AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 2020
A MAN’S GOTTA EAT!THIS
COUPLE’S NIGHT?
TIME TO NETFLIX & CHILL
MONTH’S MOODFOOD
WINNING
BG! HOW ONE MAN MADE IT HAPPEN!
SPIN
DOCTOR DOCTRINE DEMYSTIFYING A WORLD OF BS!
a n n a v iG o auty e b g alin e h c i olist h e Th
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At time of publication
IT’S GREAT TO BE A MAN
FHM Australia is published by Untapped World Publishing (Pty) Ltd in South Africa for Australia. Material in this publication, including text and images, is protected by copyright. It may not be copied, reproduced, republished, posted, broadcast, or transmitted in any way without written consent of Untapped World Publishing (Pty) Ltd. The views and opinions expressed in FHM Australia by the contributors may not represent the views of the publishers. Untapped World Publishing (Pty) Ltd as well as its employees accept no responsibility for any loss that may be suffered by any person who relies totally or partially upon any information, description, or pictures contained herein. Untapped World Publishing (Pty) Ltd is not liable for any mistake, misprint, or typographic errors. All prices shown are in AUD. Any submissions to FHM Australia become the property of Untapped World Publishing (Pty) Ltd.
CONTENTS 11/20
Diana E. p12
Lucy Dixon p64
For the Players p20
Two awesome cars compared p72
The Ralph Lauren legacy p30
On the cover | Giovanna p36
Bianca Anastasia p84
06 NETFLIX & CHILL
46 SPIN DOCTOR DOCTRINE
78 A MAN’S GOTTA EAT!
Couple’s night must-watch series
Demystifying the world of BS!
This month’s mood food
20 FOR THE PLAYERS
50 FOR THE RUN OF IT!
92 NEW BREW NOOBRU!
Games to jam during happy hour
/V^ WHYRY\UZ RLLW `V\ Ä[
The health drink you’ve got to try
28 MAGIC NUMBER 5
56 WARRIOR WOMEN
PlayStation’s new gamechanger!
Men and menopause
92 WINNING BG! How one man made it happen!
30 TRAILBLAZER!
72 MASE’RRARI
The Ralph Lauren legacy
Two awesome cars compared
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Netflix
&
This year has definitely had its lows, but if there is one positive to take from 2020 is the amazing TV shows we have been treated to. And with binge-watching higher than ever due to the pandemic, streaming services have not disappointed with delivering amazing shows. Here is a list of must-watch for November.
SOCIAL DISTANCE NETFLIX
Social Distance is an American streaming television anthology series created by Hilary Weisman Graham and Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan that premiered on October 15, 2020 on Netflix. The series was “conceived, cast and executed entirely remotely during quarantine”. The eight-part series, set during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on how families, friends, and couples were forced to cope with the effects of quarantine as well as the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. Each episode tells a different story and shows “the power of the human spirit in the face of uncertainty and isolation,” and how technology was used to stay connected during quarantine.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY CBS ALL ACCESS The third season of the much-lauded Star Trek epic follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they travel to the future, over 900 years after the events of the original Star Trek series. Sonequa Martin-Green once again stars as Michael Burnham, along with the returning Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, and Wilson Cruz. With the second season-ending on a time travel note, the series is now free from the existing Star Trek continuity, allowing them to explore a new time period for the franchise.
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MARVEL’S HELSTROM HULU
While Marvel’s Runaways may have wrapped up, Hulu’s got another superpowered show from the comic book giant coming down the pipeline. Daimon and Ana Helstrom are the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer. The siblings have a complicated dynamic as they track down the terrorizing worst of humanity, each with their attitude and skills. If you are suffering from a lack of big Marvel movies this year then this will surely scratch that itch.
THE MANDALORIAN DISNEY+ The series that currently is the sole reason to have a Disney+ account, returns after an incredibly successful and critically acclaimed first season. Everyone’s favorite bounty hunter returns to continue his quest of delivering Baby Yoda back to its people. With the last few Star Wars movies floundering quite badly, the fate of the Star Wars universe firmly rests upon the legendary armor of the Mandalorian.
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NOVEMBER 2020
TRUTH SEEKERS AMAZON PRIME
Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz collaborators Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are at it again for another horror-comedy. Truth Seekers is a supernatural comedy series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK, sharing their adventures on an online channel for all to see. However, as they stake out haunted churches, underground bunkers, and abandoned hospitals with their array of homemade ghost-detecting gizmos, their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, more terrifying, and even deadly, as they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about Armageddon for the entire human race.
ROADKILL PBS Roadkill is about Peter Laurence (Hugh Laurie), a self-made forceful and charismatic politician. Peter’s public and private life seems to be falling apart or rather is being picked apart by his enemies. As the personal revelations spiral, he is shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse, expertly walking a high wire between glory and catastrophe as he seeks to further his own agenda while others plot to bring him down. However, events show just how hard it is, for both an individual and a country, to leave the past behind. With enemies so close to home, can Peter Laurence ever out-run his own secrets to win the ultimate prize?
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MOONBASE 8 SHOWTIME Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly star in this new comedy series as three astronauts stationed at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator in a remote part of the Arizona desert. While working vigorously to qualify for their first lunar mission, they encounter many obstacles including loneliness, self-doubt and their own incompetence. In spite of it all, they remain determined to prove they have the right stuff to reach the moon. With a cast of comedy legends, Moonbase 8 is a brilliantly funny look at the lives of these three bumbling wannabe astronauts.
INDUSTRY HBO Industry follows a group of hungry, young graduates competing for a limited number of permanent positions at Pierpoint & Co., a leading bank in London, while being thrown head-first into the exhilarating world of international finance. From first-time creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the drama series gives an insider’s view of the high-stakes financial realm through the eyes of an outsider, Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold), a talented young woman from upstate New York who finds herself and her fellow young grads fueled by raw ambition, youth, romance, and drugs as they aim to impress their mentors and bosses. Examining issues of gender, race, class, and privilege in the workplace, Industry shows how these impressionable young minds begin to forge their identities within the pressure-cooker environment and sensory blitz of Pierpoint & Co’s trading floor, where meritocracy is promised but hierarchy is king. 8
NOVEMBER 2020
THE SOUTH WESTERLIES ACORN TV
When a small coastal town in the south-west of Ireland is earmarked for a Norwegian-owned wind farm, it’s not just the spectacular scenery that’s under pressure. Based in Dublin, Kate Ryan (Orla Brady) is working as an Environmental Compliance consultant for Norwegian energy giant Noreg Oil, she’s on the verge of a lucrative promotion and transfer to HQ in Oslo. But there’s a caveat; a final assignment for NorskVentus (Noreg Oil’s new wind-power subsidiary). For single working mother Kate, tasked with going undercover to bring the wind farm project home, her eco-battle is compounded by the return of a crinkly-eyed surfer (Steve Wall) from her past.
AFX TEACHER ON HULU This drama series examines the complexities and consequences of an illicit sexual affair between a young teacher and her student. Claire is a new teacher at Westerbrook High School in Texas. Dissatisfied in her marriage to her college sweetheart, Claire’s life changes when Eric, a personable teenager in her English class, takes an interest in her. Popular and outgoing, Eric is the captain of the soccer team and nearly inseparable from his best friends. Claire and Eric discover an undeniable connection that allows them to escape their lives, but their relationship accelerates faster than either could anticipate. The permanent damage left in the wake of their illicit affair becomes impossible for them, and their friends and family, to ignore.
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THE CROWN NETFLIX
The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 through to the present day. The fourth season introduces Lady Diana Spencer and is set during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, and will introduce Prince William and Prince Harry. Events depicted include the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, their 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Falklands War, Michael Fagan’s break-in at Buckingham Palace, Lord Mountbatten’s funeral, the Princess of Wales’s appearance at the Barnardo’s Champion Children Awards and her 1989 flight on Concorde.
BIG SKY ABC From Big Little Lies showrunner David E. Kelley comes a new adaptation of C.J. Box’s crime novels. Private detectives Cassie Dewell and Cody Hoyt join forces with his estranged wife, ex-cop Jenny Hoyt, to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.
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NOVEMBER 2020
NO MAN’S LAND HULU
No Man’s Land dives into the depths of the Syrian civil war through the eyes of Antoine, a young French man, in search for his estranged, presumed to be dead sister. While unraveling the mystery, piece by piece, Antoine ends up joining forces with a unit of Kurdish female fighters, fierce women and ISIS’ biggest nightmare and travels with them into ISISoccupied territory. Antoine’s journey crosses paths with adventurers and anarchists, spies and innocent victims, and provides a unique look on the tragic events in Syria, and the way they affect the entire world.
BLACK NARCISSUS FX Black Narcissus is based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden. Set in Mopu, Himalayas, in 1934 at a remote clifftop palace once known as the ‘House of Women’, the location holds many dark secrets. When the young nuns of St. Faith attempt to establish a mission there, its haunting mysteries awaken forbidden desires that seem destined to repeat a terrible tragedy.
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NOVEMBER 2020
Diana E. Diana E. | @xxdianaexx Photography by Arthur St. John | @arthurstjohn MUA Briana de Bengson | @beautybybrianamua Hair Stylist Justine | @moonlitbeautysupply Location Ronn Bailey
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CONGRATS ON YOUR FHM FEATURE, TELL US ABOUT THE PHOTO SHOOT. Thank You! The shoot was really nice and hot. The location was beautiful. DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL? WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION AND WHY? Yes I love to travel. My favorite place I vacationed was Paris the City of Love. It’s just something about the romantic atmosphere and the charming French culture that I love. HOW DO YOU STAY BUSY DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS? I’ve been staying busy by cooking and baking a lot more, doing arts and crafts with my children trying to keep them entertained throughout this whole ordeal and watching movies like crazy. FAVORITE CELEBRITY CRUSH? Michael B. Jordan HOW IMPORTANT IS SEX IN A RELATIONSHIP? I think sex is very important in a relationship, it should consist of making your partner feel comfortable, wanted and loved also developing that emotional connection which makes for good sex. If there is an emotional block the sex will not be good for me. WHAT ANIMAL ARE YOU MOST LIKE AND WHY? The lioness. Although they are admired for their beauty, they are fierce yet tender, strong, resilient,
good nurtures...oh and dangerous when they are hungry...LOL READ THE BOOK OR WATCH THE MOVIE? I’m a very visual person so I actually prefer watching the movie versus reading the book. Although reading spurs your imagination, a movie helps you visualize all the elements of the book. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DATE. Something romantic but not typical; like a hot air balloon ride or a nice picnic/dinner in the park or beach.You know something other than dinner and a movie, be spontaneous.
BIGGEST TURN ON? TURN OFF? I have a thing for facial hair and a nice smile. Turn off for me would be bad hygiene. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? In 10 years, I wanna see myself owning and running multiple businesses, happily married hopefully (fingers crossed) and having all that I once dreamt of. DESCRIBE YOURSELF USING 3 ADJECTIVES. Tenacious, Loyal and Ambitious
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NOVEMBER 2020
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FOR THE
PLAYERS When you’re not out on the grind or treating that someone special here are some awesome games to jam, day and night, or just to pass the time while you wait for happy hour!
