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Wednesday 31 March 2021

Bell & Ross Offers Three Times The Functionality With Latest GMT Watch

French watchmaker Bell & Ross has built its entire reputation and aesthetic around building watches that closely mimic the cockpits of aircraft. That design philosophy, naturally, means the vast majority of the company's watch line-up is targeted at pilots (or at least fans of aviation).

Not only do pilots need to be able to read the time quickly and easily – something Bell & Ross' dials achieve with aplomb – but being able to just as quickly read the time in a destination or their home time zone is a very welcome addition.

That's where GMT watches come to the fore. It should be no surprise that Bell & Ross already boast multiple GMT watches in its repertoire, and the latest to be added to the bunch is the BR 03-93 GMT. If that model name seems familiar to keen-eyed fans of the brand, that's because it already exists: but this new model is a "redesigned, more modern, more functional, more readable" beast.

[caption id="attachment_286632" align="alignnone" width="920"] Image: Bell & Ross[/caption]

The headline update over its predecessor is the ability to read the time in three separate time-zones, by way of a bi-directional rotating bezel. Bell & Ross already introduced this feature on the BR V2-93 GMT (part of the Vintage series), but this is the first time the complication has been made available on the iconic square-shaped model.

RELATED: Australians Are Finally Becoming More Adventurous With Luxury Watches

The rotating bezel plays host to a 24-hour scale, which the GMT hand, complete with its red triangle-shaped tip, points to. So far, so GMT. But by rotating the dial, you can then read a third time-zone. Rotating clockwise subtracts hours, and moving it anti-clockwise adds on hours. Prior knowledge of how many hours ahead or behind you need to move the bezel is required, of course, but it's still a handy feature.

[caption id="attachment_286631" align="alignnone" width="920"] Image: Bell & Ross[/caption]

Bell & Ross has also updated the colour scheme. Gone is the all-silver case and bezel, along with the subtle orange accents and in comes a two-tone black and red bezel (similar to the famous Rolex GMT-Master II 'Coke') and red-tipped GMT hand. The red portion of the bezel signals daytime, while black unsurprisingly represents night.

Elsewhere, it's standard Bell & Ross fare, which is to say good stuff: highly legible Arabic numerals complete with Super-LumiNova coating, a characteristically offset date window, and that iconic 42mm x 42mm case with four polished functional screws that have made the brand famous.

Available on a black leather strap and with a black canvas strap included, the Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT can now be yours for 5,500 AUD – less than the cost of a business class ticket and much more enjoyable, too.

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This Melbourne Brand Is Making Very Affordable Designer Outdoor Furniture

The phrase "shrimp on the barbie" that originated in the 1984 - 1990 Australian Tourism Commission adverts, starring Paul Hogan, weren't just in reference to Australians' love of seafood, but also for their love of outdoor cooking on a BBQ. With Sydney, for example, being subjected to less than 100 days a year of rainfall on average, there is plenty of time for residents Down Under to make use of their outdoor spaces (even when it does rain, it does little to dampen the Australian spirit).

But what good is an outdoor space without the right furniture to enjoy it with? Aussies spend plenty of time fixing up and renovating the interiors of their homes – as reflected by the number of designer furniture brands conceived and sold on these shores – so why shouldn't the backyard get some love too? That's certainly the mantra adopted by Zaneti, a Melbourne-based designer furniture brand with a love for the great outdoors.

Not only does Zaneti cater to residential clients, but the company has the facility to assist commercial clients with all their outdoor furniture needs too, whether it be hotels, cafes, bars or any other commercial installation. But what makes Zaneti so special and why should you care? DMARGE spoke to founder Yanni Mastro about how the brand came about and how it became one of the hottest outdoor furniture designers in the entire country.

It only takes a quick glance on the company's website to realise Zaneti is all about colour. Whether you're after chairs, tables, sun beds or benches, you can find an array of colours that evoke thoughts of summer. Yanni tells us Zaneti "at its core, has always been an embodiment of vibrance and colour reimagined through the lens of the European lifestyle."

"The brand was conceptualised and first imagined during time abroad in the Mediterranean and in coastal Europe, where furniture designs were seen as extensions of the cultural influences that house them."

"Product design within these regions is consistently pushing the boundaries of what is achievable through imagination and passion, often blending traditional and comfortingly familiar forms with contemporary elements."

