who are new to the gym may feel they need to spend at least one hour performing a range of workouts in order to gain any noticeable benefit. However, there is no hard and fast rule that says ‘the longer you workout, the stronger or more fit you will become.’ According to Myprotein ambassador and transformation coach Tom Bailey the whole concept of “if you’re not working out for more than an hour, it’s a waste of time,” is a complete myth.

To help determine how long your workout sessions should last, you need to consider your age, fitness level and goals. As Healthline says, “how much time a powerlifter spends exercising is largely different from an ultramarathoner.” For the recreational gym-goer, i.e. those not training for a specific purpose such as to compete in a competition, but someone who just wants to improve their physique and fitness level, there is a minimal amount of time but also a maximal amount of time that should be spent working out.

A 2020 study analysed data from over 2,600 previous studies focusing on a person’s 1RM (one repetition maximum) when performing a squat, bench press and deadlift. The study wanted to determine “what is the minimum one needs to do to increase 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength?”

After analysing the data, the study found that “performing a single set of 6-12 repetitions with loads ranging from approximately 70-85% 1RM 2-3 times per week with high intensity of effort (reaching volitional or momentary failure) for 8-12 weeks can produce suboptimal, yet significant increases in SQ and BP 1RM strength in resistance-trained men.”

This tells us that if your goal is to increase your 1RM, then you only need to spend the amount of time it takes to complete a single set of a lift to achieve it. Including a warm-up, this would mean you’d only spend around 15-minutes in the gym.

A separate study, meanwhile, examined the effects of the number of sets in relation to strength gain and found that a high number of weekly sets performed was the most effective in causing strength gain. This was particularly prevalent in men who had little experience in the gym, which backs up the phenomenon of the training plateau. This sees people who are new to the gym making huge gains quickly, but eventually find their strength increases start to slow down.

In this instance, with the results of the study saying a high number of weekly sets per workout is required for strength gain, the suggestion is that your workouts will need to last longer. And, with a higher number of sets, you also need to take into account rest periods.

Healthline says the amount of rest you take between sets can vary and will once again be influenced by your training goals. For people looking to increase muscular strength (and therefore likely performing fewer reps of a higher weight) the recommended rest period between sets is 2 to 5 minutes.

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On the contrary, those looking to increase muscular size (otherwise known as hypertrophy) the rest periods should be shorter at around 60 – 90 seconds.

When you take these rest periods into account, your workout session duration will naturally increase. For example, if you perform one the big three compound lifts such as a deadlift, but are training for hypertrophy, you will likely perform 4 to 5 sets with 6 to 8 reps per set. Add in a 90-second rest between each set and you’re looking at 5 to 6 minutes spent just deadlifting.

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Add in some other accessory exercises and a couple of other full body or lower body exercises, along with rest periods, and you’ll soon start hitting at least 60 minutes spent in the gym.

As Tom Bailey explains, you also need to consider how much time you can actually dedicate to the gym in the first place. If you have a busy work or social schedule, then finding at least one hour a day to go to the gym may not be possible.

Tom told DMARGE that ultimately, the optimal workout time “is individual based on the training goal and time available.”

“A powerlifter may need a two-hour workout due to extended rest periods; two hours is a requirement due to their preferred sport and they’ll allocate time in their schedule accordingly. Whereas a busy mother simply looking to keep fit with only 30 minutes a day that can commit to 5x per week would do very well.”

That last point is especially true. Working out shouldn’t be something that takes over your life (unless you are training as an athlete or need to dedicate some serious hours for training for a marathon, for example) so if you can only spare 30 minutes a week, that’s totally fine. Spending 30 minutes working out is always going to better than committing no time at all.

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The post This Is How Long You Should Spend In The Gym appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There’s perhaps no spirit more influential in Australian culture than rum, but in recent years, the dark sugary drop has gained a bit of a ‘bogan’ reputation. Yet rum is currently enjoying a surprising spike in popularity – and it’s premium rum that’s leading that charge.

Australia probably wouldn’t exist without rum. A lack of coinage in the early days of the colony of New South Wales meant that bottles of rum were used as official currency – as well as a way to entice unruly convicts to work. Rum continued to strongly influence the economy, culture and politics of the colony, and was even responsible for the only military takeover of an Australian government, the Rum Rebellion of 1808. Yo ho ho.

These days, Aussies would rather PayWave than trade bottles of booze, but rum remains one of Australia’s most popular alcoholic beverages, especially in Queensland, where most of the country’s sugarcane (and therefore rum) is made. While whisky is the most popular spirit across Australia, rum remains #1 in Queensland.