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NOVEMBER 2020
WATCH DOGS: LEGION
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs series has always been an interesting entry in the stable of open-world games. With its unique hacking mechanics from the very first game to the fun traversal options in the second, the Watch Dogs games have always been quite different from its competitors. Each entry pushed the genre to its limits, always introducing new mechanics for the players to run rampant around a big open world and the third entry in the series is no different. Watch Dogs: Legion looks to push the genre into a brand-new direction, with some truly innovative gameplay and a brand-new city. Welcome to nearfuture dystopian London. THE FUTURE IS SCARY In the near future, London is facing its downfall. After devastating terror attacks caused by a mysterious entity called Zero Day rock the city, an all-seeing authoritarian state has oppressed the people, a corrupt private military corporation controls the streets, and a powerful crime syndicate is preying on the vulnerable. The fate of London lies with you, and your ability to recruit a resistance and fight back. The biggest change to Watch Dogs: Legion from its previous two entries is the fact that you can play and recruit virtually anyone in London. Every Londoner has a reason to fight back and thus can be recruited to your resistance. This means that you can walk up to any NPC in the game, convince them to join your resistance team and they will become instantly playable. From a bartender, an ex-spy, a fallen boxer, a well-connected lawyer to a stark raving grandmother. Unlike other open-world games that have one set hero, Legion aims to make every character the hero, allowing for some really fun and interesting options to the player. Tired of playing as the typical dystopian hero, well then recruit a granny and go on a rampage as an angry hacker octogenarian. Each character has their own unique skills, backstory and motivation. It’s incredibly
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fun recruiting new players and you genuinely start caring for your ragtag team of revolutionaries. You’ll get to hack your way across London by using the advanced tech infrastructure found around the city. Hijack armed drones, deploy stealthy spider-bots or use your tech know-how to rig the system with explosions. As with previous games you have the option of going around terrorizing the man with stealth or go in all guns blazing. Legion retains that “do what you want, how you want” gameplay from the previous games and it’s still as fun as ever. HACK THE PLANET Watch Dogs: Legion is a fun game with some interesting ideas, unfortunately, it does fall short in a few areas. Some of the character models feel a bit dated and graphically we really expected more from a series that always pushed the console boundaries. Of course, if you purchase it now you will get a free update to the new consoles and hopefully, there will be some graphical improvements on the next-gen consoles. Story-wise Legion is as silly as ever, but due to the new mechanics it never feels focused, and the multiple characters doesn’t allow for a clear cut goal or any strong motivation. Yet if you’re looking for a big open world with tons of tech toys and some interesting features then Watch Dogs: Legion might be right up your alley.
Developer Codemasters has long been seen as the kings of racing games, from the critically acclaimed F1 series to the much-beloved Grid, it’s safe to say that Codemasters know how to create a great racing experience. Yet it’s the DIRT series that has always been the jewel in the crown for the British developer, with the first in the series having been released way back in 2007. Jump forward 13 years and DIRT 5 is a massive leap forward for the series, taking off-road racing to new heights as the genre leader looks to cement their status as kings of racing once and for all. PUSHING THE LIMITS DIRT 5 is a bold new off-road racing experience that not only plays well but looks incredible. Codemasters have gone out of their way to push the technical specs of their latest racing game with eye-popping physics, next-gen graphics and a rock-solid 60 frames per second gameplay. It even has the option to go up to 120 FPS on the next-gen consoles. Of course, a great racing game is not just about the way it looks but the way it plays and DIRT 5 does not disappoint. The driving mechanics are on point as always, with options to go from super arcade easy style driving right down to ultra-realistic settings. There is something here for any racing fanatic. With a large number of cars to choose from and a seemingly endless amount of game modes, DIRT 5 has it all. Choose from 900bhp sprint cars, incredible
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rock bouncers, modern rallycross, classic rally, GT, muscle cars, trucks, buggies and more, the variety is just staggering. The game also features over 70 routes across 10 global locations - from racing on New York’s frozen East River, to under Norway’s Northern Lights and dynamic extreme weather which completely transforms the handling and gameplay feel. The amount of different experiences to drive in just goes off the scale. There is also an indepth story mode that features voice actor legends Troy Baker and Nolan North. The player is dropped into a world-renowned off-road racing series that delivers constant extreme action, continent to continent, in all manner of amplified events. As you begin to get your feet wet and make a buzz in the racing scene, you catch the eye of Alex Janiček – better known as AJ. An undisputed superstar and fan favorite in the world of DIRT, AJ quickly takes you under his wing, showing you what it takes to rise to the top of the sport he has dominated for years. On top of that, you also get a creator mode called Playgrounds. In this new mode to the series, you are given a blank canvas and a huge suite of tools and objects, from dirt kickers, jumps and platforms, to loops, buses to leap over and rings of fire, to construct the racing arena of your dreams. The possibilities are endless for you to get creative, with three different event types to build your Playgrounds for: Gate Crasher, Gymkhana and Smash Attack! MUD MAYHEM DIRT 5 is a return to form for the series and a real step up in gameplay and visuals. Codemasters has made sure to throw everything but the kitchen sink at this entry and it truly feels like a next-gen experience. IT plays wonderful and looks incredible, what more can a racing fan ask for. 24
NOVEMBER 2020
ASSASSIN’S CREED: VALHALLA
So far, 2020 has been an unpredictable year, seemingly throwing curve balls at us every moment it gets. And the motto for this crazy year has been “The World is changing”. And even though everything feels different at the moment, there is something you can always rely on, a brand-new Assassin’s Creed game in November and Ubisoft does not disappoint. Enter the brand new secret stabby simulator, Assassin Creed Valhalla, the 12th entry in the famous series and the first to place you in the boots of the infamous Vikings. Does Valhalla take the series to new heights or will this be another 2020 disappointment? I AM VIKING You play as Eivor, a Viking raider raised to be a fearless warrior, and lead your clan from icy desolation in Norway to a new home amid the lush farmlands of ninth-century England. Find your settlement and conquer this hostile land by any means to earn a place in Valhalla. England in the age of the Vikings is a fractured nation of petty lords and warring kingdoms. Beneath the chaos lies a rich and untamed land waiting for a new conqueror. Blaze your own path across England with advanced RPG mechanics. Fight brutal battles, lead fiery raids or use strategy and alliances with other leaders to bring victory. Every choice you make in combat and conversation is another step on the path to greatness. Lead a crew of raiders and launch lightning-fast surprise attacks against Saxon armies and fortresses. Claim the riches of your enemies’ lands for your clan and expand your influence far beyond your growing settlement. Unleash the ruthless fighting style of a Viking warrior as you dual-wield axes, swords, or even shields against relentless foes. Decapitate opponents in close-quarters combat, riddle them
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with arrows, or assassinate them with your Hidden Blade. Your clan’s new home grows with your legend. Customize your settlement by building upgradable structures. Unlock new features and quests by constructing a barracks, a blacksmith, a tattoo parlor, and much more. Sail across the icy North Sea to discover and conquer the broken kingdoms of England. Immerse yourself in activities like hunting and drinking games or engage in traditional Norse competitions like flyting – or, as it’s better known, verbally devastating rivals through the art of the Viking rap battle. PILLAGE AND PLUNDER Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a very good game, yet it does feel very familiar, with all the usual Ubisoft open-world tropes. The combat is solid and the story serviceable, yet there is something about Valhalla that feels dated, especially compared to recent openworld games like Ghost of Tsushima and Breath of the Wild. It’s not quite the series shake-up as we have seen with Assassin’s Creed Origins but still contains all the hallmarks of a very good open-world game. The combat is as exciting as ever and the new England landscapes are fun to explore yet something doesn’t quite stick. If you’re an Assassin’s Creed fan then you will instantly like this game, yet if you’re looking for something different then Valhalla might not be the game for you.
Arguably the most anticipated game ever, Polish developers CD Projekt RED, famed for making the incredible Witcher series, finally releases the much delayed Cyberpunk 2077. Originally announced in May 2012 the game that has every single gamer on the planet salivating, finally lands on current and next-gen consoles. Was it worth the wait or is this the biggest disappointment in gaming history? Spoiler alert: it’s the former. THE FUTURE IS SHINY Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-akind implant that is the key to immortality. You can customize your character’s cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you. As with the multi-award-winning The Witcher 3, CD Projekt RED has pulled out all the stops and fans of the Witcher series will find a lot to love here. Firstly the game looks incredible, Night City is a graphical marvel to explore, from its bright neon signs filling the city nightlife to the dark and dingy alleyways, everything looks incredible and truly feels like a nextgen experience. Unlike the Witcher 3, you control your character from a first-person point of view, instead of the third person as many players might be used to. This allows for a more immersed experience as your character V is fully customizable and each player will have a unique adventure based on their gameplay style. Choices also matter big time in this game, where even the smallest decision might come back to haunt the player 20 hours into the game. And of course, what kind of RPG would Cyberpunk 2077 be without an intriguing story? As V you will meet some of the most dangerous people on the planet as you hunt for the ultimate implant. There are more twists and turns in the story than an episode of Lost. 27
MAGIC
NUMBER
With November 2020 set for the start of the next console wars between heavy hitters Sony and Microsoft, it’s never been a better time to be a gamer. Sony absolutely dominated the previous generation, with superior ďŹ rst-party titles and just a ton of consoles sold. But can the Japanese juggernaut keep that momentum going into the next generation? Or do we have another PS3 disaster on our hands? 28
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Sleek, Stylish, Slick Off the bat, the new PlayStation looks fantastic with its aesthetically pleasing design and quite unique form, which sets it apart from the rather dull looking fridge like build of the new Xbox. Sony’s DualShock controllers have generally kept a similar design from generation to generation, but the PS5’s new DualSense controller is the first PlayStation controller that doesn’t look anything like the original. While the DualSense does have the basic layout PlayStation fans are familiar with, the whole shape of the DualSense is new, with pointer handles and broader lines, and the controller itself has a striking two-tone design. Traditional rumble has been replaced with haptic feedback, which should give you different levels of feedback depending on what’s happening in your game. The controller also has “adaptive triggers” that can simulate different resistances, which could be used to do things like add tension when you’re pulling back a bow. One of the biggest advancements the new PS5 will offer though is its blisteringly fast new SSD storage. It has 825GB of storage and 5.5GB/s of throughput, which could be fast enough to let game developers build levels without having to mask levels loading in the background. The Xbox Series X will also have a custom SSD, one with a full 1TB of NVMe storage but a lesser throughput of 2.4GB/s. That could wind up meaning the Xbox Series X has slower loading times than the PS5. The new SSD also allows for textures to load faster, so say goodbye to those annoying pop-ups in distance that plagued previous console generations. The PS5 supports up to 8K output and promises 4K graphics at up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The console is powered by a custom eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and a custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based GPU that will provide 10.28 teraflops of raw graphical power. The PS5 also uses variable frequencies on both the PS5’s CPU and GPU, which could theoretically push the graphics to run slightly faster than normal when the CPU isn’t running at peak. What this all means really is that games will look better, play better, and offer gamers a unique experience with upcoming titles.
