July 2020 ~ Men's Fashion

Friday 31 July 2020

Hilarious Video Reveals Why It’s Not Worth Pulling Out Your Super To Invest In Stocks

July 31, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Stock punting is either a game for mugs or savants: it appears there is no in-between. There are your seasoned investors who balance, gain footholds, cut losses, and create a varied portfolio that will rise with the market (generating wealth for themselves and their clients along the way), and then there are those that chuck a couple of grand at Tesla via their Robinhood account because 'Dave Portnoy did it.'

Why, then, you'd want to pull your money out of your super fund, which is already being managed by professionals, to invest it yourself, unless you were Warren Buffet (in which case you're rich enough not to bother in the first place), is bizarre to say the least.

A graphic recently posted to Twitter in response to a post by Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips, sums up the absurdity of this situation perfectly – taking out your super to re-invest it yourself is a bit like playing roulette.

Maybe just the super you pulled from professional investors to have a punt. pic.twitter.com/5AsSfqBIb2

— unusually average (@confused_sage) July 22, 2020

Earlier this year, DMARGE spoke to Fernando Prieto, CA at Solid Partners Accountants & Advisors, to understand the true implication of withdrawing $10,000 – or in some cases $20,000 – of your super early (something many Australians got the option to do over June and July, providing they met the eligibility requirements).

“If you’re going to take out money, the superfund has to sell some asset to fund you redeeming part of your superannuation balance," Fernando told us. "As the share market has tanked [as it had at the time], if you do this you’re sort of crystallising your losses and... you could find yourself in a situation where that $10,000 would have recovered and compounded and been hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time you retired [but instead it doesn't, as you pulled it out early].”

“I wouldn’t be taking it out unless you really have to.”

In terms of specific numbers, for individuals, Fernando breaks it down like this:

“If we assume an individual had 30 years left before they retired, and if we also assume their superannuation grew at an average rate of 8% per annum, then $10,000 compounded for 30 years would be worth $100,626.56 in 30 years time.”

“If another individual only had 1 year left to retire then that $10,000 would only have grown to $10,800 if it also grew at the same rate of 8%.”

“The impact is greater the number of years left to retirement and the higher the average rate of return over that same period.”

Sad Floyd Mayweather Steps Out Wearing An ‘Unlikely’ Horological Choice

July 31, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not a subtle man. The professional promoter and undefeated boxing champion's nickname is literally 'Money', and he lives up to that moniker: barely a week goes by without the 50-0 fighter posting some photo showing off expensive clothes, watches or bundles of cash.

One of the richest athletes of all time and estimated to have made over 1.67 billion USD in revenue over his career, Mayweather spends his days promoting strip clubs, flaunting his wealth and generally showing off.

The man's known for his love of ultra-expensive timepieces, especially from the likes of Richard Mille – a relatively young Swiss watch brand that's developed a reputation over the last two decades for its incredibly complex, opulent tonneau-shaped timepieces.

So when we saw his latest Instagram post, it wasn't the new Richard Mille on his wrist that we were surprised by. It's the fact that he seems to have matched an entire outfit around it, wearing a white and pink ensemble (and what must have been kilos of bling)... Whilst still managing to look deeply unhappy about the whole affair.

Don't get it twisted: there's nothing wrong with wearing pink. In fact, we're advocates of it here at DMARGE. It's just surprising to see Mayweather wearing so much of the colour, considering he's built an image and career out of being an ultra-masculine (some might say close-minded) sort of guy.

The watch is a custom Richard Mille RM 11 automatic winding flyback chronograph. There are lots of different derivations of the RM 11, such as the McLaren exclusive edition Lando Norris was spotted wearing earlier this month.

If we had to guess, we'd say it's an RM 11 Felipe Massa, but the piece is clearly bespoke: with a pink factory rubber bracelet and a sh*tton of diamonds embedded in the case, Mayweather must have spent well over the $250,000 average price of these bad boys.

Mayweather's watch isn't the only thing that's 'iced out': his chain and trinket bracelet are both also chock-full of precious gems. Oh yeah, and he's on a private jet, just in case you thought there wasn't any possible way he could further emphasise his wealth. Don't know what would give him cause to be so despondent, considering the circumstances.

The colour matching is a huge improvement over wearing a leather bag as a jacket, that's for sure.

Men Reveal The Most Powerful Sources Of Fitness Inspiration They’ve Ever Had

July 31, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

We'd wager that most guys have come to a point in their lives when they've looked in the mirror, or just tilted their head down, noticed their belly getting considerably more rotund and thought to hell with it, no amount of working out is ever going to change it.

Let's be real: who really wants to admit that noticing any real major changes is going to take years of hard work in the gym and in the kitchen? Yes, summoning up the motivation to work out can be a hurdle faced by many a man (even if we know, in theory, it will benefit everything from our mental health to our relationships).

If you are someone who lacks the motivation to get the pipedream that is a six-pack or to put on muscle of any size, you're certainly not alone. Don't believe us? Check out this positive effect on mental health posted a couple of weeks ago, that has since garnered hundreds of comments from guys who lacked the motivation to hit the gym. However, the comments also reveal what it was that 'clicked' for them, in order to get them pursuing a more desirable figure.

