Items

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  2020-11-09

  Another One Bites the Dust

  Insecure work is nothing new but I was too lucky to hop onto welfare when my hospitality job wrapped up for the lockdown. Really feel for my colleagues, international students and others who aren't supported in the same way and have to hustle in exploitative arrangements. No workers compensation, pay well below minimum wage, and increased risk of contracting coronavirus all while keeping the city fed. These folks are holding it down for us without getting much back. Reform is needed.
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  2020-07-05

  The Life-Giving Locale

  This is the Moonee Ponds Drain. Concrete behemouth. Primary function: transport storm water to the Bay via the Maribyrnong River. Secondary functions (that came to light under lockdown): bike path, rollerblading circuit, mushroom foraging field, freeway viewing platform, late night extension of the lounge room during household parties, study break spot, skate park, graffiti canvas, shortcut to nearby suburbs, and shopping cart disposal pit. This place truly brings the community together. HIST 30060
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  2020-10-18

  Care after 5km

  A friend of mine had a rough week. She lives down the coast, well out of my 5km play pen (the distance we Melbournians can travel from home). The phone calls are fine, but can be draining and don't replace a supportive hug. Feeling a bit helpless as a friend, I put together an hour of music I thought she'd find comforting. Diversifying the kinds of connections we keep up has been relieving in that way. Low pressure interaction, much like spending time in person when it is relaxed, calm, and conversation will bounce off stimuli in the world, is hard to replicate digitally. I've really stepped up my playlist game these days. She loved it. HIST30060
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  2020-06-06

  Stop Black Deaths in Custody, BLM Protest - Melbourne

  An image from the BLM protest in Melbourne. A protest sparked by George Floyd's murder but rooted in issues in so-called Australia. Always was, always will be. The protest was a vindication for abolitionists. Several thousands of people congregating without a single case of transmission between protestors and all community-led, in spite of heavy police presence. Highly communicative organisers, quick-thinking marshals, and responsible demonstrators made it a powerful and safe day. It was deeply affirming to be surrounded by so many who see and are concerned about white supremacy in comparable ways to me, and also a time to listen to voices of the strong activists who ought to be centred in discussions around Aboriginal deaths in custody, decolonisation, and police/prison abolition. HIST30060
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  2020-04-08

  At-Home Union Action

  Text reads: WAGE SUBSIDY FOR ALL #NoWorkerLeftBehind #PutYourApronOut Trade unions were strong advocates for a more robust safety net for workers who had lost their jobs owing to the pandemic. The JobKeeper package left behind casual workers (like me) and workers on temporary visas who were already had the most insecure labour conditions. My union shifted online. We ran social media campaigns, online pickets, and a whole range of other digital actions. Unfortunately, this one didn't get up. LNP stuck to their guns of looking after wealthy, white folk. Typical... HIST30060