"This thought process contributed to the formation of Zaneti as a brand, bringing the European lifestyle back home to Australia where we share the same passion for outdoor living and yearning for new and exciting forms."

Naturally, a bench or a chair can only take on so many forms. It's a seat with four legs, after all. So what does Zaneti do in particular to keep things fresh to both entice new customers and maintain the loyal ones?

The answer isn't necessarily to develop something flashy and brand new that nobody else has, but rather to create products that customers will immediately feel like they've owned for a lifetime.

"Many of Zaneti's materials, colours and designs are influenced and derived from natural forms and real-life locations and objects," Yanni relates.

 

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"The brand's use of textured powder coats as a principal finish for the products subtly owes to coastal textures that can be found in the porous forms of sand and stone, which have been smoothed over by countless passing tides."

"Our colours are carefully combined with these textures to create exciting pairings that evoke emotions of familiarity: Reseda Green's soft and muted hues make it feel right at home within gardens and parks, and Matte White can blend seamlessly within coastal settings, like driftwood embedded in shorelines that has become bleached matte white by the sun."

"Across the brand's multiple products, the use of both rounded and squared tubing, flattened lengths of aluminium and crisp lines can be found in many combinations, giving each family a unique and defining identity."

"By incorporating these (and newly inspired) elements, Zaneti is able to constantly push forward with continuity and excitement by design."

We also wanted to find out what customers can expect from Zaneti in the coming months. Fortunately, Yanni was happy to reveal the company's plans.

"With a focus on outdoors, there are already new product families in development stages. Whilst featuring new design elements, as with our other products, these will be able to be used in combination with existing pieces to create unique zones or used alone as complete sets."

"Zaneti's research and design team are constantly inspired and new additions to our seasonal colours are always a possibility."

"For the 2020/21 season, our newest colour – Azure Blue – has already solidified its presence as a popular colour across our products."

"We're also pleased to announce our latest colour – Ivy Green – which can be enjoyed alone or in colour pairings with Reseda Green for great contrast."

Zaneti doesn't have any of its own standalone physical stores, but the brand's collections can be ordered either online or at any of its retail partners. These include Fenton & Fenton in Prahran, Victoria for retail customers, or commercial outlets in Victoria and South Australia.

Head to Zaneti's website to buy online today.

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Europe Risks Becoming ‘One Giant Retirement Home’ This Summer

Mykonos in June, The Amalfi Coast in July, The French Riviera in August. Europe's iconic spots hold a deafening call (for those with the time and money), each and every rotation of the globe.

This spin could be different, however. Thanks to a vaccine passport proposal currently being mulled over by the EU, many young people are outraged that a 'wildly unfair' rollout of this system could lead their grandparents to head to Ibiza (or the pub) before them.

Europe has had a tough time over the last twelve months. Restrictions were loosened last summer, then a huge spike in Covid cases arrived in autumn/winter with a vengeance.

Now, with summer bearing down on Europe once again, nations face some hard choices. Allow the economy to continue to languish, and stay strict (banking on longer-term gratification), or open things up and risk making everything worse?

There could be a strategy that helps them find a middle ground: vaccine passports.

As CNN Travel recently reported, "For those who want to... vacation amid ongoing Covid restrictions, the key may soon be at hand."

"While borders are likely to remain closed in coming weeks, the European Union is proposing to roll out a Digital Green Certificate, or vaccine passport that will allow those with the required armfuls of approved anti-Covid pharmaceuticals or antibodies from having had the virus, to travel freely. Negative tests could also be used to qualify."

This is broader than “immunity passports” – a concept whose scientific and ethical feasibility is currently being studied and debated, and which DMARGE reported on last year.

As the World Health Organisation wrote in April 2020, “Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection."

"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”

Vaccine passports take this to the next level, but include jabs as a key piece of information on your profile.

"This certificate would prove that the holder has been vaccinated against the virus, has received a negative test result, or has recovered from the virus," CIC News reports.

"It would be available at no cost, and it would be valid in all EU member states. The EU will also be working with the World Health Organization to make sure that the certificate can be accepted outside of Europe."

If they work, countries like Portugal, Spain and Greece, whose bank balances have been left with huge holes due to the ongoing lack of visitors, will be eager to co-operate.