A vast majority of the comments reveal that guys found the motivation they lacked simply by looking at other guys around them. Whether it be more muscular specimens walking down the street with an equally attractive lady in tow, or even a "guy named Steve". Seeing what could be achieved (the dates) or what was in store if they did nothing about their weight (Steve) gave them the kick up the backside they needed.

There are also true words of wisdom, such as this comment from Ganceany, which reads: "Truth is, you are not gonna be motivated every workout, there are gonna be times you would like to sleep, or watch a movie, maybe you boss treated you wrong, your gf left you or whatever."

"What really makes the difference is that in those low times, you keep moving, if you truly want it, you are going to get up and do it, you might hate it, you might want to go home halfway through, but you keep pushing."

Others reveal they lacked motivation through a lack of education regarding training and dieting, "Once I understood how to plan my training and diet, and once I started to see solid results...something just clicked", says silentimagehelp.

"Feeling in control and seeing progress deeply motivated me. I stopped seeing this as a chore and it became a game."

However, there is a common theme among many of the comments, and it centres around mental health. Many of the guys admit they are, or at least were, depressed, either because they didn't like the figure staring back at them, or they'd been through a breakup or some other situation they saw as embarrassing.

It's certainly been proven that exercise can have a positive effect on mental health, as Australian mental health organisation The Black Dog Institute has told DMARGE before, "even just an hour of exercise a week has been proven to lower depression and anxiety."

Adding to this, Dr Kathleen O'Moore told us, "If you’re a regular exerciser, you’re probably familiar with the endorphin rush and the subsequent improved mood you often experience after a workout."

"That’s because exercise provides a wide range of mental health benefits, from building coping and resilience to distracting from negative thoughts and improving memory and sleep."

We fully understanding summoning the motivation to don your gym gear can be tough, but if you can manage The Black Dog's recommended one hour a week, you'll soon start to reap the rewards and before you know it, you'll have the summer bod you always dreamed of.

Investment Guru Debunks The Naive Investing Psychology Australians Need To Grow Out Of

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Investing is a tricky business. But many rookie investors fret about the wrong things. While there are innumerable mistakes fresh thumbed traders make, there is one in particular we need to overcome, one Australian investment guru claims.

In response to "yet another free US brokerage mob" launching in Australia (which has come about after individual trading has seen a boon of late), Scott Phillips, Chief Investment Officer at The Motley Fool (a membership-based investment service) took to Twitter to say: "'Free' sells like nothing else. Makes otherwise sane people crazy."

Yet another 'free US brokerage' mob launching in Australia.

What happens when you remove the 'friction' from transactions?

People make more of them.

Roll up, roll up. Spin the wheel. Buy. Sell. Buy. Sell.

What do you have to lose?

Oh, your life savings. I see...

— Scott Phillips (@TMFScottP) July 22, 2020

So far so doom and gloom.

But here's where things get interesting. Instead of worrying about the brokerage fee of each trade, Phillips urges traders to think more carefully about the trade itself. Obvious? Sure. But one of the biggest mistakes rookie traders make is making lots of little bets, based on tip-offs they heard at (among other places) Ryan's Bar, figuring there's not much to lose in having a dabble (then six months later realising they've wasted their money on a bunch of highly speculative roulette spins).

Investing with a brokerage fee (rather than on a free-trading app) will dissuade people from making this error, Phillips claims.

It's true.
When I buy $20,000 in a stock I pay $29.95

And I worry about the $29.95!

Crazy! 🤪

But that's human behaviour.

— Mark (@MxJ61) July 22, 2020

"Behavioural psychology has a lot to say about 'free,'" Phillips wrote in a separate tweet. "It's a drug: Addictive and boundary lowering/reducing."

"You really think we should encourage people to trade more??? This will make a lot of people a lot poorer, because they'll convince themselves they're 'investing'..."

Agreed.

Though on large enough trades, it's a price I'm happy to pay to limit the damage to others.

Maybe load the fees onto the sell orders?

— Scott Phillips (@TMFScottP) July 22, 2020

Of course, one could argue, Phillips, being CIO of a membership-based investment service, has a dog in the fight. But, as comments made on a recent episode of The BIP Show illuminate, at least part of his point (don't make lots of speculative trades) is solid advice.

On a recent episode of The BIP Show podcast, James Whelan, Investment Manager at VFS Group in Sydney, explained why making lots of little punts, even if they are 'free,' isn't necessarily the best idea: "You duck down to Ryan's Bar, catch up with your mates, they say, 'I've got a red hot tip for you Jimmy, you've got to get onto this one... they're in Sierra Leone and they're digging ants out of copper mines."

"It's just the biggest load of baloney... [but] you do a cursory look and purchase."

"It's the worst possible idea – you don't know anything about it, you're not that close to the company, it's probably going to be a terrible idea anyway and there's every likelihood that... on the other side of it someone is just selling into your buying."

"The mistake overall I would say is that... if you're not close to it, don't even worry about it – at the small end of the scale."

