Is that a specifically American version of Christianity? I don't recall ever hearing people talk about it except on US TV and websites (I'm in Australia). I'm an atheist, so maybe I just don't know enough about it. The first I heard about it was some US documentary about a bunch of Christians visiting Jerusalem. They…

Maybe your tear ducts just have a different threshold to set them off.

Most snakes and spiders want to be left alone too, although I'll concede they do like to hang about in houses from time to time :).

I often wonder why people joke about Australia being dangerous, when mostly all you have to worry about is spiders and snakes. I would be much more scared of living somewhere with bears, wolves or mountain lions.

There's a push going on in Australia at the moment to make us more like the USA including a shift towards private health care and education.

If you daughter expects that type of reaction, then if something did happen to her, she might not tell you for fear of how you would react. It would be better to promise to support her in whatever way she needs or wants, rather than making her feel responsible for making you angry or violent by telling you.

A lot of people would have just frozen and done nothing. Acting sensibly after your family has been executed, and you have been shot in the head, is actually quite impressive.

Yeah, it looks like it's getting complicated. At this point I think I'll just sit back and see what further information comes out about it.

Did you notice that I agree he should be charged for harassing her, just not for child pornography? I'm thinking that it is a bad practice to charge minors with child photography for filming themselves, even when the minor in question is also doing something else wrong, because it sets a bad precedent. I'm pretty sure…

Then they should absolutely charge him for sending her those videos. But the requirement of a photography of his erect penis appears to be for child pornography charges, which shouldn't be applied for pics/videos of oneself.

Yeah, in that case it shouldn't be necessary to prove that the pictures were of himself, only that he was the one that sent them to her. If she didn't want the pics/videos then the charge should be related to sexual harassment, not child pornography for filming himself.

Here is a few things I can think of. Better screening combined with higher pay to increase the number of applicants to choose from. Better training, using evidence based methods. More leave, and good counseling services to support cops and reduce burn out. Better investigation of misconduct, preferably with some…

The point is that the poor don't have to be 'noble' to deserve being treated like human beings.

Then definitely don't read about those two, save it until you feel like doing some hate reading.

There are plenty of politicians and shock jocks here who are happy to help them believe it. See Pauline Hanson or Alan Jones.

Some people who emigrated from the UK to Australia still seem to see it as an extension of the UK. So they don't think of themselves as immigrants. Those people always conveniently forget that there were already people here before them.

In my city the buses have signs saying that students and children are required to vacate their seat if there are any adults standing. Generally the justification is that children and students get discounted fares, so they don't have the same right to a seat. I have never actually seen it happen though.

There are so many people here who just don't get this. I have had arguments with racist first generation immigrants who think anyone not white should 'go home'. WTF is wrong with people?

It isn't entirely arbitrary though, because it is tied in with sex and gender. Also, limiting breastfeeding in public places a lot of limitations on the movements/activities of the person breastfeeding. It's not just a matter of arbitrary values, but has a real impact on people's lives.

I'm guessing there's some regional differences going on.