Games from the Future? Looking back at the past, console wars have always been won not by the tech specs but by the games you can play and that is one area Sony will be focusing on heavily. The biggest reason the PS4 dominated was because of the excellent first-party offerings such as God of War, Uncharted, and Last of Us. With the PS5 launch titles, Sony is already bringing out the big guns with the highly anticipated Dark Soul remaster being an absolute highlight. There will also be a new stand-alone follow-up to the incredibly successful Spider-Man game called Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales which looks absolutely stunning on the new hardware. Plus with some of the biggest Sony first-party titles announced for 2021,
including a new God of War and Horizon Zero dawn sequel, the Playstation 5 looks set to deliver amazing games only available on the Sony console. Yet the biggest news was the announcement of backwards compatibility with PS4 titles, a massive announcement from Sony as the Xbox has been mastering the dark arts of backwards compatible games for years now. It was always an area Sony was heavily criticized for but it looks like the Japanese console giant finally listened to their fans. If it will go to the level that Xbox has, is yet to be seen as the Xbox offers older games but at higher frame rates and improved visual quality. The dream for any gamer would be to play Bloodborne in 4K at 60fps, but we will have to wait and see if Sony fully delivers on this. The PlayStation Plus Collection is also a new feature coming to PS Plus for the PS5. It will allow you to digitally download and play a number of popular PS4 titles from the moment of the PS5 launch. This means that you can play games like Persona 5 and God of War on the PS5 from the very first day of the console’s release. It’s very similar to the Xbox Game Pass when you think about it. Several titles have already been announced and more games will be added after the release of the PS5.
Let The Games Begin Alongside the standard PS5, Sony is also releasing a PS5 Digital Edition, a disc-less version of the next-gen console. This solely digital console will boast the same specs as the standard PS5, just in a more streamlined package. The PS5 Digital Edition sees Sony moving with what’s increasingly becoming a physical-media-free hobby, banking on players to make use of digital downloads and streaming services rather than buying games or movies on disc-based hardware. It is also $100 cheaper than the standard version, so definitely an option for those looking to save a few bucks. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are coming in at the same price point, both offer incredibly powerful machines and the promise of brilliant and unique games exclusive to each console. This promises to be one of the most tightly contested console wars in ages, and as gamers, this is the best possible outcome.
The Tie That Makes
The story of the Ralph Lauren legacy Catwalkyourself.com | Ralphlauren.com
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n the history of fashion, there are many rags to riches stories, tales of the underdog rising to the top to create world-famous brands or become the face of fashion. Yet one story always sticks out, of a man that came from adversity and not only created a world-famous brand but went on to sell a lifestyle. Ralph Lauren is arguably the biggest and most recognizable name in fashion today and has a fashion empire that made him a multi-millionaire. Not bad for a bullied kid from the Bronx. Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, New York City, on October 14, 1939, the third of four siblings. His parents Frieda and Frank were Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who had fled Belarus, and the youngster grew up in the Mosholu Parkway area of the family’s adopted borough. At the age of 16, Ralph and his brother Jerry changed their last name to Lauren after having been teased consistently at school. Another brother, Lenny, retained the family name. Ralph was known for his distinctive fashion sense as a teen, finding inspiration in screen icons like Fred Astaire and Cary Grant while having a taste for both classic preppy wear and vintage looks. Unlike his fellow classmates who donned the “Fonz” leather jacket and jeans look Lauren instead wore tennis jerseys to cool, a look he found more aesthetically pleasing and fashionably sensible. Possessed of an innate fashion sense from birth, he took part-time jobs early on to fund his penchant for designer clothes. His chosen course of study, however, was business, although he left the course at City College in Manhattan before receiving his degree. Unhappy with the design of men’s clothing at the time,
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Ralph designed his own despite his lack of formal training and had them custom made. “You have to remember this was the late sixties and everything was three buttons and narrow lapels,” says the fashion maestro. “I had always loved the look of the old English gentleman who dressed in class and style, who knew what he was wearing but acted like he didn’t care. That’s the image I wanted. I loved fashion and wore clothes well, but had no idea I could use that in terms of a career.” After dropping out of college, he served two years in the U.S army between 1962 and 1964. The same year he married Ricky Anne Low-Beer. For the next few years, Lauren worked as a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers and then for A Rivetz & Co., a tie manufacturer. However in 1967 things changed for the former Bronx kid, Lauren finally achieved financial backing from Norman Hilton to open a necktie store in New York, where he sold his own designs. While developing his collection of tie designs, the department store Bloomingdale’s took interest, but insisted Lauren remove his name from the ties’ label and make them narrower but Lauren refused to sell to Bloomingdales under their conditions. With the Polo label ties the direct opposite of the conventional styles of the time, his wider, flamboyant ties, made out of opulent materials quickly became a menswear status item. The following year he designed a menswear line and in 1969, Polo by Ralph Lauren established the first shop within a shop, in the department store Bloomingdales. The company name was always intended to be evocative of a lifestyle. “Well, what kind of people play polo?” he asks. “Wealthy, cosmopolitan, chic, wealthy. I wanted to create a concept for the name.” In 1970 Lauren received his first Coty Award for Menswear and the following year a womenswear collection was introduced. The women’s line also starred the polo player emblem which
was originally on the cuff of women’s tailored shirts. In 1974, Ralph Lauren designed the costumes for the film ‘The Great Gatsby’. Lauren dressed the entire male cast in 1920s-styled suits and sweaters. The following year Lauren won the American Fashion Award and in 1976, Lauren won the Coty Award for womenswear as well as entering the Coty Hall of Fame for Menswear and in 1977 he did the same for womenswear. In 1983 Lauren released a home collection and in 1986, Polo Ralph Lauren opened a flagship store on Madison Avenue 72nd Street in Rhinelander mansion, raising the bar for the retail experience. In 1992, Audrey Hepburn presented Lauren with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award and the following year, the Polo Sport line was introduced. In 1997 Ralph Lauren received CFDA’s 1996 Menswear Designer of the Year Award and with the millennium, Lauren founded Ralph Lauren Media. In 2004 a new line Rugby was introduced, a lifestyle collection aimed at ages 16 to 25. In 2007 the CFDA honored Lauren with the first-ever American Fashion Legend Award and in the same year, a watch and jewelry line was added to Polo Ralph Lauren. In 2009 the CFDA gave Lauren the first-ever Popular Vote Award, the Rugby line launched an iPhone App and also produced their first online fashion show. An incredibly famous fashion house, Ralph Lauren was the first designer to merge American style with sartorial refinement. His style is preppy romantic with a classic American heritage. Unlike most other fashion houses, Polo and Ralph Lauren are inseparably tied. “A lot of what you see in the clothes and stores comes literally from my father’s life,” says David. The man himself is self-deprecating about his contribution to the 20th-century fashion scene. “I don’t think I created fashion,” he says. “I don’t know what original means. I think I made a mark, a niche that was a little distinctive for what it is personally.”
The Ralph Lauren Timeline With Ralph Lauren’s fashion dominating the world scene for nearly 50 years now, the highlights in the fashion guru’s career are numerous, yet some of the key moments in his career do stand out. Here is a timeline of some of his greatest moments. 1972 - The Birth of the Polo Shirt Crafted from the finest materials and available in numerous vivid colors, the Polo short became not only an icon of American style but a mainstay across the world. Becoming one of the most worn shirts in history. “On one level, there’s aspirational quality to having a polo player on it, on another level it’s just a great shirt with lots of colors”, Lauren once said. 1974 - The Gatsby Look Lauren was heavily inspired by the old Hollywood look, so it was no surprise when new Hollywood came calling. Heavily inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal book The Great Gatsby, it seemed fitting that Lauren would be called upon to dress the cast of the Robert Redford led movie of the same name. 1977 - Woody Allen Couldn’t Resist Annie Hall was a groundbreaking comedy that not only won numerous awards but shot director and writer Woody Allen into superstardom. Of course, the main actress Diane Keaton’s iconic look featured several Ralph Lauren pieces. “The look suggested a truly new and independent way of dressing, it was tender, personal and original” Joan Juliet Buck later wrote for Vogue. 1981 - Going Global Ralph Lauren finally opened his first store outside of the United States. The Polo shop at New Bond Street in London, England was the first freestanding shop in Europe for an American designer.
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Located in a former pharmacy, the space exemplified the timeless gentlemen’s club aesthetic that Ralph Lauren stores have become known for. 1986 - The Face of Fashion Iconic magazine Time, finally featured the fashion maestro on their illustrious cover. The inside story documents how Ralph built a fashion empire in less than 20 years after Polo debuted. 1989 - The Nina Hyde Center Along with legendary Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, Lauren honors the memory of late Post fashion correspondent Nina Hyde with a new facility at Georgetown University Hospital, embodying his longtime commitment to supporting the fight against cancer. 1992 - Polo Sports is Born While having dominated every other category of fashion, the sports scene would be on Lauren’s radar in the early ’90s. Polo Sport debuted with the Stadium collection and with its bold colors and eye-catching graphics, the line of performance-driven activewear would go on to become one of Polo’s most collected. 1998 - The Star-Spangled Banner With his donation to Save America’s Treasures campaign, Lauren funded the preservation of the American flag that flew over the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, inspiring Francis Scott Key to write the American national anthem. 1999 - From Fashion to Food Located across from his Chicago store, the brand’s biggest in the world, the very first RL Restaurant was opened and offered a perfect take on the classics. An approach that would become a culinary signature of later restaurants. 2000 - Pink Pony Ralph Lauren’s continuous support in
the fight against cancer took another significant step when he launched the now-iconic Pink Pony T-Shirts. Pink Pony has since evolved into a full collection, with 25 percent of the purchase price of each item donated to Lauren’s efforts in the global fight against cancer. 2006 - Wimbledon gets Polo fever Ralph Lauren became the first designer in the world-famous tennis tournaments 120-year history to be chosen to create uniforms for all the on-court officials. Wimbledon might be the world’s most recognizable tennis tournament, but it also became the world’s most stylish. 2010 - Keys to the City New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Lauren with the keys to the world-famous city at the opening of his first women’s flagship at 888 Madison Avenue. Ralph Lauren became the first-ever fashion designer to receive the honor. 2016 - The Fight Against Cancer Continues Launching the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London, the RLCBCR is one of the world’s preeminent research institutions. With over 2000 square-foot of space hosting world-class facilities that allow for more rapid and in-depth analysis of the disease. 2018 - 50 Years of Fashion To mark a half-century of timeless American style, Lauren welcomes more than 600 celebrities and friends for a landmark fashion show in the heart of New York. Accompanied by an immersive digital installation showcasing 50 years of groundbreaking advertising and a seated dinner set against the backdrop of Central Park’s iconic Bethesda Terrace.