Yet where other dark spirits like whisky or cognac have a rather sophisticated reputation in Australia, rum has often been seen as a pedestrian, even bogan drink thanks to a heady combination of cultural cringe, the proliferation of low-quality rum-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) and rum’s old-fashioned image.

Things are changing, though. Just as gin and tequila have had an image makeover in recent years, rum is suddenly becoming in vogue. According to Statista, the Australian rum market is currently worth over AU$159 million and is expected to grow annually by 6.91%, with much of that growth led by a renewed interest in premium rums.

We here at DMARGE wanted to find out what’s fuelling Australia’s ‘rum renaissance’, so we spoke exclusively with Duncan Littler, marketing director at Bundaberg Rum – Australia’s biggest and most famous rum distillery – who explains that, much like gin and tequila, Australians are increasingly drinking ‘more and better’ when it comes to rum.

“Throughout the pandemic, people were looking to make enjoying a drink at home feel a little bit more special. That’s what drove the boom in spirits – and what’s more special than a beautifully made rum cocktail?” he suggests.

“Mixing delicious cocktails at home reminded people of rum’s versatility and how it is the foundation of some of the world’s great drinks such as the Mojito, Mai Tai, Daiquiri, Piña Colada, Hurricane and the Dark & Stormy to name a few.”

Duncan Littler

We also spoke with Shane Casey, head distiller at Brix Distillers, Sydney’s first urban craft rum distillery, who agrees that there’s been a mindset shift among Australian drinkers.

“In general, Australians are now becoming better educated on spirits and are being more considered in the products that they are buying, easily placing rum alongside the best wine, beer and spirits,” he says.

Indeed, the most recent Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report suggests dark rum as the spirit that is ‘premiumising’ most, followed by tequila, gin, mezcal and vermouth.

RELATED: The Unexpected Premium Spirit Fast Becoming Australia’s Favourite

Like most things rum in Australia, Queensland is leading the way when it comes to premium rum, although the rest of the country isn’t far behind.

“We’re drinking rum more mindfully. Our customers are drinking better quality and less of it, rather than binge drinking. They’re considering rum in the same way as whisky or cognac,” manager and rum expert at Brisbane’s The Gresham Bar, Dan Gregory, recently told The Guardian.

The other factor fuelling Australia’s rum renaissance? The growing popularity of spiced rums, a segment which is growing twice as fast as dark rum and is now the third fastest growing category in RTDs, Duncan explains.

“Spiced rums are a really exciting way for people to enter and explore the world of rum. Spiced rum’s easier drinking profile is making it appealing to younger adult rum drinkers, bourbon drinkers and even light spirit drinkers. What we are then finding is that once people begin experimenting with spiced rum, they then become even more rum curious and get excited about exploring dark rum as well.”

RELATED: Master Distiller Dispels ‘Bogan’ Bourbon Myths Australians Still Believe

Most spiced rums in Australia have traditionally been imported products – think Captain Morgan, which is made in the U.S. Virgin Islands or The Kraken from Trinidad – but more Australian distillers are experimenting with spiced rums, from the big producers like Bundaberg to smaller producers like Brix.

Whether it’s spiced, premium or otherwise, Australia’s status as one of the few countries capable of making cultivated rum thanks to our ideal sugarcane-growing climate and large sugarcane crop means we’re uniquely poised to take advantage of rum’s popularity boom.

What’s the next big thing in rum?

“I think we are going to continue to see spiced and premium rum grow at rates exceeding the rest of the rum category,” Duncan suggests. “At the same time, I think we are also going to see Australian rum fans continue to celebrate rum’s versatility through white, gold and dark rum cocktail exploration.”

“Australia has traditionally been a dark rum market [but] we are starting to see a growing number of rum fans explore delicate white rums, herbaceous agricole style rhums and embrace the emergence of crisp cane spirit.”

Shane reckons that the increased interest in rum, especially premium rums, will see the spirit become a more regulated product, with stricter appellations like whisky – which ultimately will continue to improve rum’s image.

“The consumer wants to be more informed on what they are drinking, so I can see a push towards better category definitions and moving away from ambiguous categories like gold and dark, with full transparency by listing age statements, location of maturation, quantities of colour and sugar added.”

Shane Casey

Indeed, some savvy sippers suggest that premium rum might be on the cusp of becoming an alternative asset class like whisky or wine, Forbes reports – making such regulation even more likely. Pirates used to trade in rum, so there’s definitely precedent for this…

All in all, things are (or should that be ‘arrr’?) looking good for rum, rum makers and rum lovers.

