Imagine being able to talk about your passions, concepts, beliefs, and values, all while developing an audience and creating a unique brand for yourself. Swinburne University student Loren Botica, who started the news podcast The Wind Down for the uni publication The Standard , says podcasting taught her skills that have helped with her everyday life.  “The more you do it [podcasting], the more confident you get and the easier it is to talk to anyone,” she says. “It’s a good

A photo of a tiny grey-headed flying fox resting at a wildlife centre in Melbourne is among the pictures to be highly commended in the 57th annual Wildlife Photographer of the year awards. The Natural History Museum in London has released 11 highly commended images on their website in the lead-up to announcing the winners. The photos span all corners of the globe and are of creatures great and small, with all images united by the theme of resilience. Museum director Dr Doug

When Campbell Gray began Well Fed Records in 2019, he saw it as a way to get his music out there without it getting lost online. Gray’s band prerock. exports a ruthless brand of droning metal, fitting snugly within a flourishing Melbourne experimental rock pantheon. Well Fed Records distributed Prerock’s music on cassette, selling a limited run of purple tapes at gigs around the city for $10 each. “The tapes we did for [prerock.] were really cheap,” said Gray. “They sound g

Nearly 20 years on, the weird world of Psychonauts still possesses the power to assault the mind and bewilder the senses. Levels transform and bend into themselves like a drug-induced hallucination; a banal and clinical medical scene becomes transfigured with beaming neon lights, upbeat jazz and gambling motifs; an office complex becomes twisted into a dental nightmare of teeth and braces. Released on August 25 by developer Double Fine, Psychonauts 2 is the long-awaited direc

The much-anticipated 10th studio album of acclaimed rapper/producer Kanye West has finally dropped after over a year of pushed back release dates and a string of in person listening events. Almost all of it is well worth the hype. Donda is West’s newest one hour 48-minute behemoth – his longest project to date. With a 27-song track list, it’s a massive album and at times can seem like a slog to sit through. However, each time it drags, the next song kicks in and cements itse

Archie Calder arrived at St Kilda skate park on a cold Saturday morning to warm up before heading into the city to try film some new tricks. The prolific Melbourne street skater is training for a video he’s been working on with a group of friends. A skateboarder for most of his teenage years, he’s had multiple injuries that have resulted in weeks of rehabilitation. Most of those injuries could have been avoided, had he worn some form of protective equipment, Archie says. “I d

Struggling with the state of the world right now? Same, friend, same. So, it’s time to put some smiles back on those dials with a dose of Mindy Kaling. Mindy is a comedy powerhouse, and while there aren’t/better not be enough lockdown days to cover all her work, here are five favourites to get you started … and they’re all on Netflix. 1. The Office Haven’t watched The Office yet? First question, how dare you? Kelly Kapoor is iconic. Kelly Kapoor (Kaling) is neurotic, endear

The moment Paralympian Olivia Breen finished the long jump competition at the English Championships last month, her attire should have been the last thing on her mind. Instead, the 24-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, was left “speechless” when a female official criticised her choice of sprint briefs. “Women should not be made to feel self-conscious about what they are wearing when competing, but should feel comfortable and at ease,” she said on Twitter. While shocking, Bree

“My whole feed is just swamped with dog videos! Puppies, dogs, and animals, because they make me laugh,” says Quilesha Webber, a mental health peer practitioner. “Pay attention to the emotions you feel when looking at [social media] accounts,” she says. Quilesha, whose day is filled with helping and supporting young people with mental health issues, says her approach to social media reflects a mindful way of dealing with the damaging pressures it places on teenagers. “It c

I’d rather be there than here, says Melbourne writer and director Siobhan Paterson. There is the setting of the film Palm Springs , with sun, sand, and the heart-stealing Andy Samberg, and here is yet another Melbourne lockdown. Siobhan, who has written and directed many films during Melbourne’s lockdowns, says she found an escape through film. “Watching movies and making films is keeping me sane during the pandemic,” she says. Siobhan began producing her own short films duri

Warning: contains spoilers With more gold and more at stake, the suspense has increased tenfold in the second season of Netflix’s treasure hunt hit, Outer Banks. The familiar theme song of Alt-J’s Left Hand Free plays in the background as the new season follows four main plot points, seamlessly weaving in new characters and storylines. The most important of these is the continuation of last season’s hunt for the gold where we followed a group of teenagers from the wrong s

Afghanistan descended into chaos this week when the Taliban took control of Kabul and declared an interim government. The militant Islamic group stormed through the country capturing all the major cities, with Kabul being their final stop. Since the Taliban’s return to power anyone who worked with Western governments, government officials, journalists, human rights defenders and women have become targets of the new regime, and many have been killed. Many fear the harsh laws