"It's easy to keep up with what the HP's are doing or CBA, Apple or Amazon because it's in the news and it's well disclosed. But the worst mistake you can make is to have a whole shoebox full of these [speculative] pieces."

One Of Emirates’ Most Indulgent First Class Features May Be Off Limits In 2021

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

2020 has ~disappeared~ more of life's little luxuries than 2007 and 2008 put together. Whether or not that's an exaggeration, it's certainly how many traveller feel, with the bulk of the world's passports currently sitting in drawers.

We've covered the changes business class passengers need to be ready for in 2021, which was was interesting, if mildly depressing, for the world's hedonists. Now it's time for the super pointy end of the plane to take their medicine: DMARGE recently interviewed Adele Eliseo, points hacker and publisher of The Champagne Mile, regarding she changes she sees coming to first class as we come out of these unprecedented times.

Her predictions? Airlines will limit (or remove) passengers' access to any first class onboard lounges and showers for the immediate future.

"Once on the plane, personalised interaction will likely be limited, with cabin crew aiming to minimise exposure to passengers," Adele relates.

"Onboard lounges and spaces such as the iconic business and first class bar onboard the Emirates A380 will likely be shuttered as airlines look to implement minimise interaction between passengers and crew."

"With airlines looking to implement a range of new sanitation and hygiene measures, first class showers at 38,000 feet offered by the likes of Etihad and Emirates will likely be off the cards, too."

DMARGE has reached out to Emirates for comment but at the time of publishing is yet to hear back.

This comes amid other changes to snacks and meals: "When it comes to onboard dining, many airlines are already taking steps to minimise food handling. This will see a move towards tray-based service, even in first class, where a premium is placed on presentation," Adele told DMARGE.

"The crippling effects of Covid-19 have also seen many airlines look to cut costs – at the pointy end of the plane, this might include cheaper wine, less illustrious ingredients and restricted meal service."

Maybe, for the next few years, it will be preferable to just live vicariously...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCI6Z-8wUY0

Romeo Beckham Shows Tide May Be Turning On Fashion’s Most Divisive Footwear

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

We've previously claimed that "the Beckham family is the most stylish celebrity clan in the world," the three eldest Beckham boys Romeo, Brooklyn and of course David all enjoying just as much success modeling as they have as footballers (that's not to undersell David's GOAT status, however).

Thanks in no small part to the discerning eye of fashion designer mum Victoria, the whole Beckham brood are consistently trailblazing fashion icons. Whether it's Peaky Blinders-inspired heritage looks, bohemian suiting or effortless streetwear steez – the lads know how to scrub up.

17-year-old Romeo's latest outfit has once again made a splash, and may make many reconsider their stance on one of fashion's most controversial topics: the rubber clog.

On holiday with his girlfriend Mia Regan in Cornwall, Romeo posted a casual pic showing him chilling by a cliffside, wearing a casual ensemble with a Burberry hoodie and bright yellow Crocs.

View this post on Instagram

🤨

A post shared by ROMEO (@romeobeckham) on Jul 28, 2020 at 10:23am PDT

The 'sports mode' Crocs immediately grab your attention, their iridescent glow in stark contrast to the muted English countryside scene. Rubber clogs, of which Crocs are the most infamous example, are an eternally divisive footwear choice. Ubiquitous, minimalist, and ugly to many, the humble rubber clog has experienced somewhat of a renaissance in 2020.

Celebrities like Justin Bieber and Post Malone have been spotted rocking Crocs, and Kanye West made fashion news late last year with his Yeezy Foam RNNR – a futuristic clog partially made out of algae.

Looks like the tide's turning on these once-reviled shoes. Indeed, Romeo's fans had nothing but praise for the bold footwear choice, many commenting that he's made Crocs look cool. Others were far more interested in the man than their shoes, in any case.

"You look like a younger Cristiano Ronaldo in this pic... like [a] 2008 version," one commenter gushed.

Something we can all agree on: opinions on Crocs may be changing, but the Avarca sandal is still a bit suss.

Controversial Instagram Rolex GMT-Master Customisation Proves 2020 Can Get Worse

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Thought 2020 couldn't get any worse? Well, it just did.

They say you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter. But what is the opposite? What if you have something that is already so gorgeous and iconic in its looks, but you take away the glitter. Does it then become a turd?

That could well be the case for this customised Rolex GMT-Master II "Root Beer" with two-tone Oystersteel and rose gold finish, posted to luxury watch Instagram account A G Watch Company. What you're looking at is an incredibly iconic timepiece, and one we feel should feature in any watch enthusiast's collection at some point in their life. Only, gone is the Oyster or Jubilee bracelet that it would have come with as standard, and in its place is a white rubber strap.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AG Watch Co. (@agwatchcompany) on Jul 22, 2020 at 3:32pm PDT

To be honest, we're not sure whether to admire the courageous attitude of the owner or stab our eyes out with rusty nails.

The very idea of customising a watch to make it more personal to you is nothing new, and we're certainly against it. Changing the strap, for example, is one of the easiest ways to take your watch from stock looks to something truly out of this world – and to help it pair better with your outfit, of course.