“With rum fans expanding their repertoire, more local craft distillers beginning to make rum and existing rum producers looking to further push the boundaries of rum making, I really believe we are going to see the rum category become even more diverse and vibrant,” Duncan concludes.

We’ll drink to that.

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The post Australia’s Most Maligned Spirit Is Having A Huge Renaissance appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australian surfing royalty Sally Fitzgibbons speaks to DMARGE about her latest career goals, setbacks, the impact of social media on athletes’ performance and what to do when you feel like “the sky is falling.”

“Someone’s always going to have an opinion on what you’re doing: from how you’re eating breakfast to how you perform, to how you warm down, to how you wear your shorts; it’s so constant,” Sally Fitzgibbons told DMARGE recently.

Fitzgibbons – born and raised in the sleepy seaside town of Gerroa on Australia’s New South Wales coast – was talented at a variety of sports growing up.

She represented her state and Australia 14 times, winning gold at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in the 800m and 1500m. She also showed promise at touch football, soccer, athletics and cross-country. But all of this eventually became secondary to surfing.

When Fitzgibbons was 14, she became the youngest surfer to win an ASP Pro Junior event before following that feat up with an International Surfing Association under 18 world title a year later in Portugal.

She went on to make history at 18, when she won the Qualifying Series championship faster than any other woman ever, setting a record by closing out the 2008 series in the first five events.

Fitzgibbons continued this remarkable run of form when she joined the Championship Tour (CT). She finished her first ever season as the World Number 5. Fitzgibbons then came runner-up three years in a row – in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

She recently sat down for a chat with DMARGE about her goals, the changing face of the World Surf League, what it’s like being under constant media scrutiny, what it means to be a Breitling ambassador and her advice for the next generation of Australian athletes.

The first topic Fitzgibbons tackled was designing a watch that can withstand the wrath of the ocean (“it takes no mercy,” she told us), as well as sharing how excited she was to see the release of the new Breitling SuperOcean earlier this year. As Fitzgibbons explained: “It’s taken a few versions to match it as it’s a super sleek and stylish watch – but also one that has to be that reliable when you’re in the water.”

“You don’t want to be thinking, ‘is this thing going to fall off?’ It’s cool to have something that’s good for the gym and good for the ocean, but also something you can come straight back onto land with that can fit in with all your outfits and look great there too.”

Sally Fitzgibbons

Fitzgibbons, who is part of the Breitling Surfer Squad, told DMARGE: “The sport of surfing isn’t a niche anymore. It has expanded into so many environments [and] it’s cool to be that bridge [between them].” She also said: “Whether it’s the beach clean-ups or spending time with Kelly and Steph [Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore], to me it’s something really powerful.”

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“Wearing a Breitling timepiece is a constant reminder of that –  it’s not just a beautiful looking watch, it’s a story; a connection. When you’re out there competing alone, with two minutes remaining in the heat and you look down at your watch, whether it’s that energy of Steph and Kelly – that feeling of being together as a squad – [it helps].”

“That’s in a sense our modern-day armour. It’s a way to express ourselves, it’s part of the jigsaw in your own personal development. That kind of style influences you to feel positive and confident walking out that door.”

Speaking of confidence, we asked Fitzgibbons how she copes with setbacks – and what her advice would be for the next generation of athletes now breaking onto the tour. She told us: “People go through the wash cycle, then they stop to go: ‘I’m going to give this little bit of self-care back.'”

She said it’s not helpful to compare yourself to others with this crazy pace of life, but it’s better to find your own groove. That said, Fitzgibbons admitted: “It does feel like the sky is falling after setbacks.” But having a plan, trusting the process and taking care of yourself “can minimise the highs and the lows.”

Diet is also key, Fitzgibbons said, especially as an athlete who is often travelling around the world. “You want to have this set regiment,” Fitzgibbons told DMARGE. “Everything in life pushes against that. You can be travelling to a different country or culture every other week, so to think you’re going to get the same salad is not the case.”

It’s better to have more of a framework and to plug in the best options as you’re going along, Fitzgibbons said. It’s also useful to have “default options” for when you’re most hungry, so that you’re not reaching out for junk, and so that you can stick to a plan of eating with purpose and intention.

In terms of snacks, Fitzgibbons is a fan of fruit, nuts, Greek yogurt, a cup of tea or a chai, she told us. Then when it comes to lunch she likes to go for some “nice lean protein” – whether that’s fish or chicken – and to look at the plate’s real estate, to make sure there’s a bigger amount of vegetables (that the other elements), a little bit of starch (“whether it’s rice or sweet potato”) and a little bit of protein.