Giovanna Giovanna | @Msgiagigi Photography by Ryan Dwyer | @letshoot PR Services @mainstreetproductions HMUA Bridget Martinez | @bridgetzglam
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WERE YOU EXCITED TO SHOOT FOR FHM? Yes, so excited! I thank the universe and my vision board for making this happen. TELL US SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT YOU? I have a background in holistic nutrition and natural health. I have been called a healer for my ability to help people regain their health. Describe yourself in one sentence... Sweet, loyal, dependable, honest and the ultimate in feminity. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES? My hobbies are working out, hiking, and traveling Europe. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TURN-ON? My biggest turn on is someone who is helpful, accommodating, self-disciplined and who pays special attention to details even if he’s a
bit shy - along with a great sense of humor. WHAT TURNS YOU OFF THE MOST? What turns me off the most is someone who is lazy, dishonest, and close minded. DESCRIBE TO US YOUR PERFECT DATE... A perfect date for me would be lunch at an organic cafe followed by hiking through the Swiss Alps then ending with a candlelit dinner next to a fireplace. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A MODEL SO FAR? Being asked for my phone number every day! Lol. ANY LAST WORDS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? I would really like to thank your readers who supported this edition.
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The Spin Doctor Doctrine
Demystifying the world of public relations and cutting the bullshit with Zack Teperman
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Originally from Toronto, Canada, Zack Teperman now finds himself back and forth between Los Angeles, California and Nashville, Tennessee, where he is the President of ZTPR (ztpr.net), a business, music, celebrity, tech, fashion, start-up and product and lifestyle public relations firm. Public relations if done right can help people and brands reach a large audience and get ROIs without the expensive cost of traditional advertising and marketing. Public Relations is also a very unique career in a negative way. PR executives have made it into the list of the 10 most stressful jobs in North America for the past few years. It’s a profession that can break people. During his rise in the public relations industry, Teperman has had to deal with all types of personalities. From actors getting drunk and arrested at the airport, to travelling from gig to gig with members of Guns N Roses, to unauthorized leaked sex tape scandals, to shaking hands and hanging out with folks like Megan Fox, Harrision Ford, Elton John and other a-listers, Teperman and his team have been around it all. Oh, and he also recently wrote the best-selling book called Cut The Bull$hit: A Guide To Getting Yourself Out There, Somewhere!. Teperman cut the BS with FHM as we asked him about some of these scandals and more + how anyone can go from being an average joe to famous, even while dealing with the COVID pandemic!
Let’s cut the BS right away... Is Hollywood as crazy as everyone says it is? Hollywood and the people that live there are 100% very unique, and for good reason. While you have typical types of businesses, a lot of people “moving to Hollywood” are wanting to get involved in some way in the entertainment industry, and so you have a lot of creative types of personalities. And with creative types, personality levels are at an all-time high... it makes for some good stories! However, I love ‘crazy’. Crazy to me means that someone is driven in their pursuit and open-minded to ideas. As a publicist, working with people who come to me with ideas and outside of the box thinking is an added asset. Of course, just like in any town, sometimes personalities don’t mesh well and sometimes the Hollywood spotlight (or failures and rejection) can really do a number on people mentally, and a lot of “acting out” occurs. So, can anyone be famous? Depends on your definition of famous, but in short, yes, anyone can be known and talked about. It just depends if that person is looking for a quick 15-minutes of fame or something that is long-lasting. What is something wild you have witnessed first-hand with a client? I’ve gotten calls at 3AM from police stations. I’ve had to file lawsuits on behalf of clients who wanted to sue someone for stealing their
pet chicken (no joke!), too seeing bar fights and windows smashed at hotels after a night of partying. Nothing really surprises me these days. Dealing with all types of people has really helped me to be more creative also in the ways I handle certain situations overall in life. “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”, right? Honestly, this statement is used a lot in the PR world, but it’s not entirely true, unless your only objective is notoriety. Although most business owners and people in other professions such as lawyers, doctors, designers, athletes, musicians and actors would agree that visibility and brand recognition are common goals, being able to have and maintain a positive public reputation is more important. With the internet, stuff stays around forever, and so bad press can really hurt you down the line. That’s why it is important to properly and strategically plan what attention you get, rather than just getting naked and running down a street yelling “look at me! look at me!” You have dealt with clients who have had nude photos leaked. Have been arrested at airports while drunk. And even seen some of your top music clients have insanely wild nights out on the town. How do you manage this and try to minimize negative exposure when negative things do pop up? It’s all about pre-planning the best you can and knowing what may be
coming before it does. With photos, we always ask clients if there is a chance that exes or people may have copies, so that we can properly have a response ready in case someone is trying to be sleazy and make a quick buck down the road. And when it comes to arrests or wild nights out, the best we can do is get ahead of any media stories so that we can either put out a proper statement or get it not published. That goes back to crisis management and trying to best spin whatever we can. So, you guys in PR are spin doctors? PR is all about getting stories told, and putting the proper spin on anything we do. So essentially, yes, we can be seen as ‘spin doctors’. People hire us so that we can get them the proper exposure to get themself or products or services out there in a way that draws people in. If something bad happens, we have to look at the overall picture and figure out a way to spin it in a way that won’t hurt whatever we are doing on behalf of that individual or business. And trust me, it’s not as easy as it may sound! What advice would you give to people to help get themselves out there more? Think outside of the box! What makes you different from the person next to you?! Figure out what you want to be branded as, be seen as, and use whatever tools you have
(such as social media) to promote that “image”. The key is to set yourself apart and allow people to see you and what you have to offer. Plus, when it is safe again, go out and network at events. Meeting people, talking, getting yourself out there and mingling with the proper crowds is a quick way to expand your reach. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to try networking with people you look up to in your industry. Hit them up on social media or via email and ask for advice. Many celebs or high profile business people used to be in your same position, and would be happy to respond back. Heck, I even randomly sent a letter to Tom Hanks asking for parental advice, and he responded a few weeks later in a 2-page letter. Anything is possible! Does PR really work? I always say, you can be the best actor, best singer, have the best product, etc., but if nobody knows about you and your product, or service isn’t getting people’s attention, is it really the best?! That is where PR comes into play. We help strategize with you your ultimate goals and the stepping stones we need to take to get you where you want to go. Plus, we have the contacts, relationships and connections to get you that exposure, whereas if you just email someone yourself, it may not get answered. PR is an investment in yourself… so, it’s up to you if you believe in yourself.
& How parkruns conquered my fear of keep fit By Ian Kirke | Twitter @ianjkirke
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I loathe running. At secondary school, the cross country run was a fucker and I usually brought up the rear crossing the line well after the athletic kids were showered and probably on their way home. In the early 1970s designer gear comprised of plimsolls and a standard white top and blue shorts. Think of the film Chariots of Fire to picture the type of attire then picture Dopey, the dwarf from Snow White, to frame in your mind how I looked on those particular days that were either blistering hot or conducted in monsoon conditions. With school cross country, there was never an in between. I wasn’t overweight in those days, quite the contrary being like a stick of celery, but for some physical or perhaps more likely a psychological reason, me and running were not good partners. Once I left school, I thought that those days were firmly behind me until I joined the police and during the initial training at Ashford, Kent the asshole Physical Training Instructors (PTI) had us carrying fucking logs on our shoulders as we ran through the muck around the Police College. Even though I had completed some pre training by running several times a week from my parents’ house in Bagshot, Surrey to Sunningdale and back without stopping (a more than credible 7.5 miles) my hang up with running persisted. On being posted to Bracknell as a raw recruit I was able to decide for myself how I chose to keep fit and when a fellow shift member suggested that we visit the nearby gym at the Bracknell Sports Centre. My immediate thought was that it couldn’t be any worse than running so I was in! In my designer trainers and multi colored sports top, I opened the large double doors that led into a small corridor that allowed a view into the nearby gym. The testosterone oozed from this chamber of horrors occupied by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body doubles. I looked at my mate who suggested that we go for a pint and a game of pool instead. Gently closing the doors behind us I was confident that our presence had not been detected. Some thirty odd years later and with the realization that regular exercise was an important aid in keeping fit and living longer I joined a local gym. This one was open 24/7 and I was confident that I could train wholly unnoticed at 3am. A far fitter friend gave me some tips and conducted a few sessions at their local gym to map out a routine I would be able to duplicate. The treadmill involved running, but not through dog crap, puddles, and mud up to my ankles and I was able to listen to the radio too. The rest of the routine consisted of resistance training, selecting the appropriate weights, and pumping or pulling iron. This was OK until some guy nearly forty years my junior inevitably followed me and quadrupled the amount of weights. I could, however, still open the locker room door unaided. Even during
unsociable hours, I was still overtly aware that whatever posture I adopted at the gym I would always look like Mr. Bean. By all accounts, swimming is the most efficient way to work the entire body and cardiovascular system and I fully acknowledge the great benefits, from helping reduce the effects of pre existing medical conditions to helping the recovery process following injury, reducing stress and boosting your feel good factor. Yet we have a problem Houston! I have an irrational fear of putting my head underwater. Although I say it is irrational, to me it is totally logical as I focus upon the risk factors, especially that of drowning! I can safely swim above the surface but I’m afraid if you foolishly drop something heavy into a swimming pool proximate to me, if I have any say in the matter, it is staying firmly on the bottom. The crazy thing is that I actually passed a mandatory life saving award during my police recruit training days and this inevitably would have tested a modicum of underwater activity with no doubt the recovery of those bastard bricks that the PTI’s would lob into the deep end. Anyway, I am now a firm believer that this particular human being prefers to breathe naturally. I gave it a go on the Great Barrier Reef last year, donning a facemask with a snorkel, before being unceremoniously rescued from the sea by a small boat that dragged me onboard like a harpooned whale when my facemask began to fill with water and I panicked. As I turned fifty five and seeking to maintain my health after I had achieved a sizeable weight loss I was introduced to the phenomenon known as ‘parkrun’. My immediate reaction reminded me of General Melchett in the series Blackadder, when excusing himself from the trenches of World War 1 by saying, “I’ll just have to sit this one out on the touchline with the half time oranges and the fat wheezy boys with a note from the matron, while you young bloods link arms for the glorious final scrum down.” However, anecdotal evidence reassured me that this method of exercise had some significant safeguards for a keep fit slacker like me. You could walk it, there were no requirements to actually finish it and there were no set targets. I had driven past the park in Woodley (close to Reading), the venue of my first foray into this global experience, previously and knew that there existed many exit points that I could simply disappear along if the going got tough. On my arrival, I was surprised at how many ordinary folk of all ages, shapes and sizes had turned up on a chilly Saturday morning. Some in a designer kit, many not, and some with dogs on leads and even a few with young kids in their buggies. I immediately felt reassured that I would easily blend into the background and if I couldn’t beat the ones with the extra burden of a pushchair there was actually no hope left for me. It was extremely well