Seikos are prime candidates to be customised and modified, and we fully encourage you to do so to make yours unique. But there are some watches we feel should be left untouched.

We'll happily admit the change of strap does indeed give the Rolex GMT-Master II a completely new look, but because it's not something we're used to seeing, we can't get our head around it. Given the two-tone bezel, black dial and Oystersteel case, choosing the 'right' colour for the rubber strap isn't easy. We would have at least tried a dark navy blue number to complement the bezel, at least.

But it seems, judging by the few comments the post has received, we're wrong:

"Daaayum! Lookin good" and "Iconic piece" they read.

Perhaps judging by the lack of more comments, people have quickly skipped past the post to avoid leaving a comment they'll later regret.

We'll let you be the judge as to whether you think this is a good look, and indeed, if Rolex watches should be modified in any way at all.

For us, we're going to need some more convincing.

Expert Offers Gentle Warning About Rookie Investors’ Favourite Tool

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

The Pandemic, for a moment at the start of 2020, sent stocks tumbling and gave investors a heart attack. Since then it has miraculously recovered and begun rallying again, even as the ~real~ economy sees a shrinking that will take years to recover from.

To wrap your head around that mindf*ck, click here. Today's topic, however, is a little more general: with thousands of millennials and Gen Zs now getting in on the stock market for the first time, we thought we'd uncover a mistake many rookie investors make.

That mistake? Thinking investing apps are a product you use. This is flawed. As James Whelan, Investment Manager at VFS Group in Sydney recently told DMARGE, it's quite the reverse: you are the product, and free-trading apps like Robinhood sell your data, enabling others to get in and invest in the stock you purchase before you.

Before we get into that, let's break down the rookie trading phenomenon. As Bloomberg reports, generations that have long been under-invested in the stock market, are now getting in on the action, inspired by figures like Dave Portnoy (the Bar Stool Sports founder who, during the recent lack of sports, has turned to playing with stocks).

“Stuck at home with plenty of free time, government stimulus checks, no sports to bet on and, for better or worse, a figure like Portnoy [who live-streams his wins and losses] turning investing into entertainment, more and more young people are wading in for the first time.”

It's not just Americans either. Richard Burns, the head of Australia's largest retail trading platform, CommSec, told The Australian Financial Review in May, there's been a record number of new customers joining, while they've also "welcomed back some idle users."

But before you go set up a free retail trading account, it's a good idea to inform yourself of the technology's limitations. On that note: we have help. Investment manager James Whelan recently broke the process down for DMARGE.

When you make a trade on Robinhood, you are essentially placing an order, Whelan said: "It's like a phone call, back in the early days of the stock exchange – take yourself back to the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s – someone actually had to phone up and put an order on, and someone had to yell that order at someone standing at a blackboard."

Then someone had to put it up, write a ticket, etc.

Investing apps took all that stuff and made it electronic. "It's now a bunch of 1s and 0s that say this participant wants to buy x number of shares at this price," Whelan relates.

"What happens is that someone like Robinhood takes those orders and before they throw that into the market they re-route it to the highest bidder and that highest bidder will take it and say there's a lot of orders coming in for this thing, so we'll take the other side of it or be in front of it or do something with it."

Robinhood sells your data to high frequency traders. So they can make money off you. Which is essentially them stealing your money because they know every trade your going to make. #foodforthought

— ICreateHistory (@ICreateHistory) October 24, 2018

Crucially, the highest bidder has got "access to that data just before it gets to the market." Your order still gets to the market, "but these guys intercept it before and they can do with it whatever they want and they move quicker."

"Imagine they're [the highest bidders] standing closer to the guy with the blackboard and they can just yell a bit quicker."

Who, exactly, are they? It depends, Whelan said, explaining that these days, technology means it could just be a "couple of people shops" that have computer systems that just "run high-speed algorithms that just hit the market really quickly."

You've been warned.

Mo Salah’s New Look Reveals ‘Grooming Secret’ To Making Yourself Look 10 Years Younger

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Mr Mohamed Salah might lay claim to being the most loved footballer in recent memory. The affable 28-year-old Egyptian forward was already one of Liverpool FC's brightest stars even before helping win the 2019-20 English Premier League, and has legions of fans all around the world.

Part of Salah's fame stems from his humble, hard-working nature. Unlike many flashy pro footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar Jr., Salah doesn't like to splash his cash or court headlines with his fashion choices: rather than changing his look every few weeks, he keeps things restrained and he lets his prodigious skills do all the talking for him.

All that has left his 39.6 million Instagram followers particularly (and pleasantly) surprised with his latest post, which shows off a new haircut and outfit that makes him look (almost) decades younger.

Salah's swapped his normally frizzy 'fro for a closer, crisper trim. He's also wearing a t-shirt from Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh's luxury fashion label Off-White – an out-of-character flex for the Liverpool superstar.

View this post on Instagram

😅

A post shared by Mohamed Salah (@mosalah) on Jul 29, 2020 at 11:31am PDT

Mo's not an unattractive man by any means – the man has one of the most incredible rigs in the English Premier League – but this new look works wonders for him.