Next up is training. Fitzgibbons told us she loves outdoor running and biking, which she says are great sports for seeing new environments (especially when you are travelling). She’s also a fan of body weight exercises, swimming, agility work, fast-paced exercises and squat holds, pushing around a bit more weight and building up her strength base (especially in preparation for long point break waves like Australia’s Snapper and South Africa’s JBay).

RELATED: Sally Fitzgibbons Wears Most Unlikely Watch While Surfing Western Australia

Finally, when it comes time to prepare for Hawaii there is a lot of underwater work to prepare for the demands (and hold downs) of heavy water.

Fitzgibbons also spoke to DMARGE about the mental pressures of competing at the top level: “You walk down that beach to achieve something that may or may not happen. You devote your life and put all your time and energy into something that may not give you what you dreamt of.”

“Dealing with those expectations within yourself can get really exhausting. You do have the storm clouds. Young kids coming up go… ‘Oh, no I want to become a pro surfer and chase my dream – it’s always going to be sunny and palm trees and riding waves and big smiles.’ But in actual fact, a lot of the time it can get really grindy. That’s why it’s important to have that mindset – and that framework – and those people you can reach out to.”

We’re already making progress in this area, Fitzgibbons told DMARGE. She said the biggest thing that she’s noticed improve during her career so far is the sheer saturation: “There’s been a huge push to get it over the line… to get those stigmas out the back door and just have people going: ‘Oh, ok this is accepted, I can talk to people.’ For me a big one is listening to podcasts as well – it’s quite an outlet – especially when I’m training.”

“I love listening to other athletes’ stories, realising, ‘Oh, you experienced that in an Olympic final, you had the same nerves,’ so that’s been a big change.”

Sally Fitzgibbons

Fitzgibbons says the biggest challenges for young kids (“the ones coming up now still gathering their thoughts and feet as they walk into our chaotic dust storm”) is going to be the scrutiny. She said: “I remember how fast it is coming out of your teens into your early twenties. Everything from opinion and appearance to desires and the way you talk – everything is different. And someone’s always going to have an opinion.”

“I didn’t grow up reaching for my phone. I was a country kid. A lot of the time that’s why I found myself outdoors working out on a training session or going surfing, or running on a headland – no cars, no phones no big city lights. So when that [social media] came across to me I was like, ‘I don’t really gravitate towards this,’ but I made a bit of a pact that I would share one thing in my day that made me really happy, like a vibe or some little bit of joy.”

“I was psyched for about 15 years. Every day, no matter what, there’s enough stuff staring down on us, so my small part was… I would share stuff that made me smile that day. Over the years maybe I made a couple of other people smile too. I always saw it as more of an avatar – not your whole being, you’re not sharing everything.”

Fitzgibbons said she has boundaries and a healthy relationship with social media: “I’ve never been addicted, but I know the pressures of wondering if people like your stuff.”

“Even if you’re not competing, you’ve still got this thing that is still judging you and you’ve brought it home with you.”

Sally Fitzgibbons

“It’ll be interesting to see where it goes. My perspective is having a healthy boundary and only sharing things that I feel like… no matter what – even if someone put it on a giant massive billboard – I’d still be stoked with it.”

In terms of Fitzgibbons’ goals for the future, she told DMARGE: “I feel it’s in recent years all changed. The whole rules – how to even win a world title – how many events you’re doing and the travel has kind of turned into this relentless barrage.”

“I’m still finding my feet,” she told us, explaining she is in a way starting again; getting “refreshed again” and “maybe that’s a positive becuse after all these years everyone says the monotony is what makes you feel like you’ve had enough.”

Fitzgibbons also hasn’t given up on chasing a world title. She told DMARGE: “If I keep showing up, keep pushing towards keeping my body at that level and keep my surfing relevant… If I can keep my hat in the ring I still have the capability to be on top. But at the same time, the level is so high – you can’t let your spirit get beat up because from last year you [were] in the top 5 and applying yourself just the same and pushing your surfing a little more and results don’t follow on back of that.”

Fitzgibbons didn’t make the WSL’s final 5 cut off this year (that five will battle it out for a world title come end of season). Despite this, she told DMARGE she wanted to keep showing up and performing at all the opportunities that are available to her – whether that’s something like the Olympic Games or the first ever women’s event at Pipeline (both of which she did in the last year or two).

“It shows you a new experience. When you move into a new phase of your career, having being around a while you need to find that feeling of not going ‘Oh, is this what ends my run, just by the system change – is my surfing still relevent?’ Those questions sneak in. Instead you need to ask: ‘What’s the next season got?’ I’m still so engaged in it.”