While the hemmed in tourism industry has naturally started salivating at the idea, which the EU is expected to vote on presently, some worry it could prove unfair.

CIC News also reports that there are also fears on the part of organisations like Canada's Public Health Agency that vaccinated people can still pose a health risk. The article cited an email from scientists which pointed out that even though: "Scientific evidence is clear that the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada [to give one example] are highly effective at preventing illness," it is not known for sure "whether vaccinated individuals can still be asymptomatic and spread the virus."

 

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RELATED: 'Glorified Care Home' In Rural Italy Lures Young Travellers With Enticing Offer

There is a more pressing concern than this for the youth of Europe, however – the potential generational unfairness of a vaccine passport scheme. As the BBC reports, there are concerns it could spark social division.

Norbert Hidi, a 24-year-old student from the Hungarian capital Budapest told CNN Travel, "To put it bluntly, it's not fair."

"Most of us won't have been inoculated by the summer so that means we can't travel or possibly go to bars or restaurants. The older generation have had the vaccines first because they are most at risk, but it shouldn't mean they have more rights because of it."

A deluge of Tweets show the is not along in her thinking (especially in Britain, where the idea that you might even need it to go to the pub has people incensed).

Other Twitter users took it upon themselves to explain why vaccine passports, once implemented, shouldn't be that big of a deal...

... as well as to tell the elderly people who some fear may be travelling (or visiting pubs) first that they had better spend a fortune to make up for the privilege.

The UK, due to Brexit, is in a different, though similar situation to the rest of Europe.

"While the newly Brexited UK won't be part of the program, the success of its vaccination program could see special travel deals struck with some EU countries that will allow Brits to bypass the need for certification," CNN Travel reports.

As for those who fear unfairness, the following BBC report may clear up (some) of your rage...

"A government review is considering whether a vaccine passport could allow visitors entry to venues such as theatres, sports stadiums and pubs."

"Boris Johnson told MPs he is 'thinking very deeply' about the matter, and said that it 'may be down to individual publicans.'"

"But he also said that even if the government decided on a vaccine passport scheme, it might only be possible once everybody had been offered a vaccine. It is hoped all adults will have been offered a first jab by the end of July."

No final decisions have yet been taken (the BBC wrote 6 days ago) and the review on the use of vaccination passports is expected in April.

 

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"Although foreign holidays are not currently allowed," the BBC explainer article added, "the role vaccine passports could play in travel is being discussed."

"If another country says you can't come in unless you have the jab, then we want Brits to be able to demonstrate that," Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said, the BBC reported.

 

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As for the latest news on vaccine passports, on March the 26th schengenvisainfo reported, "The Members of the European Parliament have decided to speed up the process of the Digital Green Certificate, often referred to as vaccine passports, approval in order to enable their issuance in time for summer 2021 and at the same time to allow safe and unrestricted movement during the pandemic."

"The MEPs supported activating the emergency procedure (Rule 163), which would allow faster parliamentary observation and examination of the Commission’s proposal while respecting its democratic privileges, with 468 votes in favour, 203 votes against, and 16 abstentions."

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The Simple Solution To BMW’s Big Grille Problem

Automotive design is a challenging and ever-changing discipline, and auto makers will often completely overhaul their design languages between model ranges and even model years. Others have maintained a consistent design language or feature throughout the years, with that constancy becoming an integral part of their brand image.

BMW is one of those brands. Since the 1930s, virtually all BMW vehicles have featured what the brand calls their 'kidney grille': a rounded, bifurcated design that is the iconic signature of the marque. Kidney grilles have changed drastically over time – from the narrow, rounded 'New Class' design in the 60s and 70s to the broader, boxier look sported by 2010s models – but its most recent incarnation is the most controversial yet.

Making its debut on the new second-generation (G22) 4 Series, the octagonal, long and pinched-together design is highly distinct yet has proved to be rather divisive. A car's grille almost like its face... And many fans have described BMW's new grille design as looking like huge nostrils.

BMW has since unveiled other cars featuring the 'ugly' design – most notably the new M3 and M4. The furore over the design has distracted heavily from discussions over these two car's performance credentials in particular, much to BMW's chagrin.