organized and a chap with a megaphone brought the humdrum of idle chatter to a close when he welcomed everyone, read through the do’s and don’ts and recognized several runners who were achieving key event milestones, birthdays, and those who had traveled from afar. It was time to set off and I built up a steady pace and took great delight in passing a few people. This wasn’t as hard as I had predicted and 5K was no more than a stroll wasn’t it? I guess about half-way round my pace had somewhat relaxed as a few people ahead were clearly walking yet I wasn’t making any ground on them. In reality, my sprightly start had become a shuffle although I was still in the game. I summoned a little more power to my legs and with head down I was determined to pass at least one of those ahead. My spirits were slightly blunted when a runner whipped past pushing a young child in a buggy. It wasn’t his velocity that surprised me but the fact that I was being fucking lapped! I looked back and saw that at least I wasn’t last, and the humiliation would soon be over as I edged closer and closer to the finish line. Then I felt that something inside my leg had gone ping and I was unable to run due to a searing pain in my right calf. I was nonetheless able to hobble across the finish line to pick up my data tag which would be used to record my time. I had learned a few important lessons on this first occasion: starting like an express train didn’t mean that I would stay at this pace throughout, a warmup is essential (as is a warm down) and there are several makes of buggy on the market. In addition to the hardcore buggy pushers and those who run with their well-behaved dogs I have, since logging a few more parkruns, categorized a few others. The runners who pair up and talk to each other whilst negotiating the circuit really ought to be censored. Simply getting round and having enough energy to gasp like a 60-a-day smoker and utter ‘fuck’ a few times under my breath is about as far as my narrative stretches. Then there are the professionals emblazoned with running club names. To pass one of those is legend if only for them to storm past a little later on. Then there are the golden oldies who we all politely clap when they are celebrating their 70th birthdays and beyond. Cracking folk who always take time out to
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wave as they pass me. Then you have the plodders who just like me are probably there under sufferance. The beauty is that parkruns do not discriminate and personally they are more than a little fun as I feel both pumped for the day and satisfied in the knowledge that this piece of regular keep-fit is doing a whole host of good things for me. I am still no lover of running and the thought of leaving a warm bed, particularly on a grotty morning doesn’t fill me with delight, yet once the run starts my miserable bastard persona fades away and is replaced by a resolute and purposeful frame of mind that gives me a welcome injection of adrenalin-fueled drive. If I feel particularly glum or irritable, I can always remind myself that the pain will be over in thirty-odd minutes. Whatever frame of mind I start with I always finish with a great sense of achievement. So, if I have at least raised your curiosity and perhaps, like me, keeping fit has kept a distance then how about finding out some more? Search ‘parkrun’ and start the race that will, wherever you are in the fitness stakes, only improve your overall wellbeing. If you like people watching too then this is the place to be and who knows you may even enjoy it. If an old curmudgeon like me who started with a time in the late thirty minutes and celebrated a personal best (or PB as we seasoned runners like to call it!) of 34.44 then anything is possible. In the meantime, don’t let this bastard COVID-19 beat you either as you can undertake your own parkrun around any open spaces close to where you live and with any of the numerous running apps loaded on your mobile they will blurt out how far you have run or walked and provide all sorts of performance statistics if you are that way inclined. Recently I achieved 6K and who knows, and assuming that I get a little less miserable, I may one day do a 10K where I believe I may even receive a medal! I may never encourage someone to shout out, “Run, Forrest! Run!” but that doesn’t matter to me since I don’t hate running, that much, anymore! © Ian Kirke 2020
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WOMEN For the men in menopause
By Ian Kirke | Twitter @ianjkirke
I have had many Forrest Gump moments in my life. The mantra, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get’, continues to feature prominently in my life. On the other hand, my 27-year old son Adam, has pretty much mapped his life out with his retirement planned in his forties, whilst the old man sort of makes it up as he goes along. In my chaotic life, chance very often comes along and like a moth drawn to a bright light I more often than not go for it. So, when a message appeared in my Messenger inbox from a female friend I initially, and perhaps unusually, discarded the challenge: You should write about menopause! On reflection, my initial trepidation was framed around the very obvious notion that I could not write about the subject since as a man I could never experience it. If you are a male reader and this claim has made you drop your pipe, dumbbells, copy of FHM or any other small item you happen to be holding, because you know something about the male equivalent, let me immediately correct you because this is, in my opinion, bullshit. Men do not suffer from a comparable condition. Andropause, more common in us older farts, connects with declining testosterone levels and can lead to, amongst other things, irritability, weight gain and low sex drive. How can I be certain of this assertion? Bluntly put I have risen to the challenge and interviewed a sample group of women about an issue, I am embarrassed to say, I have never given much thought to. To seek to understand, or at least start a conversation about this taboo subject, that can only improve the relationship between genders. This is the principal rationale for this reflective piece. I now passionately believe that men need to know what the ladies in their life are experiencing and in doing so my intention is to explore this gender issue in order to better equip us, men, to provide healthier support. I make no excuses for the naivety of my inquiry and can only thank the ladies involved for their cooperation and candor. As a professionally qualified researcher, I have sought to gather the evidence in
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a responsible and scientific way and consequently those who did provide the ultimate narrative will remain anonymous. This primary evidence trail was as far as I decided to explore since I wanted to hear and pass on the real-life stories and not summon the collective scientific wisdom which can be found at the click of a button on the internet. Professionalism aside, I am also a bloke and suffer from many irritating behaviors and entrenched attitudes. I fart, very often without warning, scratch my balls frequently and forget all manner of domestic routines. I am also a clumsy fucker both in terms of manual dexterity and very often in framing sensitive interventions with the opposite sex. Recognizing these limitations, I have sought to use this to my advantage on this occasion, and maybe being a klutz, with the best of intentions, has helped me to gather a more personal account of this significant physical and emotional change which I have concluded, many women have to deal with in isolation. Ladies, you know who you are and I am indebted to everyone who comprehensively responded to my opening gambit: so, If you were addressing a group of men what would you want to tell them about menopause and how can men better support their partners? What exactly is menopause? Putting technical explanations to one side, it’s Mother Nature’s kick in the face to all women after they have become surplus to breeding! This disclosure alone made me wince as it signaled redundancy. A loss of purpose that as a man I would be terrified of if I suddenly became, by reason of biology, any less of a human being. At the more scientific level, menopause occurs when hormone levels start to change once the end of childbearing age is reached, resulting in the cessation of egg production within the ovaries. Periods tend to stop, estrogen dramatically reduces and cortisol and testosterone skyrocket. The women in our lives, at a certain undefined age, contain a chemical
reaction akin to the production of enriched uranium. Its arrival is unannounced and unpredictable. Whilst dealing with the rest of what life throws at them, internally they represent a miniChernobyl. Meanwhile, most of us blokes find it difficult to put the top on the fucking toothpaste! Even at this juncture, I was beginning to feel thankful that I had been blessed with a cock. When does it start and when does it finish? If I was looking for some respite here then I was sadly mistaken. The age range stretched from 45 to 60 years. Taking average life expectancy as 80 the menopause could last for a quarter of a woman’s adult life. Some murderers get less of a sentence. Fifteen years ago, was a lifetime away for me. I also learned that there is a period of transition called perimenopause which could last several years. Hell, there is a support act too? With no interval? What does it feel like? In a nutshell, losing the plot was the most definitive subscript. I was familiar with the notion of hot sweats, and in all honesty, until I undertook this investigation that represented fifty percent of my knowledge base. I didn’t realize that some women felt that they would actually combust due to the ferocity of the heat which could occur throughout the day and night, leading to irritability, irrationality, and exhaustion. Joint pain, fractured sleep, deterioration of eyesight, amongst other commonplace symptoms just add to the variety of mental and physical assaults women have to endure once the usefulness of prolonging humanity comes to an abrupt end. Weight gain is also a by-product, eloquently summarised by one lady who addressed the issue of losing her waist and gaining a barrel-shaped midriff no matter what exercise or diet regime she employed. To top all this, we men have the audacity to call them the fairer sex? Fuck that, I became acutely aware that women are Warriors! Hard as nails, with true grit and an added superpower of generally putting up with the men in
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their lives who would, if anything like me, seek out the nearest accident and emergency if they stubbed their big toe! What happens to your body? If the previous paragraph didn’t upset your cozy view of the gender divide hold onto your gonads gentlemen as we have only just wiped our feet on the welcome mat to the menopause house of horrors. Hair can instigate an act of urban warfare. Initially, by retreating from the scalp resulting in thinning hair then popping up in a variety of other really useful places likes the toes. Various body parts can become dry including nails and skin, especially around the boobs, often causing extreme itching. Dryness of the vagina can cause some women to lose interest in sex because it can become uncomfortable. As one lady succinctly put it, “understand that Barbie might not be bouncing off the headboard anymore, and instead enjoys drinking a cup of
cocoa, whilst wearing her slippers!” Osteoporosis (brittle bones) is a real and present danger and the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome can rise exponentially. If that isn’t enough to make a woman feel like curling up in a ball don’t forget the acne that can reappear from many years long ago. Assuming that there is an opportunity to laugh, for example watching me carry out any DIY project or dancing, muscle deterioration can affect the pelvic floor often leading to a leaky bladder. Hence, a fulsome belly laugh can sometimes cause problems further downstream. Men have mastered the simultaneous sneeze and fart combo although for some women an attempt to emulate this masculine feat could lead to more than a blinking of the eyes. If that is not too much to remember there are the heart palpitations too, but these have nothing to do with falling in love but the responsibility of the monster menopause
again. Boobs can also increase in size, although anecdotally this can often mirror the man in their life too. How does it affect your mental wellbeing? The emotional rollercoaster is no enjoyable funfair ride. On one extreme the hormonal changes can lead to bouts of sporadic crying without obvious cause whilst at the other, as one woman warned, there lurks the exorcist, leading to unpredictable and seemingly outrageous behavior. Self-image can often be warped and as one lady explained, the feeling of being overweight was a consistent, yet implausible head state that was anchored in a childhood memory when a Doctor called her fat when she was six years old. Concentration levels are often adversely affected with a common description of a fogginess in attention spans. Forgetfulness can become mainstream.