“I feel it’s not my time to step off the gas yet. My goal is still lofty and to win Olympic golds and world titles and to be more prominent in these new waves for the women’s tour. Everything sort of leads towards that.”

Sally Fitzgibbons

From Pipeline to Tahiti, Fitzgibbons told us there’s still so much to learn, remarking on how quickly “things have escalated.” Talking about Tahiti, which is home to some of the scariest waves on the planet, and which has been approved as the Olympic surfing venue for the 2024 Olympic Games, Fitzgibbons said: “To be out in those lineups now is a bit of a surreal moment. It’s dreamy to talk about but bloody hard to do – [to] sit in the lineup and think you’re going to hop on one of those set waves and it’s all going to go to plan. It’s just not the case; you’ve got to put your time in.”

As inspiring as that is, we’ll take Fitzgibbons’ word for it, and stick to surfing 2ft Bondi for now…

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The post Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons Is Still Gunning For That Elusive World Title appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Mad Men is often regarded as one of the best television shows to ever grace our screens.

The series won 16 Primetime Emmys during its run and is beloved for its top-tier writing, intriguing but real characters, perfectly executed performances (special shout out to Jon Hamm), aesthetically pleasing 1960s setting and much more.

If you love Mad Men as much as us here at DMARGE, you’ve probably tried to find a show that’s similar and just as good. Well, you’re in luck. These five shows are “simple but significant”… so you know that Don Draper himself would approve.

Halt and Catch Fire

8.4 IMDb score, stars Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy & Mackenzie Davis, Drama, released in 2014, 4 seasons

Mad Men depicts a frank view of the advertising industry in the 1960s. Halt and Catch Fire does a similar thing but with the computer revolution of the 1980s. Joe MacMillan, Halt and Catch Fire’s leading man played by Lee Pace, and Don Draper are also extremely alike.

Plus, both series are gripping, well-written dramas; so, Mad Men fans will definitely enjoy Halt and Catch Fire.

Where To Watch: SBS On Demand

House

8.7 IMDb score, stars Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps & Robert Sean Leonard, Drama & Mystery, released in 2004, 8 seasons

House follows Dr Gregory House, a bitter unlikeable man with addiction issues… who’s tremendously good at his job. Sound familiar? Dr House shares multiple character traits with Don Draper; both anti-heroes behave questionably, even abhorrently, at times, but are also quick-witted and charismatic.

If Don Draper is your favourite thing about Mad Men, you’ll love House.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

8.7 IMDb score, stars Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein & Michael Zegen, Comedy & Drama, released in 2017, 4 seasons

If the thing you love most about Mad Men is that it’s a period drama, check out The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. The show is set in New York in the late 1950s (Mad Men’s set in the early 1960s) and gives off extremely similar vibes to Mad Men in terms of fashion and backdrop.

Plus, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel explores women trying to succeed in a male-dominated profession as well as how oppressive it was to be a housewife in that time period, just like Mad Men does.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

The Sopranos

9.2 IMDb score, stars ​​James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco & Edie Falco, Crime & Drama, released 1999, 6 seasons

The Sopranos and Mad Men both tackle extremely similar themes and the leading men are comparable; both Tony Soprano and Don Draper are complex anti-heroes. The character development, dialogue, story and time-capsule feel Mad Men is known for is extremely apparent in The Sopranos as well.

Mainly because Mad Men’s creator Matthew Weiner worked as a writer and executive producer for The Sopranos.

Where To Watch: Binge

Suits

8.5 IMDb score, stars Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams & Meghan Markle, Comedy & Drama, released 2011, 9 seasons

We once heard that Suits is like the ‘fast food version’ of Mad Men – which is an apt description. Suits isn’t as good as Mad Men but it’s still enjoyable to watch; much like a McDonald’s burger is nice to indulge in every now and then.

Focused on the professional world of lawyers – like Mad Men’s focused on advertising – Suits is also similar to Mad Men because the two lead characters, Harvey and Mike, both have elements of Don Draper’s character.

Where To Watch: Netflix

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The post 5 Shows Like ‘Mad Men’ That Don Draper Himself Would Approve Of appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Animoca Brands’ founder Yat Siu, who is one of the biggest blockchain investors in the world, reckons this is the time to hunt for deals.

One of the biggest crypto investors in the world has come out with a bold claim. Yat Siu, who is Animoca Brands’ founder, recently told Bloomberg News that, from his perspective, “Now is the time to deploy more capital, not less.” He also compared this crypto downturn to the crypto downturn of 2018, saying: “If people say this is a crypto winter, then 2018 was the crypto ice age.”