Indeed, his transformation is made even more notable because he so infrequently shows off luxury brands or posts photos that purely for preening purposes. Trawl through his Instagram and you'll see plenty of uploads showing off training or his family, and admittedly the man wears an Audemars Piguet watch, but he rarely posts selfies that are so... 'Feeling himself.'

But a man's allowed to feel good about himself, particularly when he's genuinely looking real good.

It goes to show how dramatic the effect even a subtle haircut can have on your appearance. A simple trim's made the already vivacious Salah look even more youthful, its tapering effect making him look taller and brighter. It's why spending a bit of money at the barber's can pay dividends in the long run.

Midge Purce, United States women's national soccer team defender, summed it up best: "baby Momo".

Nicely played, Mo.

‘So, You’ve Come From Coogee?’: The Sad New Reality Of Flying From NSW To Queensland

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

From masks to sanitiser to not touching the office cookie jar, we've all adapted a lot in the past six months. But in the last two weeks it's all shifted again. Far from beating The Virus, with a second wave of confirmed cases now building, mostly in Victoria and NSW, and the Queensland government closing its borders, we've all had to reconsider our positions again.

Importantly, Queensland has now closed its borders to residents of Sydney. So even if you haven't visited Victoria recently (and live in Sydney), you won't be allowed to fly up north.

However, given we are likely to experience an 'open shut' recovery (which may involve flying domestically being turned 'on and off again' for the next few years as cases grow then diminish), many Australians may be curious as to what it's like to fly domestically right now.

Especially given the recent shuttering of Queensland's borders, many might be wondering what it's like (or at least, was like, in the last few weeks, up until the border was closed) to fly from NSW to Queensland. Enter: a recent ESCAPE article, in which the experience of flying from Sydney to Brisbane, on Jetstar, is documented in detail.

Published yesterday, this comes after another article was published a couple of weeks ago by Stuff, which details what it was like to fly from Sydney to Brisbane on Virgin Australia.

We've collated the most compelling insights of each, and left them below.

Here's the sad new reality of flying from NSW to Queensland.

You must fill out an online declaration form before you go... but you're not forced to?

"I filled out an online declaration form on the QLD Government website," the ESCAPE author wrote.

Interestingly, she did this "not because the airline notified me (though Jetstar does have a travel alerts page), but because constant news reports about driver-side tete-a-tetes with police at the Coolangatta border made me think I might need to provide some COVID-free evidence."

A swift Google search made the ESCAPE author realise this was a necessary – if ambiguous – step.

"After some basic question answering about health and location, I was emailed a Queensland Border Declaration Pass with a big G (for General) on it that would be valid for seven days. Was I free to fly? I guess so."

The airport is refreshingly quiet

Arrived to a VERY empty @BrisbaneAirport... @SUBWAY is the only thing open pic.twitter.com/NkKhHLnjW5

— Lucy Ruderman (@LucyRuderman) July 30, 2020

Every cloud has a silver lining (and a rubbish free, freshly wiped down Maccas table). As ESCAPE reports, "I’d anticipated queues for questioning, ID checks and temperature taking. Nope. The terminal was eerily quiet. Self check-in was as basic as being offered two flight selections on screen, was I flying to Brisbane or the Gold Coast."

There will be more selfies than usual... #pandemicaesthetic

"A woman snaps a selfie as we buckle in for our flight," the Stuff author writes. "She may be smiling though it's hard to tell, seeing she, like about half a dozen passengers including myself, is wearing a mask."

Food services have taken a hit

"No meals were served on board – another Covid19 policy – but water and individually wrapped biscuit bars were offered as a snack," Stuff reports. "I declined both – mainly because I didn't want to remove my mask, but also because I noticed the crew were not wearing gloves when they poured the water into plastic glasses."

Sydney's latte line is back in play

"At bag drop off I was shown a list of about 60 Sydney suburbs. It might’ve been more. 'Have you been here?' No, we hadn’t. We were free to move on," (ESCAPE).

There is a crazy – US-esque – show of force on landing, but none of the hand holding to go with it

The US has super-strong (some might say overzealous) security and super obvious procedures to go with it. From the two accounts of ESCAPE and Stuff it would appear Queensland has increased its presence but not made its procedures (particularly the need to fill out an online entry declaration form before you go) adequately clear.

"A wall, some 100 metres or more, of 1.5m-distanced uniformed officials including police, army and fire and rescue pointed us in the direction of policed tables to have our declarations and IDs checked," ESCAPE reports.

"[But] when you fly to the US, the airline prompts you to fill out your visa details online and won’t let you board without clearance," (ESCAPE).

"Currently passengers within Australia need to take responsibility for ensuring they can enter a state and have the correct documentation upon landing or vehicle crossing."

There may be police interrogation on arrival

As ESCAPE's correspondent reports, the police asked, “So, you’ve come from Coogee?” as well as for the purpose of her visit, what she'd been doing for the last 14 days and whether she'd been to any of the known places in Sydney (a list was provided) where there had been a COVID threat.

You need to renew your declaration after seven days

Just another annoying – but important – thing you need to do if you want to travel interstate right now.