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What do men need to know? Practically speaking any understanding of menopause represents significant progress. Never has the famous Neil Armstrong quote, modified ever so slightly, been truer: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for men everywhere.” For ease of reference, any comments that flippantly engage with ‘PMT’ or derogatory terms that reference mental health issues are as useful as a chocolate fireguard or an ashtray on a motorcycle. Paradoxically, some women don’t have much of a clue too, since in the absence of the nurturing hand of, for instance, a mother or older sister, their own introduction into this oftenterrifying domain can be mind-blowing to them let alone any man that may be in their life. Since every human being is a one-off so is the menopause journey, and only jaw jaw can avoid unnecessary war war. Stereotype at your peril. However, one lady, suggested that as a tactic of last resort, vigorously displaying a crucifix often had merit. How is it treated and are there side effects? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one method of successful intervention although in keeping with the contradictions in the effects of menopause this treatment is not for every woman. There are side effects including a potential increase in breast and ovarian cancer and stroke, although Barbie can rediscover her libido and as one lady put it, “act like a teenage girl who has just discovered the existence of the orgasm!” Indeed, some women do not require any medication and may compensate, for example, with an estrogen rich diet. One disturbing trend was the tendency for some general practitioners to simply prescribe antidepressants after misdiagnosing the onset of menopause. What aggravates you the most? The most overwhelming cause
of frustration was that of a total lack of understanding of menopause. I hold my hands up to this accusation and although as I read the insightful, compelling, and very often humorous pieces of key evidence I quickly grasped my utter, and I have to say, disgraceful ignorance of the menopause which has affected every woman, within the relevant time span, that I have ever loved, worked with or known. Enlightenment represents growth although a heavy weight of guilt was nonetheless unmistakable as I negotiated this journey. Surprisingly, I discovered that menopause can aggravate relationships between women too, further destroying the myth that this natural, foreseeable event for the female of the species is somehow consistent across the board. This realization brought me abruptly back to the sage words of Mrs. Gump and the unmistakable fact that the menopause experience can be as varied as a box of Milk Tray. Labeling a woman simply as mental, hysterical, or emotional is categorically false and I wonder how many hitherto good relationships have failed because some men have believed all along in the one size fits all approach. I am willing to plead guilty, with mitigation, to this charge. On a more positive footing, one lady was incredibly annoyed with the notion that a woman’s life was over. In her opinion, this was the start of a pregnancy free future that offered more opportunity to explore and show off her glowing skin! Another gladiator added that she was able to wear her white jeans any time of the month and was happy to walk past the tampon aisle in the supermarket with a smile on her face, knowing she could spend extra money every month on makeup! What do men need to do to better support women during menopause? Remarkably, adopt a similar posture to that of buying a new house. Simply substitute location,
location, location with understand, understand, understand. This is, of course, easier said than done, especially when the human male stumbles across a taboo subject. At the far reaches of the spectrum, as one woman put it, don’t infer a lady is a nutter (unless you have a death wish!) and at the other end, ignorance will never result in bliss. Empathy will better equip any man to appreciate that the lady in his life may occasionally want the window wide open in the height of winter or seeks to emulate Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell’ whilst driving, especially when someone inadvertently pulls out of a side junction. Empathy is the only reliable and effective approach. As one lady emphasized, “Cut us some slack too!” Menopause may make some women physically incapable of doing everything they did before. Recognize when they are struggling mentally and help them find that word that sits on the tip of their tongue that has yet to connect with the voice box. Read about it. Talk about it. Listen and try to understand. In return, the women in your life may not lose the plot with you also! Before I hand the baton over to you to further your understanding of menopause I will remind you that not all of the effects will occur simultaneously and will invariably differ in impact. Contradiction, confusion, and chaos will reign and that is natural. As one lady put it, menopausal women will often be found on a continuum somewhere from Julie Andrews to Cruella de Vil. To love, respect, and maintain the best relationship ever during menopause us men have to ditch the ignorance, embarrassment, and ego and talk. If this article has moved you in this direction then I am on the same path, since at the start I too mistakenly thought that I was part of the warrior race when I was simply the support act to the most incredible of us all. Women.
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Lucy
‘Pixie’ Dixon Lucy Dixon | @lucypixiedixon / @fitbypixie Photographer Mike Cohen | @mikecohenphotos PR LSA Management | @leo.alderman @lsapublications Agency @lsamodels
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Hey, I’m Lucy Pixie Dixon. I’ve been a professional dancer, fire performer and model for the last 15years, but I am now also the proud owner of a fitness brand called FIT By Pixie. I’m passionate, hardworking and lots of fun, with one aim of living life to the fullest!
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TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF PEOPLE WOULD NOT ORDINARILY KNOW ABOUT YOU. I traded in my model and dancer life after 10years in 2016, and I moved to Thailand to work for a big Australian travel company. I worked as a tour guide for a few months. Living the island life, in absolute paradise. Then I missed my performing world too much and moved back to the UK, straight back into the job that will always have my heart. IF YOU WEREN’T A MODEL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? I’m also a personal trainer with my own fitness brand, FIT By Pixie. Helping other women transform themselves, physically and mentally. Everyone deserves to be the best version of themselves through fitness. OR if I had to chose something completely different, I’d be a travel blogger. I live to travel! WHO IS YOUR CELEB CRUSH? Zac Efron, complete perfection! Every one of his looks is bang on! WHAT IS THE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW? That I work my arse off to provide myself with the life I have created. I sacrifice sleep, family/friends events, fun, I work every hour god sends, all for 8 months of the year, just so I can travel the world for 4 months, to explore and live the dream I’ve worked hard for all year. Nobody sees the struggles, but I’ve created such an amazing life with the best memories, all by myself. WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE? Pre Covid, I’d wake up super early, have a training session, a gallon of coffee, head off to whatever job it was that day as every day in the performing and events world is different, finish there and shoot straight to another event. Usually dancing or fire performing at a nightclub. Back home to bed for a few hours, straight back up to do it all over again! But now … Up early, coffee, train myself, film content, train clients, advertise, more coffee, long walks. I built my own FIT By Pixie studio/office so I live in there.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT BUSY MODELLING, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO? Working on building the FIT By Pixie empire bigger and better! I want to be the best! Or, I live to travel the world. Id usually jump on a plane whenever I fancied, and go explore the world. Travelling is a huge passion of mine. If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have been born with roots and not feet. WHICH THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOU? Hardworking, passionate and lively. WERE YOU EXCITED TO SHOOT THIS FEATURE? Extremely, as soon as I was told about it, I was absolutely buzzing to be featured! DO YOU HAVE ANYONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE? TELL US A BIT MORE. Nope. No-one. I’ve been single now for 3 and a half years. I travel the world on a monthly basis and still haven’t found Mr Right! He must be hiding! WHERE TO FROM HERE? WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? To carry on building the FIT By Pixie Empire. My goal is to build an online brand so big, that I can work from anywhere in the world. I’d hop on a plane and set off with my laptop and filming equipment to Thailand and set up home. I left my heart there 6years ago on my first trip and it always pulls me back. Dreaming Big! WHAT MADE YOU START THE FIT BY PIXIE BRAND? Ive been a professional dancer and model for the last 15years. 3yrs ago after a bad relationship, I found fitness. I threw myself into training and qualified as a personal trainer. Ive been so busy with performing that it all took a back seat. This July, mid covid lockdown, I could finally put my whole heart into my passion and I relaunched the brand. I’ve helped so many people so far with their fitness journey and the results have been amazing!
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MODENA TRIDENT VS PRANCING HORSE. ITALY REMAINS THE JEWEL OF THE SUPERCAR CROWN 73
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here might only be roughly 12 miles between Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello and Maserati in Modena but production at these two Italian supercar companies has been at polar opposites in the last decade. Ferrari continues to keep its shareholders extremely happy by slicing its regular models this way and that - and Ferrari also developed its first mainstream hybrid in the SF90. It has become hard to keep up with this so-called niche brand, and yet the internal burgeoning doesn’t appear to be diluting the brand’s core appeal. Then there’s Maserati who despite riding on immense brand heritage, has failed to produce anything game-changing in the last decade or two. Like many others, they poured efforts into an SUV with the Levante but nothing about it feels all that new. But you can’t write Maserati off, no matter how hard you try. As for Ferrari, their finger never leaves the pulse. Meet the latest Italian
supercars, the Maserati MC20 and the Ferrari Roma. Maserati has been teasing something like this for a long time and admittedly the headline numbers instantly pop out at you. A 0-60mph time in under 3 seconds and a top speed over 186mph. However, despite the more laser-focused supercar angle than anything in recent times, the MC20 isn’t going to live on a track either. On the other hand, the Ferrari Roma can be described as a GT with styling that has been downplayed for buyers who demand more discretion from their supercar. Even so, some of the styling elements on the Roma will be the base layer for future models, so it’s packing influence around Maranello’s car park. The Maserati’s design stems from the mid-engine placement, then evolves into the theatrical butterfly doors that, when opened, ever so slightly disrupt the flow of the roofline. The MC20 is compact, slippery, and subtle and generally ticks all
the tropes of a supercar. At around 155mph it will deliver 220lbs of downforce – hardly benchmark figures but impressive in the absence of wings; relying instead on a flat floor and integrated diffuser. More importantly, if you removed the Trident badge from the grille, you might just guess correctly which side of Italy it comes from Ferrari’s 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 sits in the car’s nose rather than behind the seats. That alone should give a pretty clear idea of where this car sits in the Ferrari stable – excuse the pun. Nevertheless, whether in a 488 or a Roma, this engine is still the leader when it comes to lag-free screamer but to suit the Roma’s less-edged character the camshafts, valves and exhaust system are new. Power outputs of 612bhp are fractionally up on the Ferrari Portofino. The eight-speed gearbox promises even faster shift times and is amazingly some 13lbs lighter than the Portofino’s gearbox which carries one
fewer gears. It is hardly necessary, given that nobody was complaining before, but Ferrari doesn’t easily rest on its laurels. On paper the Roma is a bit slower than the Maserati; 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds which in supercar parlance is just OK. Switch back to the Maserati’s
powerplant and there’s certainly more tasty newness to savor. The 3.0-liter bi-turbo V6 looks small alongside the Ferrari but it can be planted low in the chassis and is light. Interestingly that despite the rumors of Maserati’s electrified future the MC20 doesn’t feature any hybrid assistance. Instead, the engine’s party piece is the preignition system designed to yield a cleaner and fuller burn in the combustion chambers. A power output of 621bhp suggests that it works. An eight-speed gearbox is mapped between delivering thrust in the initial phases and efficiency in the final two. Both interiors keep the button count down, preferring touchscreens to hold all the functions. That’s a brave move, considering that nothing beats the solid placement and tactile feel of button when you’ve got over 550bhp
“Switch back to the Maserati’s powerplant and there’s certainly more tasty newness to savor.”