While his optimism is to be expected (he is one of the biggest investors in the world in the blockchain space, and so has a lot riding on the market’s recovery), he’s not alone in his bargain hunting. In a context where the 8 months leading up to August saw the blockchain industry lose more than 60% of its total value, with nearly US$2 trillion wiped from the space entirely, the market has – over the last month – seen something of a stabilisation (today, on August the 23rd, Bitcoin is worth AU $30,903.12, while on July the 23rd it was AU $32,414.96).

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Many people in the space remain positive. A popular phrase that did the rounds at NYT NFC echoed a similar sentiment to the one we heard Siu tell Bloomberg News: “It’s not a bear market. It’s a build market.” On top of that, despite the plummeting prices of web3-based assets, a recent Telstra report found that boots-on-ground blockchain developers have never been busier.

Then there’s institutional investors. As The Motley Fool reported in August: “Some institutional investors appear to be preparing to take new positions in crypto, potentially leading to a broad-based market recovery.”

The Motley Fool added that “the key catalyst for Bitcoin is the sudden interest of institutional investors in crypto as an asset class, as best exemplified by the Coinbase-BlackRock [the largest asset manager in the world] deal.” The Motley Fool also reported that “the key catalyst for Ethereum is the upcoming technological upgrade known as the Merge, which could usher in a new era of decentralized applications.”

Given volatility is predicted by many experts to remain par for the course for crypto, many investing experts and financial advisors say you shouldn’t sink much of your portfolio into crypto, and should first focus on saving an emergency fund and paying off high-interest debt (and investing in a reliable, well-rounded stock portfolio).

“You have a high chance of losing it all, but a small chance of winning it big,” Nate Nieri, a CFP with Modern Money Management in San Diego, California told NextAdvisor, for instance. “Don’t gamble an amount that would burden your family or prevent you from achieving your goals” [if you lost it all].

RELATED: Australian Rich Lister Tips Crypto Comeback

Warren Buffet is even more critical. He has previously said Bitcoin is “probably rat poison squared” and that he will never own any of it. He also reportedly (per CNBC) said at a Berkshire Hathaway meeting earlier this year: “Whether it goes up or down in the next year, or five or 10 years, I don’t know. But the one thing I’m pretty sure of is that it doesn’t produce anything.” 

“It’s got a magic to it and people have attached magic to lots of things.”

Warren Buffet

Holding up a $20 note, Buffet said: “Assets, to have value, have to deliver something to somebody. And there’s only one currency that’s accepted. You can come up with all kinds of things — we can put up Berkshire coins… but in the end, this is money.”

“There’s no reason in the world why the United States government … is going to let Berkshire money replace theirs.”

“If you said … for a 1% interest in all the farmland in the United States, pay our group $25 billion, I’ll write you a check this afternoon,” Buffett said.

”[For] $25 billion I now own 1% of the farmland. [If] you offer me 1% of all the apartment houses in the country and you want another $25 billion, I’ll write you a check, it’s very simple. Now if you told me you own all of the bitcoin in the world and you offered it to me for $25 I wouldn’t take it because what would I do with it?”

“I’d have to sell it back to you one way or another. It isn’t going to do anything. The apartments are going to produce rent and the farms are going to produce food.”

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The post ‘If This Is A Crypto Winter, Then 2018 Was The Crypto Ice Age’ appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

George Russell is quickly shaping up to be one of the hottest talents in modern Formula 1 thanks to his insane performance – and when you see the insane training he does, you’ll understand why.

The 24-year-old Englishman, who joined top-flight team Mercedes this year, has comprehensively stamped his authority on the team. We’re halfway through the 2022 F1 season and Russell is 4th in the championship, having not dipped lower than 5th every race this season – with teammate and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton sitting at 6th.

‘Mr. Consistent’ isn’t resting on his laurels, though. While he did enjoy some downtime in Mallorca during the F1 break – getting a nice tan in the process – he’s also been hard at work in the gym, with the affable Pom showing off a frightening-looking neck workout that’s had us reaching for a pack of Advil.

“So the plan today is to hang 30kg from your head,” Russell joked – and that’s exactly what he did, with his trainer literally strapping a bunch of weights to a head harness and spotting Russell while he lifts the weights with his head alone while planking. Mental stuff.

WATCH George Russell’s neck workout below.

