No Award watches stuff: Cleverman 1×02

We’ve received feedback saying that it’s sometimes hard to tell whether or not we actually like some of the media we talk about. (In fairness, you can usually tell when we hate something.) So we’re entering a brave new world of giving media points out of five, although, David and Margaret style, Stephanie and I are giving individual points and reserve the right to disagree.

(We also reserve the right to wear fabulous earrings.)

ANYWAY, episode 2 of Cleverman: Jorah Mormont is building an ark, Waruu is a dickhead (but a hot one!), Naked Corpse Lady has clothes now, and there are more women.

Liz’s rating: Four Renowned Indigenous Stage Actors out of Five.

Stephanie’s rating: Four Renowned Indigenous Stage Actors out of Five

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24 Terrible Life Lessons from Australian Music of the 90s

Previously on No Award: 53 important life lessons from Australian music of the ’90s

Look, the 90s weren’t all hypercolour and flower hats. We took some terrible things to heart in the 90s, too.

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swinging dead cats and the narrative of refugees

Let’s talk about the dead cats that Peter Dutton has been swinging; a form of politics that we as Australians should understand, because it’s how this election will go down.

Also remember you have until 8pm/2000 TODAY, Monday 23 May, to be enrolled or you can’t vote this election! Not sure if this is AEST or AWST, but WHY WAIT?! AEC Website now please and thank you. Then come back here for dead cat swinging.

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things australians can do to support asylum seekers

Our hearts are heavy with grief and guilt for two people. Hodan, a Somali refugee, set herself alight on Nauru. She is 21. Omid, who self-immolated last week and later died, was 23. His family is being billed $17000 to fly his body to Iran.

Our Immigration Minister said this was the fault of activists and advocates encouraging refugees to self-harm, demonstrating a lack of self-awareness and empathy. The environments of despair created by Australia’s policies are, instead, the impetus for self-harm.

Don’t just sit there, mired in the knowledge that our country is deplorable and unforgiveable. If you can, come do some things.

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Tomorrow, When the War Began

Tomorrow, When the War Began is a YA novel (which became a series, which spawned a sequel trilogy) about a group of teens who are off camping in the bush when Australia gets invaded over a long weekend/show weekend, and what they have to do when they find themselves suddenly living in a warzone.

In 2010 it was adapted as a movie; it has just begun showing on ABC3 as a six part series, presumably just adapting the first book.

We’re gonna review ALL SIX EPISODES, with weekly updates. Starting here, where we discuss our complicated history with the world constructed in Tomorrow, racism, and the importance of fire safety.

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the unbearable lightness of the racism in our country

The daily reality of living in Australia is the institutional racism that imbues every level of our government provided services. This impacts many of us, but those who are most impacted are Indigenous Australians, and it is some fucking bullshit. Today at No Award: some reading, and a request that you donate to Girl Academy, which empowers young Indigenous mums.

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Reasons Australia Post gave for not delivering my parcel

I ordered a bunch of things from Kmart since a broken foot makes it hard to shop.  It was scheduled for delivery the day I went back to work, but luckily, the tracking email included an option for the parcel to be left at my front door.  This was perfect, because a broken foot also makes it hard to carry parcels home from the post office.

'With Safe Drop your delivery can be left in a safe place at your nominated delivery address, without a signature on delivery. You can request Safe Drop at any time, up until 1 hour before the delivery.'

There’s also a ticky box where you agree that you’re aware of the risks of leaving a parcel, and that you’re waiving the need for a signature.

I forgot, when I selected this option, that the whole reason I got a parcel locker in the CBD was because I had realised that parcel delivery just wasn’t happening at my flat.

I remembered all this a few hours later, when I received an email saying that the driver had decided my front door wasn’t suitable for Safe Drop, and my parcel could be picked up from the post office.

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decolonising our weather: what is actually going on

Previously on decolonising our weather: hello and welcome to spring (not spring), a look at seasons defined by Traditional Owners in Perth (Nyoongar) and over East (Kulin and Wurundjeri).

This week on decolonising our weather: how to read what the BoM is telling you, rather than saying to me ‘wow, it’s hot for Autumn, isn’t it?’ Mate, it’s still March, we had a late warm spell, it’s not even Waring Wombats Season, what more do you want.

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