Thankfully, there's a very easy fix for any fans needing a push over the line – simply option a colour-coded grille, and the divisive design almost disappears, particularly if the car's a dark colour. We put the change to our Instagram followers, who resoundingly agree: the car looks much better once you make this 'hack'.

[caption id="attachment_286544" align="alignnone" width="712"] Image: @dmarge[/caption]

Still, almost a quarter of our fans still weren't convinced – but thankfully, not all BMW models will be receiving the 'ugly grille' treatment.

Last year, BMW Blog spoke with Domagoj Dukec, the Bavarian brand's current head of design, who has assured fans that "the kidneys are not changing for all BMWs", despite his hopes to offer further design diversification between model lineups.

RELATED: Australia’s Most Divisive Car Trend Could Be On Track For A Revival

It seems that big grilles are the flavour of the month among luxury and performance car brands. Lexus arguably started the trend, with their current 'spindle' grille design, but other marques like Alfa Romeo, Audi and Jaguar have steadily been increasing the size and prominence of their car's grilles over the last 5-10 years.

Of course, we're likely to see a swing in the completely opposite direction as electric cars become more and more prominent...

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These $78 Men’s Shorts Are A Comfy Summer Essential

With summer right around the corner, now’s the time to get your wardrobe ready for those warmer months. There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than lounging around in comfy sweats, so stock up your closet with these Lightweight Terry Shorts by Grayers, as they’ll keep you cool and comfortable all summer long.

Made from 100% cotton, the Momo Lightweight Terry Shorts are breathable and durable. Featuring an elastic waist with an adjustable drawcord for ultimate comfort and a ribbed leg insert that gives you a touch of style but also, complete range of movement. Available in three neutral colours, you’ll have the most laid-back summer ever in these shorts.

For only US$78, ultimate comfort awaits, so grab a pair of the Momo Lightweight Terry Shorts ASAP!

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Goldman Sachs Survey Reveals What A 90 Hour Week Does To Your Mental Health

Anyone who has seen TV dramas Billions or Suits, and not to mention, The Wolf of Wall Street will already have some idea of what life is like on one of the world's most famous roads. But while these shows and movies portray workers in all positions being dedicated to their job – along with the lavish parties they're able to throw thanks to their obscene wealth – what they don't tend to show is how much that cult-like commitment can affect one's mental health.

Unless you work on Wall Street, or you're incredibly close to someone that does, you're never going to truly understand what life is really like. However, a leaked informal survey passed around 13 junior Goldman Sachs employees, recently picked up by media, may give you an idea. Not only does it suggest some workers in junior positions were working 90+ hour weeks, but it allowed workers to reveal exactly what sort of toll that had on their mental health.

Goldman Sachs is one of the most prestigious banking institutions in the world, with around 40,000 employees.

As reported by Business Insiderthe survey was completed by 13 first-year analysts, who claimed they were "so overworked that they were left with barely any time to shower, eat or sleep."

 

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As we've previously reported here at DMARGE, some Wall Street workers have claimed not to even go home after a night out. Instead, using 24-hour gym shower and change facilities and using a toilet cubicle as a bed for the night.

Talk about commitment.

Business Insider continues, "The analysts said they worked an average of 98 hours a week since January and slept an average of five hours a night. All respondents said their work hours has negatively affected their relationships, and they rated their satisfaction with their personal lives at a 1 out of 10."

One unnamed analyst is quoted as saying,

"The sleep deprivation, the treatment by senior bankers, the mental and physical stress...I've been through foster care and this is arguably worse."

Other comments to come out of the survey include, "beyond the level of 'hard working', this is inhumane, abuse."

And, while it may have been proven that those who stay up late underperform at work the next day, and vice versa, comments such as "I didn't come to this job expecting a 9am-5pm, but I also didn't expect consistent 9am-5ams either", insinuate work performance will take a huge hit no matter what time workers go to bed, if at all.

"Being unemployed is less frightening to me that what my body might succumb to if I keep up this lifestyle."

Some 75 per cent of respondents "said they had sought or had considered seeking mental-health counselling because of work-related stress", claims Business Insider.

 

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Such long hours and commitment to being called upon at any given moment by senior staff is something many are acutely aware of before they even consider a career in finance, but as we've seen before – and as El País adds – the lure of incredible sums of money being deposited into their bank accounts each month is enough to outweigh the negatives.