This exercise looks barbaric (and borderline dangerous) but it’s actually very necessary for Russell. The insane speed and braking power of F1 cars subject drivers to enormous g-forces – around 5 g while braking, 2 g while accelerating, and between 4 to 6 g while cornering.

For comparison, the average rollercoaster might expose you to 3 g of force, and most untrained humans will pass out between 4 and 6 g – which is why F1 drivers track their necks so aggressively. Indeed, F1 drivers use a lot of specialised equipment that simulates the physical stresses of driving in order to train, as Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly demonstrate here.

RELATED: Personal Trainer Explains WTF Is Going On With Max Verstappen’s Latest Workout

Clearly, the workout is paying off for Russell, who keeps his neck remarkably straight despite the hefty 30kg of weight hanging from his head. Russell’s fans were suitably impressed, commenting “and people still say F1 isn’t a sport”…

The 2022 Formula 1 World Championship resumes this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, with lights out scheduled for 11pm AEST on Sunday, 28th August.

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The post George Russell’s ‘Neck Breaking’ Workout Must Be Seen To Be Believed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Cristiano Ronaldo has snubbed football pundit Jamie Carragher, instead choosing to properly greet only Roy Keane and Gary Neville, and then returning to his warm-up.

Cristiano Ronaldo has savaged English football pundit and former Liverpool defender of 17 years Jamie Carragher. How? He chose not to speak to him (or shake his hand) when he went over to say hello to pitchside pundits (and former Manchester United players) Roy Keane and Gary Neville, while they were talking about the upcoming Manchester United vs. Liverpool game on the side of the pitch, as the players warmed up.

This came after Carragher trashed Ronaldo, recently saying “no club in Europe wants him… and I’m not sure the dressing room at Manchester United want Cristiano Ronaldo.” Perhaps it’s no surprise he got little more than a nod out of the Manchester United icon (when Neville and Keane got handshakes and back pats).

Cristiano Ronaldo speaking to Keane and Neville but completely ignoring Carragher pic.twitter.com/Qw7AnkQ9fg

— TC (@totalcristiano) August 22, 2022

Twitter user @totalcristiano posted a video of the moment on social media, with various followers weighing in on the exchange (or the lack thereof). “Biggest manchild he’s bloody 37 embarrassing,” one (likely) Twitter basement dweller wrote.

“RONALDO OWNS HIM AHAHAHAH HES SO QUIET WHEN THE KING IS IN FRONT OF HIM,” another yelled, in all caps lock. “Also because he [Carragher] played for Liverpool,” another explained.

Another had a different take, suggesting: “Ronaldo doesn’t even know who Carragher is. To him he is just another journalist.”

“TV Gold. So was the Keane moment…LOVE IT!”

Twitter user les OReilly

Others posted memes that they thought were analogous to the situation, showing moments where other people were left hanging.

Carra has been right to point that Ronaldo has been a problem for United last season
That’s what Ronaldo is hurt about

— maverickcruise (@maverick_2093) August 22, 2022

Manchester United won the game against Liverpool 2-1, giving the beleaguered team (and new manager Erik ten Hag) hope after a dreadful first two games of the season, which saw them lose 4-0 to Brentford and 2-1 to Brighton.

Ronaldo came on with 5 minutes of normal time to go (and played reasonably well) but didn’t score. It remains unclear if he will continue to get paid 500 grand or so a week (or by some estimates millions a week) to sit on the bench or if he will move to a new club (or if he will fight his way back into the starting 11).

In the meantime, let’s hope he gives us as many golden moments like this as possible.

Update: Jamie Carragher has responded to the hilarious situation, admitting it was a bad night for him in more ways than one, writing: “Bad night from start to finish! blanked by my good mate Ronaldo, Man Utd showing fight & quality & Liverpool all over the place!!”

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The post Cristiano Ronaldo Savages Jamie Carragher With Super Petty Act appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Airbnb has already banned parties. Now it has gone one step further in its war against noise, quietly rolling out ‘anti party’ technology in Australia.

Like organising parties using Airbnb? Your rating could be about to take a hit. That’s right: Airbnb used to be all fun and games. But then neighbours starting complaining, Barcelona barrios started protesting and long time locals started getting priced out of Byron Bay. This isn’t all Airbnb’s fault. But the “live like a local” company has now taken on a bit more of a negative sheen in some people’s eyes (compared to the awesome, quirky, upstart reputation it used to enjoy).

Airbnb is now implementing a strategy to help its users co-exist better with local communities (and to make it less disruptive). That strategy? Killing off Airbnb parties. Airbnb is aiming to do this by rolling out “anti party technology” to reduce the number of guests on the platform who use Airbnb to organise parties.