Surprising ATO Graph Shows Where Australian Taxpayers’ Dollars Really Go

July 30, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," Benjamin Franklin once wrote.

Australians on average pay slightly less net average tax than our American cousins (23.6% vs 24%), but that idiom still holds true. Like Americans, most Australians are incredibly skeptical of where our tax dollars go to – being called a 'dole bludger' is one of the most offensive slurs in the Aussie lexicon (unlike comparatively friendly terms like 'dickhead' or 'wanker').

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) recently added a new feature to your tax return which breaks down where your taxes go in a handy graph, showing exactly how many of your dollars support different facets of federal public spending: economic aid, housing, education and so on.

One Aussie taxpayer shared this breakdown on Reddit, sparking a lengthy discussion about the merits of the graph and what it reveals about the government's spending priorities. /u/boobaer13 (who must make $44,000 a year, one savvy commenter pointed out) posted this screenshot of their tax breakdown.

While some expenditures might be in light with the public's perception – we're not surprised that the government spends so much on education or defence, for example – other areas seem incredibly underfunded. That so little is spent on immigration or economic aid would certainly counter the mainstream conservative argument about their burden on the budget, for example.

What's immediately obvious is that welfare takes up the lion's share of our tax contributions, but within welfare, the breakdown gets more complicated. That we contribute six times more to aged welfare than unemployment benefits would come at a surprise to most Australians.

"Weirdly enough this breakdown was originally designed to shit on welfare in the sense that dole bludgers are scum, but it accidentally showed the breakdown to be not quite as shit on the unemployed... Broken clock but there you go," one commenter astutely pointed out.

"It's great that they break down the welfare portion," another agreed.

"You know it won't stop people shitting on the unemployed, but it's a start."

Another perspective: "Before the pandemic unemployment, Austudy and youth allowance were 3% of welfare payments. Yet people were still raving about them."

Other commenters pointed out that the graph is just as revealing in terms of what it doesn't show than what it does. For example, a significant element of education spending is contributed by the states. On the other hand, this graph doesn't display the extent to which tax avoidance as well as government tax forfeiture (e.g. negative gearing and franking credits) affects the overall breakdown. The 'other purposes' category is also similarly vague, and serves to further obfuscate.

Regardless of your position on welfare, we can all agree that this graphical breakdown is a step in the right direction for the government. It'll be interesting to see how 2020's chief headaches (the bushfires, COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout) will affect next year's spend, too.

Florida Man’s ‘Supercar Splash’ A Perfect Case Of How Not To Spend Welfare Payment

July 29, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

It's official: Australia is in recession for the first time in 29 years, thanks to The Bat Kiss. Many Aussies have been lucky enough to access stimulus payments – for example JobKeeper, JobSeeker or childcare subsidies – but most would agree that even these measures aren't nearly enough to stave off the crunch we're experiencing right now.

Compared to America, we're lucky. As of today (30/7/20) Australia has 'only' recorded 15,582 cases and 1,676 deaths from COVID-19, where the US has 4,502,306 cases and 152,845 deaths. On top of that, the American unemployment rate is much higher than ours (11.1% vs 7.4%) and most Americans only got literally one stimulus check from the government.

However, what's true in both Australia and America is despite the seriousness of this pandemic, you still have people taking the piss. Here, we've been infuriated by security guards who can't keep it in their pants. But that's got nothing on this Florida businessman, however, who decided to f*ck his employees and the taxpayer to the tune of 4 million USD.

29-year-old swine merchant David T. Hines allegedly applied for a 4 million USD loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) but instead of bailing out his business, he was spotted driving around Miami in a 318,000 USD Lamborghini Huracán EVO.

29-year-old Florida man gets $4 million in PPP funds — buys a Lamborghini, spends on dating websites, jewelry and trips. https://t.co/3Hv9G0f7uT pic.twitter.com/nHIJuJrjXS

— Robert Frank (@robtfrank) July 28, 2020

Designed by the US Small Business Administration to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll, it's a shame that Hines instead chose to spend the money on wild living for himself rather than that money going to help Americans in need.

This is not the only case of people or businesses abusing US federal PPP loans like this – reality TV star Maurice Fayne (aka Arkansas Mo) was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud in May for spending his loan on a Rolls-Royce and jewelry.

Some applicants for these PPP loans might surprise you. Rapper Kanye West and rock band Pearl Jam; artist Jeff Koons; Mitch McConnell's wife and Nancy Pelosi's husband; the Catholic Church and the Church of Scientology have all applied for this stimulus program.

With any welfare program there's likely to be some instances of fraud, but it's a shame that people aren't rallying together during these difficult times and parking their worst tendencies for just a second.

Although to be honest, we'd probably go out and buy a Lambo if we had millions fell into our laps, too...

Awkward P. Diddy Photo Shows Big Problem The Travel Industry Will Soon Have To Face

July 29, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

It's hard to tell which is worse right now: the fear of travelling again or the fear of never travelling again. But whether you're a glad-happy globetrotter or a once a year holidaymaker, when borders open once again – despite all the uncertainty – one thing remains clear. Things will be different.