"It is not risky to become a banker. Show up, work hard and don’t break the law: this is all that is really required for you to become inordinately rich," says former investment banker Alice Fulwood.

According to Wall Street Prep, "For a first year investment banking analyst in New York City the base salary is $85,000, and most analysts will receive a year end bonus in the range of $65,000-$75,000."

"Absolute top performers will get a bonus as high as $85,000."

"The all in comp for most 1st year analysts thus comes to around $160,000."

Then for third year analysts, $95,000 is allegedly "standard at bulge brackets" with the yearly comp coming to "$170,000 – $210,000."

Responding to the results of the survey, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon told Financial News, "This is something that our leadership team and I take very strongly," and this is "recognises that our people are very busy, because business is strong and volumes are at historic levels."

"A year into Covid and people are understandably quite stretched, and that's why we're listening to their concerns and taking multiple steps to address them."

Concerns and requests made by analysts include "not exceeding an 80-hour work week, that rest from 9pm on Friday to Sunday morning should be respected, and that they should have more time to prepare for meetings", El País relates.

El Pais adds that Goldman Sachs has "promised to enforce the no-work-on-Saturday rule and to transfer employees to departments that are short-staffed."

Time will tell if they follow through.

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This $40 Camo Golf Glove Is the Coolest Money Can Buy

Chances are if you play golf, you already know how important it is to have a pair of quality gloves. You probably also know that fashion is becoming more and more imperative to the game. Therefore, it’s a no-brainer why you need G/FORE’s new limited edition glove, as it’s the perfect combination of practical and stylish.

G/FORE is renowned for its luxury sportswear products and The Delta Force Camo Golf Glove is no exception. Precision-crafted from 100% premium AA cabretta leather, this glove boasts unparalleled construction, quality, fit and feel. But the most impressive thing about The Delta Force Camo Glove is its awesome camouflage print on the back complete with a complimenting solid charcoal colouring on the palm which gives it a striking, unique look. This pair of gloves will seriously make all golfers in the vicinity green with envy!

For only US$40 and with only limited quantities available, hurry and get The Delta Force Camo Glove for an ace accessory.

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Computer Chip Crisis Could Send Australian Car Prices Crazy

In case you've been living under a rock the last twelve months (which all things considered, might have been a decent plan), one of the biggest effects of the COVID-19 crisis – at least in Australia – has been the ballooning of second-hand car prices.

One of the factors driving this has been a pronounced shortage of new car stock. Disruption to global trade and manufacturing thanks to the pandemic means there have been fewer new cars rolling off production lines and fewer ships bringing cars to our shores, meaning that locals have had no choice but to pick up used or second-hand cars.

To make matters worse, people have also been engaged in speculative buying to take advantage of this sticky situation, driving the prices of some cars up sky-high: take the new Suzuki Jimny, where virtually new examples of which have been going for almost double the MSRP.

Now that we've got over the worst of The Spicy Cough and people around the globe are returning to work, you'd think things would ease up – but there's another, rather unanticipated factor continuing to impact Australia's car market: a computer chip shortage that the Wall Street Journal has dubbed the 'chipageddon'.

ABC Science's James Purtill puts it this way:

"It's a combination of high demand and inelastic supply (i.e. it's hard to produce more cars quickly)... A modern car typically has about 100 microprocessors controlling everything from fuel intake to windscreen wipers. Without these chips, no new cars."

"When car sales slumped early in the pandemic, many car makers cut production and cancelled their computer chip orders. Their spot in the queue was eagerly taken up by consumer electronics makers, who were enjoying record demand thanks to government stimulus measures and people buying webcams, laptops, monitors and other devices to be able to work from home."

"When car sales rebounded, car makers rushed to increase production but found themselves at the back of the line for computer chips."

[caption id="attachment_286498" align="alignnone" width="920"] Image: Port of Melbourne[/caption]

Australia is more exposed to this chip shortage than many other countries as we lack the sort of large-scale computer chip manufacturing capability that countries like China, Germany or South Korea have. Although it's somewhat of a moot point as far as the auto industry is concerned, as we no longer make cars here any more... It also shows how tech-heavy modern cars are compared to even a decade ago.

