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7 votes
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Australian Federal Court orders Google to turn over identifying information of user who left negative review for Melbourne dentist
8 votes -
The British government has suspended its funding of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the body that runs the international organisation from London
6 votes -
High Court rules Aboriginal people cannot be deported for criminal convictions, cannot be 'alien' to Australia
16 votes -
Independent Zali Steggall eyes end of ‘climate wars’ with zero carbon bill
News article: Independent Zali Steggall eyes end of ‘climate wars’ with zero carbon bill Zali Steggall's website: Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020
7 votes -
'The Stranger' was Australia's first locally-produced science fiction television show and one of the first Australian series to be sold overseas
ABC's media release: 'The Stranger' was Australia's first locally-produced science fiction television show and one of the first Australian series to be sold overseas. (Ignore the references to...
ABC's media release: 'The Stranger' was Australia's first locally-produced science fiction television show and one of the first Australian series to be sold overseas. (Ignore the references to 'Doctor Who'; the only connection they have is that they were both science fiction shows made in the mid-1960s. I suspect that show is name-dropped just to get people's interest.)
I've been watching this show. I'm 5 episodes in, which means I'm up to the last episode of the 1st season, with another 6 episodes in the 2nd season (only 12 eps in total).
It's bad but also good (not in the "so bad it's good" way). The production isn't great: the special effects are low-grade, the sets are ordinary, the acting ranges from hammy to wooden, and the writing is clunky. However, despite all that, I find myself hooked. I want to know what's going to happen next. It's an interesting premise: the remnants of an alien species eking out an existence inside a rocket-equipped moon, having left their home planet after an unspecified ecological disaster, to seek out a new home. The plot is good enough to drag me along with it. It also has historical curiosity value.
I doubt it's available outside of Australia, but here's the streaming link. Be warned: it's very slow-paced to start with. The first episode doesn't even mention aliens, and the second episode only has hints.
7 votes -
Australian government lawyers warned the tax commissioner the controversial "robodebt" program could be illegal on the same day the Federal Government suspended the scheme
5 votes -
Australians evacuated from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China will no longer be charged $1,000, with the Treasurer blaming "incorrect advice" from bureaucrats for the mix-up.
8 votes -
Australians wanting to take part in the government’s evacuation plan out of Wuhan may have to pay $1000 in order to get to Christmas Island
9 votes -
Victoria's Attorney-General Jill Hennessy has written to Australia's governor-general, asking him to overturn men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt's Order of Australia
4 votes -
Gay asylum seekers seeking protection in Australia were asked by government officials if they could pretend to be straight to avoid persecution in their home countries
10 votes -
Australian scientists first to grow Wuhan coronavirus outside China
13 votes -
An open letter on Australian bushfires and climate: urgent need for deep cuts in carbon emissions [signed by Laureates of the Australian Research Council]
4 votes -
Billie Eilish's Grammy hit features a surprising Australian sound
Here's an article about one of the recent Grammy winners: "Billie Eilish's Grammy hit features a surprising Australian sound" The story about how Eilish and her brother sampled a pedestrian...
Here's an article about one of the recent Grammy winners: "Billie Eilish's Grammy hit features a surprising Australian sound"
The story about how Eilish and her brother sampled a pedestrian crossing signal is interesting enough - but you have to watch the embedded video, where the SMH people use the same signal to make their own backing track to an Aussie classic!
5 votes -
"I Am Australian" - The Seekers
In honour of Australia Day, here's my favourite Australia-themed song. About 40 years ago, the Australian government ran competitions and surveys to decide what our national anthem should be. It...
In honour of Australia Day, here's my favourite Australia-themed song.
About 40 years ago, the Australian government ran competitions and surveys to decide what our national anthem should be. It was a 10-year process, in fits and starts, but in 1984 they finally announced "Advance Australia Fair" as the new anthem to replace "God Save The Queen" (which is now used only as the royal anthem).
"I Am Australian" hadn't been written back then. It was written in 1987, just prior to our Bicentennial celebrations in 1988. If a similar competition/survey was run now, "I Am Australian" would be one of the top contenders for our new national anthem. It's a very popular song.
I don't relate to "Advance Australia Fair" at all. But "I Am Australian" makes me emotional every time I hear it. It might not be our official national anthem, but it's my anthem for this country.
Here's:
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A studio recorded version, complete with lyrics.
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A live performance, performed in 2000.
I am, you are, we are Australian.
2 votes -
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Australia confirms first case of coronavirus as protective masks sell out
12 votes -
Why Australia's fires are linked to floods in East Africa
4 votes -
Why we should change Australia Day ... to the fourth Friday in January
5 votes -
Gender neutral toilets in use for first time at Australian Open
10 votes -
New UNSW research calls for national action to minimise the risk of the platypus vanishing due to habitat destruction, dams and weirs
4 votes -
Gay man who protested against Drag Queen Story Time dies by suicide
Wilson Gavin was the President of the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club. He was also gay. Earlier this week, he led a protest against a Drag Queen Story Time event. The following...