From business class losing its full service food offering to the potential need for health passports, we've covered a number of ways your jet setting antics will shift post 2020.

But a hilarious photo, posted yesterday by Complex, highlights another serious problem the aviation – and broader travel – industry is set to face as we come out of this crisis.

View this post on Instagram

can’t wait to travel again ✈️😩

A post shared by COMPLEX (@complex) on Jul 28, 2020 at 12:31pm PDT

Captioned, "Can't wait to travel again," the (old) photo shows P. Diddy, reclined in what appears to be business class or a private jet, awkwardly receiving a bottle of water from a flight attendant – with no gloves or mask in sight.

The image, consciously or not, depicts a problem travellers will soon have to face: a growing divide between the rich and poor holidaymakers of the world.

This is reflected in the comments beneath the post, with one user writing: "Bruh... ain’t nobody else travel like this" and another commenting, "If only I traveled like this."

"You don't, it's wack af with a mask on."

As we've already seen, there are some ~extra~ pandemic safety features cattle class passengers on the few flights operating right now are missing out on.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Diddy (@diddy) on Jul 11, 2020 at 5:47pm PDT

As we start flying more, these kinds of differences, as airlines cut costs, will likely become more pronounced. Though this might make for something of a return to the golden age of travel for the cashed up citizens of the world (hotel Pellicano, anyone?), for most of us this means going back to the days of 'expensive everythings'.

Keep your friends close and your flight credits closer.

Huckberry’s Summer Sale Is A Menswear Extravaganza Not To Be Missed

July 29, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Don't let the thought of the fast-approaching winter bring your spirits down, because it means fashion stores will be soon be launching summer sales, and one of the first out the blocks is one of our favourite menswear stores, Huckberry. And because the sale has already hit, it means you still have a couple of months until summer officially ends, so plenty of time to enjoy some new garms.

Huckberry is a champion of all things rugged and durable when it comes to clothing, and it doesn't just stock any old brands. Everything available to buy on its site has been carefully curated by the Huckberry team to ensure it will be long-lasting and comfortable from the moment you take it out the packet.

Discounts of up to 40% can be had right now a range of clothing, accessories, bags and even items for your home, so you'll want to devote some time to scrolling through what's on offer.

To help you out a little, we've picked out a few of our favourite pieces that we think you would look great in any man's wardrobe.

North-89 No 1 Weatherproof Sneaker - Was $245, now $122
Flint & Tinder Lightweight Stretch Chino - Was $98, now $78
Howler Brothers Stretch Boardshorts - Was $59, now $41
Faherty Brands Stretch Malibu Short - Was $98, now $59
Bellroy Classic Backpack Plus - Was $179, now $143

Like all sales, this one won't last forever, so head to Huckberry now to snap up some bargains.

Shop The Huckberry End Of Summer Sale

Stunning Melbourne Penthouse Is The Ultimate Luxury Car Lovers’ Dream Home

July 29, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

When you're a diehard revhead, your biggest concern is making sure you've got a place to keep all your four-wheeled friends. You can't have your Jaguars and Porsches out on the street at the mercy of bird droppings and lazy drivers. Besides, the neighbours would complain that you're taking up all the street parking (they're just jealous).

Never fear: this property in Melbourne's most exclusive property has plenty of room for your automotive habit – as well as enough luxury to satisfy even the most well-heeled car lover.

Appropriately named 'The Penthouse', this two-level pad in Toorak is arguably one of the most exquisitely designed and appointed properties on sale in Australia. Just on the edge of Toorak Village and blessed with sweeping city views, The Penthouse has certainly got our motors humming.

[caption id="attachment_264379" align="alignnone" width="920"] A Toorak State Of Mind. Image: realestate.com.au[/caption]

Let's do a quick run-down of all the goodies: three bedrooms each with its own en suite; multiple living areas; a designer gourmet kitchen; private stairs and lift access; wraparound garden terraces and an outdoor pool/spa; swathes of marble and timber; and a huge six-car garage... The Penthouse has it all.

"The Penthouse – like the rest of this building – combines a classic French style of luxury and enduring style with elements of New York, and the highest level of design, construction and fit-out," Ross Savas and Jamie Mi from Kay & Burton South Yarra relate.

"Discreet, spacious and sumptuous, The Penthouse is the ultimate marriage of classic luxury and modern comfort, where every room is flooded with natural light and finishes of honed marble, timber and brass accents create inviting surrounds."

[caption id="attachment_264382" align="alignnone" width="920"] A car for every day of the week. Image: realestate.com[/caption]

Without underselling the apartment, you're not really buying The Penthouse for the building itself (as nice as it is). There's plenty of nice properties in Toorak, like this outrageous bachelor pad.

No, if you're a car fanatic, you're buying it for the garage, which has more than enough room to fit your entire fleet. We just wish the property came with these cars...

When you're not out on the open road, you can relax in the sumptuous outside pool, or perhaps grab a few bottles of Grange from the temperature-controlled wine cabinet and invite your friends over for a party on the terrace. You could pick them up in the Rolls.