RELATED: $715,000 Holden Monaro Sale Highlights Australian Auto Industry Hypocrisy

Another disaster we're recovering from that will continue to affect global supply chains – and therefore the delivery of new cars Down Under – is the recent Suez Canal obstruction. For almost a week, the Taiwanese container ship Ever Given was blocking the vitally important trade route, holding up billions of dollars of goods and compounding existing global economic recovery efforts. The giant ship was finally freed over the weekend but the disruption will inevitably continue to impact the auto industry.

The 'chipageddon' might continue to affect the global new car supply for months to come, but it won't mean Australia will be without new cars – and it also won't mean this insanely overheated second-hand car market will continue to stay hot.

DMARGE spoke to Carsales' Editor-in-Chief Mark Sinclair, who suggests that the changes to JobKeeper and JobSeeker will see less people buying cars – especially those trying to 'flip' cars for profit:

"This speculative buying is crazy... But it won't last forever. There's few cases where there's a pot of gold at the end of it."

"You'll still be able to buy a new car in Australia, and not every type of car has become so unaffordable... There are still over 25,000 cars on Carsales tagged as having a 'Good' or 'Great' price. There's plenty of reasonably priced cars."

At least the new car waiting lists aren't as long as those for a new Rolex...

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How To Get Instantly Better In Bed, According To An Australian Male Escort

Despite porn eating our brains like a flesh-eating amoeba, at its root (pun intended), true sexual satisfaction will always be about feelings not looks (why do you think American Psycho never really got his rocks off?).

You may think you get a kick out of being with someone ~hawt~ because of their Kardashian-esque glutes, or Hemsworth-like biceps, etc., but really it's the serotonin boost you get from emotionally connecting with someone you respect or are in awe of (and vice versa) that is probably making you really tick.

That is part of the reason very few people derive long term satisfaction from paying for 'company.' It feels too empty when there's nothing behind the physical (unless you derive your worth as a person on your bank balance – a can of worms which opens up a whole different set of problems).

It's also part of the reason male escort Mitch Larsson is so popular – he understands the importance of the emotional component of sex, as well as the fact that there is a lot that can increase your attraction to someone beyond sheer looks.

As he recently told journalist turned escort turned 'madam' Samantha X on her podcast 'In Bed With Samantha X' though he always carries viagra with him, "it can't work on its own."

"I need to be aroused to begin with. Part of the job is finding something in the person you're with that arouses you: whether that's physical, mental, stories from their life. A necessary ability of the job is to listen and find something beautiful about the person you're with."

"An ugly person to me is racist or sexist – [it's] not about the physical."

Case in point: Mitch was once hired by a 73 year old "beautiful warm woman" who was a "very classy, very beautiful, very successful businesswoman" with "a lot of drive and intelligence."

"Her husband had died a few years before and it had been 10 years since they'd done anything. She was more in need of companionship but also possibly sex as well."

What did their time involve? According to Mitch, "dancing, holding, waltzing."

"It took so long to get to the sex it didn't go that long. She more just wanted the presence of a man in bed."

This overnight experience cost, Mitch shared, "$38 hundred."

To that end... The life of a 'D for dial' is often overhyped. As Hollywood deals in stereotypes, many people envisage the world of male sex work to be either far more glamorous – or far more transactional – than it really is. The truth, as is often the case, lies somewhere in the middle.

There's also a lot more than being a male escort that providing the 'goods.' A huge amount of emotional labour is involved if you want any kind of longevity in the game. But before we get ahead of ourselves: how, exactly, did Mitch Larsson, become an escort in the first place?

As he told Samantha, "It was just popped into my head from a female friend of mine commenting on the energy I exuded being a sexy sort of energy – it blew me away as well."

"I suppose I felt sexy and she asked if I'd been a stripper or escort before and you know when you get an idea that pops into your head... it just did this time."

"This is when I was 41. I'm 44 now."

"Before that I'd been through all sorts of sales roles, 9-5 corporate stuff, practised law very briefly, my ex had my son back then – hated the 7am to 10pm aspect of the job – decided to be the prime care giver while she worked, started a photography company, then all of a sudden this called to me."

"I just made the decision and did it."

Samantha then asked, "Would you describe yourself as really good in bed?" to get a sense for what sort of men the role would suit, to which Mitch said: "Yes – you have to be."