on a pinned throttle. As a result, there’s a degree of minimalism to both cabins – with the screens switched off there’d be even less life to it than there is now. For sheer size, Ferrari’s 16-inch screen takes the win and like all modern Ferraris, turn signals are on the wheel itself, as is the Manettino switch. Adaptive cruise control and a suite of cameras complement the notion that this is going to be one of the higher-mileage Ferraris out there. Italy is still regarded as the capital of the supercar and now Maserati has accepted the invitation in emphatic style. Like all petrol heads should be, we’re salivating at the thought of a new, purer Maserati. As for the Ferrari Roma, this is another attempt to lure new buyers to the brand – in the same vain as the softer California and then the Portofino. Ferrari now has a formula while Maserati tore theirs apart and started over again. Hard to choose which will be more exciting. Pawan Dhingara
FLAWLESS
DIAMOND LEXUS CHOPS THE ROOF OF ITS HALO CAR WITHOUT DISTURBING WHAT WE ALREADY LOVE ABOUT IT
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oes slicing the roof off any car make it instantly sexier? That 0.1% of enthusiasts will no doubt begin snorting about things like soured handling dynamics and weakened torsional rigidity but these moans don’t begin to answer the question. The answer might lie in the Lexus LC500 Convertible, the top-less brother of the already knee-weakening looker, the LC500. The LC500 is everything we love about Lexus. It’s exclusive, shows off delightful craftsmanship, bucks the turbocharged trend and feels totally bespoke…perhaps idiosyncratic. For the latest LC update, Lexus has made a few adjustments to the suspension settings – important when the Cabrio adds another 220lbs to the already chunky two tonnes– and new vibrant colors. However, the essence behind it hasn’t changed; it’s still powered by a 5.0-liter V8 and drives the rear wheels via a 10-speed gearbox. It’s therefore something of an amalgamation of muscle car and luxurious yacht bobbing gently around the Caribbean Islands. The adaptive variable suspension automatically adjusts through no fewer
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than 650 settings! The LC500 doesn’t demand a lot of effort from its driver, so it errs on the side of supple. It simply refuses to fuss over each and every kilogram if it means adding luxuries like heated seats and neck warmers into seats that are already full of electric motors and generous swathes of leather. This is the first time that Lexus has employed a soft top over the more complex folding hardtop. As a result of the lighter soft-top mechanism, it open in 15 seconds at speeds below 30mph. These fabric roofs have improved dramatically in the last decade or so – forget leaky and creaky, they’re now superbly insulated
and latch into place with reassuring clicks. And with the roof down, that angelic V8 soundtrack pours into the cabin, through your ears and under your skin. Ignoring the fact that it’s now available as a convertible, the Lexus LC500 range hasn’t changed much in the last four years. Yet despite these incremental changes, this is still an achingly beautiful thing that brings a level of sophistication to just about any backdrop or event. When all other modular platforms and superfluous performance comparisons orbiting Lexus begin to feel a bit unremarkable, the LC500 brings a breath of fresh air – now quite literally. Pawan Dhingara
GREAT EIGHT EXPECTATIONS
SMALL STEPS ENSURE THAT THE NEW GOLF GTI DOESN’T PUT A FOOT WRONG The new Golf 8 GTI isn’t all that different from the outgoing Golf GTI – despite more than five years of development time between the two. On the surface that might sound disappointing, or it could just be the best possible news for GTI aficionados. It would be correct to apply the old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The Golf 7 GTI was annoyingly good. On any Venn Diagram, you could imagine drawing, the Golf GTI would always sit somewhere in the middle of the overlaps – the Reuleaux triangle, to give it its proper name. Throw anything at it (school run, or mountain pass) and it always found and delivered something extraordinary. It was a lesson that is understated performance and practicality. This level of flawlessness seems to have been transferred to the Golf 8 GTI. There are no vices and no silly gimmicks like drift mode or rear-wheel steering. However, in some markets, you might find a manual gearbox on the list of options. Volkswagen knows that these features make a car too niche, and
what VW wants is to create perfect all-rounder…again. Like its forebear, the new GTI is based on the same MQB platform with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine sending a modest 241bhp to the front wheels. Styling upgrades are fairly neutral and reined in; it’s been given a wider, toothier face, LED strip lighting and new alloys. Most of the visual upgrades actually occur inside. Besides a 0-60mph time of 6.3 seconds, the latest Golf GTI has been set up to provide a crisper cornering experience. At the nucleus of revised spring rates (and optional adaptive dampers) is the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, VDM. Rather than these systems operating independently, VDM collects data from throttle position, steering angle, dampers and differential and responds in a holistic manner. Paradoxically, all this technology makes the driving experience feel simpler and more cohesive. Overall the latest GTI is still a rapid, thrilling drive that’s perfectly suited and proportioned to 99% of roads and still manages to dial up or down the intensity depending on the demands. The interior has embraced the latest
technological advancements but be warned they can be a little unintuitive and juxtapose the car’s old school tartan interior. A pair of touchscreens control literally everything, including the climate control. This is an uncharacteristic mistake because making the small inputs on a screen that isn’t always well lit is extremely distracting business. Some settings are buried even deeper in the menus making them impossible to use without first coming to a complete stop, shielding the screen with one hand and jabbing at it with the other. Of course, all the features are there in this minimalist design but it’s a step backwards in usability. Volkswagen has played it pretty safe with the latest Golf GTI. Small refinements have been made to ride and handling but these are almost unraveled by an awkward-to-use interior. The Golf 8 GTI could very well be the last petrol-only GTI and with the new all-electric ID range taking center stage, this feels like the end of a chapter. If the swansong is in order, the Golf GTI moniker might go out with a fizzle rather than a bang. Pawan Dhingara
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Something to ABOUT Tasty treats that can be served as an ideal side at your next BBQ or for when you want to impress the in-laws.
CARAMELIZED ONION & FIG PIE Prep time 10min Baking time 25-30min Servings 8-10
Ingredients
20 oz sweet potato mash 1 cup almond flour 1 tsp crushed garlic 2 tbsp sesame seeds (heaped) 2 tsp salt 1 tsp dried sage (heaped) 2 eggs 5 whole figs cut in 1/4s 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 2 oz dried chopped figs 1 red salad onion diced 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp raw honey 1 oz pine nuts A sprinkle of almond flour, sesame seeds and fresh sage for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 385F. Prepare baking dish with non-stick spray. In a medium-size frying pan, fry the onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil till golden, add the honey and balsamic vinegar and allow to caramelize, season with 1/4 tsp salt but remove from heat before the sauce goes completely sticky and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix the sweet potato mash, almond flour, 1 tsp salt, crushed garlic, sesame seeds and dried sage. Whisk the 2 eggs separately till fluffy before adding it to the sweet potato mixture, stir well. Transfer the sweet potato mix in a baking dish and create a base – we prefer an uneven texture so no need to smooth it out completely. Cut the figs into 1/4 pieces and place in a mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 salt and ground black pepper and mix well, then arrange on top of the sweet potato base and sprinkle the dried fig pieces over. Finish off by dripping the figs with the caramelized onion and sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake for 25-30minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with almond flour, sesame seeds and fresh sage leaves before serving and enjoy.
LAMB & FIG SKEWERS Prep time 10min Cooking time 5min Servings 5-6 kebabs
Ingredients
For the skewers 20 oz Lamb - cut into chunky cubes 12 Sprigs spring onion 6 Figs - one per kebab 1 tbsp Olive oil For the glaze 8 oz Chopped apricots 2 cups Hot water 2 tbsp Honey 1 Lemon zest 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar 1 tsp Chili flakes 1 tsp Freshly minced garlic 1 tsp Salt 1 handful Freshly chopped mint
Instructions
Soak kebab sticks in water for at least 30min, this ensures the marinade sauce won’t stick to the stick and burn in the process. Cut the figs in half. Cut the spring onion into equal pieces. Start threading the kebabs with a piece of meat, then spring onion, half a fig, then spring onion again. Repeat the process. Fry in a preheated pan with olive oil. In the interim, mix the marinade and pour into a separate pan. Bring to a simmer and allow some of the moisture to evaporate till you get a relatively thick sauce. Once the kebabs are cooked, pour some of the sauce over and allow to cook for around 30 seconds on each side before removing from the pan. Best served immediately.
‘FIG-IN’ FANTASTIC BISCUITS! Prep time 15min Baking time 12-20min Servings 12-15 biscuits
Ingredients 10 oz 2 oz 2 oz 2 oz 4 oz 4 oz 1 tsp 1 tsp 8 oz 5 tbsp 2 tsp
almond flour flaked almonds pumpkin seeds sesame seeds dried figs cranberries ground cinnamon salt almond butter - melted honey vanilla essence
Instructions
Preheat oven to 360F. Prepare baking dish with non-stick spray and sprinkle with almond flour. Mix all the ingredients together till a dough-like texture. Take 1 heaped tbsp of dough, roll in a ball, place on the baking tray and push flat using a fork. Repeat till all the dough is used up. Bake the biscuits for anything between 12-20min, depending on your type of oven. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with almond flour and cranberries as soon as you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool off. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.
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Bianca
Anastasia Bianca Anastasia | @anastasiajadore Photographer Aleix SolĂŠ | @whitebcn PR LSA Management | @leo.alderman @lsapublications Agency @lsamodels
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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? I’m a very active, happy and non-stop kind of person! I’m a multitasking girl that is always on something: Work, sports, projects...I love to do multiple things and being involved in different jobs, being constantly active in every sense gives me life, energy, motivation and knowledge to face any situation. I consider myself friendly, easy going and easy to talk with, I love meeting new people, making new friendships and contacts. I am also a laugh-fun seeker ha ha I am always up to have fun, do exciting things or partying if my time allows me to do so, I think we only have one life and I want to live it to the fullest! WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL REACTION WHEN YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SHOOT FOR FHM? I was so excited, I couldn’t believe it! HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A SHOOT? I wake up early in the morning, I make sure I have all the things I need to bring and once I’m on the studio, I just need a cool playlist (80s or R&B it depends on the style of the shoot and the mood) and with that I’m all set to give the best of me! DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT MAN. I think perfection doesn’t exist, but I’d love to be with someone who could be a best friend, a ‘’partner in crime’’ in everything someone who I can share not only love but same thoughts, taste in life, get advice from, think or even carry out a business together, someone who’s there to support me and my work/projects. I like men that have a ‘’winner’’ kind of mind-set, men who work hard to succeed in every aspect of their lives and be loving and sweet at the same time, Does that exist. The older I get I feel I am more attracted by minds and way of living rather than looks. WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL DATE? A nice dinner by the beach with some good wine. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? I love trying new sports, I’ve been rollerblading a lot ultimately, especially now that I live by the beach, I love
working out by the beach walk. I also love baking cakes and cooking exotic food, try new recipes. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT. When I lived in my old apartment in Barcelona, I had a rooftop and when I didn’t wanted to tan at the beach, I used to go there. One day I was by myself tanning topless and a technician came to fix some cables on the rooftop, my landlord gave him the keys and I had no idea and he saw me there half naked and asked me where were the cables, I was shocked because I didn’t had time to put a top on so I just answered him and showed him where the cables were, it was so embarrassing but funny at the same time ha ha! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT BEING A MODEL? I think misjudgement is something big in this industry, people judge you a lot by just seeing pics of you, especially when you model for lingerie and swimwear brands or if you do nudes and lots of them feel free to talk about you without knowing you and I think this is so wrong…But you learn how to live with that, it’s part of it unfortunately. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS YEAR? I am looking forward for this pandemic to end, I hope things will get better, no more lockdowns and restrictions that damage the economy and our daily lives. I am working on launching my own business on a safer situation and market LASTLY, WHAT IS YOUR LIFE MOTTO? OR A QUOTE THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU? ‘’Trust the process’’ This quote helped me and helps me so much in order to keep going with anything in my life. I’ve always been a person that wants everything asap, with no patience and I’ve been working on that a lot, in patience, on trusting and believing that good things take time, that we have to be positive, trust our gut feelings and be patient because there will be always something good coming for those who work hard and have a good soul.
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NEW BREW! NOOBRU CREATING A DRINK FOR MEN TO UNLEASH THEIR FULL BRAINPOWER!
cognition drink, is on a mission to fortify 1 Billion meals by 2025, helping to tackle the 2 billion people, worldwide malnutrition problem.