Wilson Gavin was the President of the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club. He was also gay.
Earlier this week, he led a protest against a Drag Queen Story Time event.
The following day, he was found dead at a local railway station, having committed suicide.
He has formerly campaigned against same-sex marriage.
His family have released a statement.
10 votes -
Humble Australia Fire Relief Bundle - $25 for 29 games including Hollow Knight, Void Bastards, and Hand of Fate 2, with all proceeds going to help the wildlife affected by the Australian bushfires
13 votes -
Incredible, secret firefighting mission saves famous Australian 'dinosaur trees'
5 votes -
The Australian government has been forced to talk about climate change, so it’s taking a subtle – and sinister – approach
11 votes -
The ecological devastation of the Victorian bushfires has been laid bare in a leaked report which warns some species are likely to already be extinct
4 votes -
A News Corp employee has accused the organisation of a "misinformation campaign" filled with "irresponsible" and "dangerous" coverage of the national bushfire crisis
14 votes -
CES 2020: Uber and Hyundai created a flying electric taxi
2 votes -
Australia's bushfire emergency is being exploited on social media, as misinformation is spread through cyberspace via hundreds of thousands of posts.
News article: Fires misinformation being spread through social media This includes a prominent local billionaire, Andrew Forrest, who has pledged $70 million for bushfire relief: "I think there's...
News article: Fires misinformation being spread through social media
This includes a prominent local billionaire, Andrew Forrest, who has pledged $70 million for bushfire relief: "I think there's a multitude of reasons why the fire extent has bene so devastating. I think a warming planet would be part of that — [but] the biggest part of that is arsonists," he said.
13 votes -
Australia’s bushfire catastrophe in photos
7 votes -
Scott Morrison stands by Liberal ad promoting Australian government's bushfire response
Scott Morrison stands by Liberal ad promoting government's bushfire response Here's the advertisement itself: https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1213330419044638722 For the non-Aussies,...
Scott Morrison stands by Liberal ad promoting government's bushfire response
Here's the advertisement itself: https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1213330419044638722
For the non-Aussies, and for the Aussies who aren't political tragics like me... the reason everyone's up in arms is that this video has been released by the Liberal Party, not by the Australian government. We can tell by the "Authorised by" statement in the final frame. Government information comes with the Commonwealth coat of arms and says "Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra". Party political advertisements have to be "authorised by" someone within the political party. In other words, this is a political ad, not a government press release. The Liberal Party (not the government!) is promoting itself on the basis of what the government is doing for the bushfires.
Scott Morrison has already been an utter failure during this crisis. He went on holiday after the fires started. He's done as little as possible since he returned. And people have noticed. People have abused him when he turned up to visit their town. People have literally refused to shake his hand (but he grabs their hands and shakes them anyway!).
But, despite all this wrong-footedness, this new advertisement is the most tone-deaf thing he's done (so far!). It reflects his background in marketing. Everything's a message for him. Unfortunately for him, the message here is "I'm using your suffering to promote myself".
Scott Morrison has fucked up yet again.
11 votes -
How big are the fires burning in eastern Australia? Interactive map
16 votes -
Australian government deploys army reservists, third navy ship to support firefighters
7 votes -
Australian navy begins evacuation of beach where thousands had sought refuge from fire
17 votes -
New South Wales and Victoria just jumped 1.8 metres north
10 votes -
New Zealand 'blanketed' by smoke and dust from raging NSW and QLD bushfires
7 votes -
New tourism ad for Australia: "Matesong" featuring Kylie Minogue
I just discovered this new tourist advertisement for Australia. It's sung (mostly) by Kylie Minogue, and aimed directly at a British (English?) audience. As an Aussie, I found a few moments in...
I just discovered this new tourist advertisement for Australia. It's sung (mostly) by Kylie Minogue, and aimed directly at a British (English?) audience.
As an Aussie, I found a few moments in this ad to smile at.
6 votes -
Firefighters in Australia say situation 'out of control' as Prime Minister denies request for emergency aid
14 votes -
Australia heatwave: State of emergency declared over bushfire crisis
18 votes -
Chinese ambassador dismisses Uyghurs mass detention as 'fake news'
9 votes -
The Hornsdale Power Reserve and what it means for energy storage
8 votes -
Qantas selects modified Airbus A350-1000 with additional fuel tank for direct Sydney to London flights beginning 2023
6 votes -
A rural South Australian council is asking a group of high school students for input on how to spend $1 million in drought relief
8 votes -
Australia’s democracy has been downgraded from ‘open’ to ‘narrowed’ in the 2019 CIVICUS Monitor report
9 votes -
Dub FX - Fire Every Day (2020)
3 votes -
There are now traffic cameras that can spot you using your phone while driving
9 votes -
China tried to plant its candidate in Australian Federal Parliament, authorities believe
17 votes -
Would-be Chinese defector details covert campaigns in Hong Kong and Taiwan
15 votes -
Mapping the Australian fires
5 votes -
Photos of Australia’s "catastrophic" bushfires
11 votes -
Australia's labour market is sick
4 votes