"It's not an innate ability – it involves knowing the person you're with and their vibes, when you learn the job you learn consistencies of what works what doesn't and you get better than the average person."

He explained he was not necessarily known for being good in bed either before he started working as an escort. Before starting his career he had been married for 9 years and before that had had a few "flirtatious" one night stands but nothing crazy.

As for his first few times, Mitch recounts the following experience: "While I was still married, I had been advertising a week, tucked the little fella away, got a text message beforehand from a friend who wanted to hire me for a friend about an hour away – gave them chance to chat and get to know me – gave them a call and got a room of giggling girls on the other end of the line."

"We eventually set up a date and time."

"Tucked him in – said 'dad's off to work'... partner was supportive from the very start and knew [about the nature of the job]."

"I jumped in car, drove for an hour, knocked on the motel door, it was a dodgy-looking place, a young cute woman, bit of acne – whatever still beautiful – opens the door and was absolutely shaking like physically shaking couldn't talk all just squeak answers at me. So sweet."

"Straight away I knew I had to be comforting and calm her so it was just instinctive that I grabbed her and gave her a huge hug until the nerves calmed down. I stroked her hair and said, 'It's all going to be ok.' I didn't want to push her into anything so just said, 'We don't have to do anything. Lets just relax.' We held for a while then kissed. Then, you know, we had a bit of really good sex actually."

"It wasn't anything athletic or crazy it was beautiful, lovely, vanilla, passionate sex."

"I usually do take control," he added, when asked how that dynamic tended to work,  because, "People are very nervous when they see me so they're not likely to make the first moves and they're not sure if it's the right thing to do sometimes. So I'll suggest that they might give me a kiss; once you kiss it's easy everyone realises where they're at and it just flows from there."

"Sometimes I'll say, 'do you feel like undressing by any chance?' to remind them that I'm there for them."

"The whole night is about them and what they want."

He also shared a few horror stories from the early days, telling Samantha, "I don't really like being treated like meat."

"It's the ones that have seen many [escorts] for years and swing[ers] that have extreme requests."

"One time I went to a person's house and she basically said to me, 'I didn't pay for hugs I payed for dick.' She was also sucking down bongs." Suffice to say Mitch wasn't into it and cut the ~experience~ short.

I said: "Look I think I might head home soon. How about I give you back x dollars and we put it towards a better experience next time."

Mitch also shared some of the things he wished other men knew about women:

"What surprised me about women's desires is how restrained they are in saying what their desires actually are."

"It's disheartening but not overly surprising if they say, 'You really want me to tell you what I like?'"

"How else are we going to have really nice sex?"

"Women want to feel sexy and hot – they want to feel desired, they want to please the person they are with, but see the person they are with is really enjoying being with them genuinely. There's really not a lot more to it than that, being loved and appreciated."

RELATED: Good Sex – How It Defines Your Relationship’s Success

Speaking of appreciation, his advice to men in long term relationships is the following: "a big 'no no' is getting complacent and getting lazy and saying, 'what you reckon hun?'"

"Make sure [it's] two sided."

"Be a responsive lover. Be vocal – don't be a porn star or anything but make noises and show how much fun you're having."

"Be a good kisser."

"Really cherish and adore their whole bodies, stroking hair, kissing face, kissing neck..."

"Be well maintained – give yourself a trim down there."

"What they all generally don't like – trying to manipulate them into doing something they are not comfortable with it."

"Another one is when guys come and they think that's the end of it."

"Don't just roll off and go to the shower – stay there and appreciate what's just happened and what she's done for you."

"Communication – set the mood by asking what she likes – higher or lower – not too much though because you have to read what's going on."

Interest piqued? Here are a few more red hot facts straight from Mitch's interview.

  • The average age of his clients is 48, but ranges from early 40s to early 50s (and some in their eary 30s and early 70s).
  • There's "no pretence and they know what they want as get older."
  • "Vaginas don't age."
  • The shortest booking time Mitch offers is 2 hours (for $800).
  • Married women booking without their husbands knowing is "not that common."
  • He loves his clients but "not in a long term committed emotional way." Mitch says, for him, "Love is infinite" and there's no reason why has to be restricted to one partner.

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The post How To Get Instantly Better In Bed, According To An Australian Male Escort appeared first on DMARGE.



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