[caption id="attachment_264380" align="alignnone" width="920"] No matter if you're air-cooled or water-cooled, this place has you covered. Image: realestate.com.au[/caption]

A property this fantastic is sure to be hotly contested, so make sure you get your expression of interest in by the 15th of September. You don't want to leave it to a photo finish (we're sorry, we're just excited by the garage).

You can find more information about The Penthouse on realestate.com.au.

Why 2020 Has Been A Blessing In Disguise For Australian Winemakers

July 29, 2020DMARGE, fashion, mens fasionNo comments

Safe to say 2020 hasn't exactly been a year to remember, and there are still five whole months left until we can say good riddance and welcome in – a hopefully more fruitful – 2021. Obviously, the whole planet is going through a bit of a crisis at the moment, but Australia has been on the end of multiple crises.

We began the year with bushfires and floods and now are in the midst of a pandemic.

Both natural acts of destruction have had a significant impact on the economy of Australia, with travel halted and businesses being forced to close. One area, in particular, that has been at risk of a complete downfall is the Australian wine business, something we as a nation are incredibly proud of.

With the situation starting to ease here in Australia – ok, maybe not right now in Victoria, but we have faith they'll pull through – we decided to reach out to the people on the ground, at the wineries themselves, to find out just what exactly is going on with the Australian wine business right now.

We spoke to David Lehman of david Franz wines, situated within the Barossa Valley in South Australia to find out how his business has been affected and how he plans to adapt to change to keep it thriving going forward.

David begins by regaling some surprisingly good news, "we were incredibly lucky in many respects this season, as being in the Barossa meant none of our own vineyards were directly affected, either by the fires or the smoke."

"The Eden Valley, from whom we buy fruit in the [Adelaide] Hills, was similarly unaffected, however, the fruit we purchase from Birdwood in the Northern Adelaide Hills, unfortunately, was too heavily affected by the smoke to make into table wine."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by david Franz Winery (@davidfranzwine) on Jun 7, 2020 at 3:52am PDT

But, being an entrepreneur, David didn't let this one setback affect business. "We instead made it into Vincotto, a type of rich golden heat concentrated grape juice syrup, which was excellent."

So far, so good news then. However, David adds that despite david Franz wines escaping relatively unharmed from the bushfires, it was the heatwaves that led up to them that actually caused more damage. "The drought and extreme heat conditions actually had a major effect on the 2019-20 growing season, with yields seriously affected."

"Fortunately, the mild Autumnal conditions meant that although there weren't many grapes grown, the quality of what was produced was largely outstanding across both White and Red varietals." And ultimately, a great-tasting shiraz or cabernet sauvignon is what matters, right?

David continues that the current pandemic has been a blessing in disguise, "In a weird way, the timing of COVID-19 was great as with everything closed down, I was able to concentrate on just making wine, nothing else...it was the most enjoyable vintage!".

So, with David in unexpectedly good spirits following the arrival of The Virus – despite the expected closures and changes – we asked him how he plans to adjust the business going forward to keep business booming.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by • | (@ilario.fazz) on Jul 27, 2020 at 5:02pm PDT

"The last time we saw anything akin to the COVID-19 effect, was in the global financial crisis, back in the late noughties. The complete cessation of all Cellar Door and restaurant trade was certainly a shock to the cashflow. However, we saw an uptick in online sales and our direct-to-bottle-shop sales here in South Australia luckily kept the wolf from the door."

"Our immediate post-COVID plan consisted of getting our doors open at the Cellar Door as soon as tastings were allowed again, then working out how to still offer all that we had in the past, safely."

And open those doors have, with David telling us the Cellar Door has opened to its usual hours of 11am - 5pm, seven days a week since the June long weekend. He adds it's been really busy (those thirsty South Australians would have likely been getting bored of their lounge room to enjoy a glass or several) and he plans to open some evenings, just as soon as the temperature starts increasing.

In yet more good news for David's business, he has seen a spike in online sales since the lockdown period, and it hasn't seemed to have slumped since the doors re-opened. Clearly those great-tasting wines are hitting the right tastebuds of many of his visitors.

As of right now, he says that any new idea to help the business is up for discussion as "with the current uncertainty, nothing is in (or out).

"The only constant is authenticity and integrity that must underpin every facet of our business – staff wellbeing, vineyards, winemaking, packaging and hospitality at our Cellar Door."

And with many industries such as travel don't expect to return to 'normal' pre-COVID business any time soon – some are even predicting a date of 2024 – we put a question surrounding this to David, to ask how long he expects it to take david Franz wines to see similar levels of trading. His response actually surprised us a little, and it's clear innovation is the name of the game.

"Who knows, in some ways, we're ahead of the curve at Cellar Door – South Australians are supporting their regional areas amazingly and on the whole are a thirsty bunch. Domestically, in Victoria, NSW, QLD, WA, well, time will tell."

"I reckon it's a mistake to try and recapture where we were before, this is an awesome opportunity to reboot! I don't envistage going back to pre-COVID, rather something different that works much better."

"I don't believe you can make a 'plan' for going forward, other than to do your best, be understanding and remember to laugh – it's all going to be ok!"

Friday 31 July 2020

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