Martyn Cook has been creating and selling online since the age of 14 when he learned to build websites to impress a girl (it didn’t work!). Since then he’s sold everything from dog collars to houses leveraging the internet. Martyn co-founded a software company, built multiple 7-Figure eCommerce brands, co-founded a high-level digital entrepreneur mastermind that hosts luxury meet-ups around the world, has spoken from stages around the world and still somehow found the time to self-publish two books. Martyn’s latest project, Noobru, a
There’s a drink that can unleash a man’s brain to its full potential? You need to explain this concept more to us! Sure! Our focus is on creating ‘functional drinks’ - that taste delicious, benefit some aspect of your brain - motivation, focus, endurance, memory, recall, creativity - and that can fit into the daily routines of our customers immediately. Let’s face it, it’s a fast-moving world, so whatever is important to you to achieve .. critical even — there’s a very good chance that if your brain works better - you’re more likely to achieve It! So that’s what we sell really, success and achievement — advantage in a glass hopefully exactly what you need to turn a 50/50 situation into a winning one! How did you come up with this? I’ve long been a believer and practitioner in life and bio-hacking — with the goal of getting more output for the same amount of input. When I stumbled across Nootropics, over a decade ago, it was an exciting new world - the thought of being
able to get more out of your brain, every day - wow! The possibilities felt endless. This path had me experimenting, like a human guinea pig, with all kinds of Nootropics - gradually learning the pros and cons of each - leading to formulating a perfect (at least for me) ’stack’ (this is the name given to a combination of different ingredients taken together)... Most days I was taking a fist full of different nootropic pills, which isn’t a fun experience. It was time-consuming to open all the pill bottles, and the dose of each nootropic was limited by whatever amount was in the pill. I then began to learn that actually pills aren’t very efficient, studies have shown that as much as half of what you take in pill form isn’t actually absorbed - it just becomes expensive urine. Whereas in liquid form, we can absorb almost 100%! This was the beginning of the journey for me - I teamed up with a medical doctor and set out to make a better nootropic, the perfect, safe amount of effective ingredients that are consumed as a drink, taste delicious and work together to give you an advantage. I opted to serve them in eco-friendly, single-serve sachets so they were super convenient and easy to take with you on the go. Who are some big-name players that have been using it? We’ve actually got quite a few customers who are famous, but unfortunately we can’t divulge their names. However, I can say that we’ve got professional athletes, movie stars and big influencers amongst our customers. The real beauty of our products is that they are designed to be beneficial to anyone, anyone with a brain and a goal that is - we figure, if your brain works better - YOU will perform better. So on a more down-to-earth level, we have SuperMums - trying to manage their busy, full on day. We have grandparents - wanting to enjoy the moments with the grandchildren and be able to recall those memories later. We have athletes, old and young the former looking to regain their performance from younger years and the latter looking to ‘level up’ and perform better - this is just a few examples of the wonderful customers we have. What is your recommended dosage for those training or working out daily? We recommend taking Noobru either 2 days on, 1 day off, or 5 days on and 2 days off. It’s called ‘cycling’ and it ensures that your brain remains fueled for the whole month. So for those training or working out daily, I would
throw it into your sports bottle - we even have customers who add it to their protein shakes — Noobru Advantage is Strawberry Lemonade flavor - so it mixes great with most things! Besides helping your brain, what other benefits does Noobru provide? All of the ingredients in Noobru have been chosen based on science. We’ve poured through thousands of clinical studies and handpicked safe and effective ingredients, no small task as we also need to factor in how those ingredients taste! In terms of Noobru Advantage and the ‘extra’ non-brain benefits, studies on our ingredients have shown support for Anxiety, Muscle Power and Endurance, Reaction Time, Relaxation, Strength and Stress .. amongst many others! For Noobru Shield our focus was on Immunity support - so there you’ll find studies showing that our chosen ingredients support immunity, breathing, sexual support, mood, weight management, blood flow, fatigue, recovery and liver health amongst others. What is your advice as an entrepreneur to others wanting to create, innovate and invent? Pursue giving value over everything else. If you help enough people by improving or enriching their lives in some way, value will follow! If you’re passionate about the space that you’re selling in, or even if you’re in fact your target customer, then that certainly helps. But try not to be a “me too” company — selling the same thing as someone else, just cheaper or something like... well it’s difficult to stand out - why should the customer buy from you rather than the other guy? How important is social media to product marketing these days? I think social media is very important - critical even! Social Media is a two-way conversation with your customer and it’s where they are often spending large chunks of their time and attention. You should be adding value to their social media experience with engaging information and solutions to their problems - be sure too, they will check your credibility on your social accounts - and your reviews too, so be on top of it. What other tips would you give those wanting to be successful? My advice would be to focus on creating a product that provides value. Don’t focus on money - focus on creating something that genuinely improves the lives of your customers. On top of that, be an Enlightened Entrepreneur! Find a charity or cause that you can support with your business from the very beginning. Be genuine, and pick a cause that really makes a difference in the world. Right now, I would suggest causes that fight climate change, reduce single-use plastic, plant trees or fight global malnutrition - these are big issues that are really important. What is one quote you live life by? “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.”
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GREG SCOTT RECENTLY APPEARED AND WON DURING THE MOST RECENT SEASON 2 OF NBC’S SONGLAND WHERE HIS SONG “MIRACLE” WAS CHOSEN FOR POP RECORDING ARTIST BEBE REXHA AND JUST ANNOUNCED IS TO BE USED AS THE THEME SONG OF THE 2021 TOKYO OLYMPICS GAMES; ALONGSIDE CO-WRITER AND PRODUCER RYAN TEDDER OF ONEREPUBLIC. ADDITIONALLY, GREG HAS HAD HIS OWN SONGS APPEAR ON TV PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE LATEST SEASON OF NETFLIX’S YOU. HIS LATEST SOLO SONG, “I STILL DO” WAS JUST RELEASED AND IS CLIMBING THE MUSIC CHARTS!
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Greg’s love of performance came from his
of my song ‘Miracle’. I thought I was just going to
session, we got into a studio and wrote and
father—a performer in his own right. Born and raised in Chico, CA, as a child Scott, grew up in
your typical everyday studio but the gates opened up and I was overtaken by the foyer looking
recorded ‘Miracle’ in about three hours. I quit teaching music and said ‘I’m going to make a living
rehearsal spaces and production studios. Here, he would lean over the shoulders of producers,
straight out through the house to a dreamy zen-like Buda overlooking a serene crystal white
off solely performing and writing music.’ Rudin related to that and that’s basically what ‘Miracle’
engineers, and songwriters to learn from them and perfect his craft. As a teen, he would go on to
pool. The water separated two of the four studios in the house. His assistant offered me an espresso
is. It’s a story about believing in yourself, in believing that if you work hard and set your mind
release his first album which he produced and
and I took a moment by the Buda to try and
to something, then it’s going to happen. Songland
recorded himself in the early 2000s. Greg’s first big-break came ahead of his high
comprehend what the “F” was happening. If that wasn’t enough, I go to use the bathroom and
LOVED it right away, as well as NBC Sports and the Olympic committee. After Bebe Rexha heard
school graduation where he was asked to perform with multi-platinum recording artists K-Ci & JoJo
sitting on the toilet was a grammy Ryan won for Adel’s 21 album. Winning a grammy is my ultimate
it, it was a done deal… It really doesn’t get any bigger than that! Life-changing.
and a featured artist on The Platters Motown Review tour. Shortly after, he moved to SF where
goal and has been a dream of mine my whole life. For that to be my line of sight while relieving
Again, even though you are taken, what tips
he became a respected staple of the Bay Area scene performing with the likes of Tower of
myself was as surreal as you would think. After washing my hands, you know I had to pick that bad
can you give to those wanting to date a music man?
Power, Lenny Williams, and Narda Michael Walden. Also, mentored by the great Roberta
boy up. I looked in the mirror and had a Wayne’s World moment. “It will be mine. Oh yes. it will be
Run for the hills!!! I can hear my wife in my head. Haha. Nah, but I will say it takes a lot of
Flack. Flack compared him to the legendary Donny Hathaway and flew Greg out to sing for her
mine.”
comforting, patience and understanding. My wife has had to be my shoulder to cry on, my
music school for underprivileged youth based in NYC.
Diving into your music: What are most of your new songs about?
cheerleader, my manager, my therapist just to name a few. Being a creative in this business is
Real-life and real struggle. I’ve lived enough now
NOT easy. Out of a hundred no’s you’ll get one yes
Currently, Scott lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Sarah, and two sons. He’s now
that I can dig from a ton of deep experiences that I hadn’t in the past. I’ve always been an emotional
but it’s that one yes that can change your life forever. Hell yes, it’s a lot of pressure but my wife
creating music with producers like Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Lucas Banker and Rob Kleiner. “Speak it and receive it as my wife and I say. With two toddlers boys now with time running faster each day. We started speaking our goals before bed this year and those things started happening! You have to know what you want and find those stones to walk on. TRUST, RECEIVE and Dream BIG!!!”- Greg Scott
dude looking back, but the substance just wasn’t there yet to pull from. My current music is a soulful take on contemporary POP. I try and make you feel good and get you thinking at the same time. With all that the world is going through, especially in our country, my message is about hope, consciousness and strength.
goes through all the ups and downs with me. I wouldn’t be where I am now without her support.
How’s life changed since appearing on NBC’s Songland? Life has changed a lot but not at all - if that makes sense? I get recognized on the street, do more interviews, and get pulled in way more directions but crazy thing is, I’m still the same dude losing my mind over the same old things. The bills don’t stop and I still have to get up early and make sure my two boys don’t kill each other. You are married, but have you been getting hit up in the DMs since appearing? Haha! Yes, for sure. My wife is a great sport about it all. In my opinion, you’re not crushing it unless you get a few wild ones after you. I love my fans! I wouldn’t be able to what I do without them. Any behind-the-scenes fun stories from Songland you can share? I was invited to Ryan Tedder’s (OneRepublic) Hollywood studio to work on the second version
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NOVEMBER 2020
How important is social media these days in the music industry? Social media is more important now than ever. I don’t know how I’d connect with fans if we didn’t have this access. I was performing 4 to 5 nights a week before the pandemic started in March and I miss it so bad - bad enough that it’s causing major stress and anxiety that I had no idea was building up until recently. Social media, at least, allows me to still have a voice. Your song from Songland is going to be the theme of the 2021 Olympics... how did this come about? I had no idea going into the filming of Songland that if my song was chosen it would be the theme song the summer Olympics. I had been writing for sync, television and film in Los Angeles and was loving it. I was taking life experiences and relating them to different storylines in television and commercials. In that world I met a guy named Mark Rudin. The first time we met, in a blind
Would you ever do another TV show of sorts? Any that come to mind? I would totally do another TV show. I wanna do some kinda celebrity fitness challenge like a rad obstacle course. Maybe a Ninja Warrior but a celebrity version? I’d love to jump around act a fool and show that side of myself. Any big plans for the rest of 2020? I’ve always got big plans and aspirations! I recently did my first “Live Stream” show. We had one this past October 16th. I’ll was sippin’ and paired up with my favorite whiskey! Each ticket holder was sent a bottle to drink with me and I did a Q&A in between songs. It’s was so dope. Follow me on Instagram (@gregscottmusic) for future live show updates! What is the one item you could never leave home without? I don’t leave the house without a hat. I’m a hat-always kinda guy. I’m big into Goorin Bros. (still waiting on my endorsement y’all) and any trucker hat - given the circumstance. I work my fits from the top down. A hat determines what J’s I got on. Fresh hat + clean shoes… that’s me.