The technology has been trialled in Australia, and looks at “factors like history of positive reviews (or lack of positive reviews), length of time the guest has been on Airbnb, length of the trip, distance to the listing, weekend vs weekday, among many others” Airbnb said. It’s not so much cameras (the unauthorised use of which by some hosts have creeped many tourists out of late), but more so Airbnb’s algorithmic sleuthing of your digital footprint that will give you away as a party boi or gal.

“The primary objective is attempting to reduce the ability of bad actors to throw unauthorised parties which negatively impact our hosts, neighbours, and the communities we serve,” Airbnb said in a statement. “It’s integral to our commitment to our host community – who respect their neighbours and want no part of the property damage and other issues that may come with unauthorised or disruptive parties.”

Airbnb has been trialling its “anti-party technology” in Australia since October 2021, claiming it has “seen a 35% drop in incidents of unauthorised parties in the areas of Australia where this pilot has been in effect.”

“We are now ending the pilot phase in Australia and codifying this product nationwide.”

Airbnb

If you think a house in your area is being rented by someone who has snuck one past the Airbnb IT boffins (and is hosting a piss up), Airbnb has a Neighbourhood Support helpline where you can dob them in.

Airbnb just announced they’re developing “anti-party technology.” The Beastie Boys warned us of this totalitarian oppression.

— Aaron Marquis (@RevAaronMarquis) August 21, 2022

This “anti party technology” announcement comes more than a month after Airbnb permanently banned parties at its listings, the ABC reports.

According to the ABC, Airbnb “banned parties back in August 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns meant places such as pubs and nightclubs were closed, prompting some to move their partying to venues such as holiday rentals,” before making the ban permanent at the end of June.

RELATED: Indulgent Airbnb Trend Australia Can’t Get Enough Of

The upshot? If you’re looking to organise a get together with friends in your Airbnb, expect your rating as an Airbnb user to take a hit.

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The post Airbnb Rolls Out Anti-Party Technology Across Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Only Murders In The Building is a gem of a show that needs to be put on your radar immediately; if it hasn’t already. The comedy-crime series, which has now been nominated for 17 Emmys, is an absolute must-watch. Here’s why…

If you haven’t discovered the delightful television series, Only Murders In The Building, you are in for a treat! The show, the second season of which will conclude tomorrow on Disney+, stars comedy icons Steve Martin and Martin Short as well as beloved actress and singer Selena Gomez.

Only Murders In The Building focuses on three individuals – Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam and Mabel Mora – who all live in the same building in New York City. Fate brings Charles, Oliver and Mora together when a neighbour is found dead and the three decide to team up and solve the murder; all while recording a true crime podcast about the whole affair.

Incredibly original, Only Murders In The Building is a perfect blend of comedy and crime – the show’s only taken the best elements from each genre. Unsurprisingly, the comedic moments of the show mainly come from Martin and Short.

Both may be well into their 70s but Martin and Short manage to shine in Only Murders In The Building by playing into their respective comedy schticks which are somehow still relevant and, more importantly, funny.

Martin is fantastically hilarious when he’s that little bit clueless or dry (similar to his previous roles in The Pink Panther and Father of the Bride) while Short is hysterical when he leans into the zany and extravagant delivery he’s known for.

Plus, because Martin and Short have been friends for decades in real life and have previously starred in multiple projects (like Three Amigos! and Father of the Bride) together, the chemistry and banter between their respective characters in Only Murders In The Building are extremely enjoyable and believable to watch.

Mora, played to perfection by Gomez, keeps Martin and Short’s characters, Charles and Oliver, in check as she’s much more serious and grounded (and modern) than the other two. With that being said though, Mora still has a few comedic moments and Gomez excels at delivering her character’s occasional punchlines with a deadpan and cynical tone.

While the comedy and lead cast are fantastic, the whodunnit crime that’s central to Only Murders In The Building is extremely compelling and well-written too. It’s rare for a comedy-crime series to actually feature a mystery worthy of an Agatha Christie novel and yet, Only Murders In The Building does.

Overall, the series is a pleasurable breath of fresh but familiar air; it is magically nostalgic and modern at the same time. Thanks to Martin and Short, Only Murders In The Building revives humour of days gone by while Gomez’s biting wit is very (for lack of a better word) ‘millennial’, and the combination between all three actors and the different comedy styles just works.

If you’re looking for a new show to binge, we can’t recommend Only Murders In The Building enough. Especially if you’re looking for a pick-me-up that’ll make you laugh but also think like classic comedy films used to do…

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