That’s why this whole popular vote idea sucked, and why I was still fearful (I was living in the US when Trump won) that a silent majority could show its ugliness, that Yes could lose if people got complacent, plus whatever happened, yes or no, my loved ones would still know how many people in the community don’t…

It’s been a major source of national shame, I can assure you.

Australian/American here. The Liberal party (our conservatives) actually align pretty closely with the US Dems, the Labour Party is further left... we’re a lefty society in general. Without really knowing the American situation well a lot of people here seem to think the liberals are evil like the Republicans, but…

Our system is based on the Westminster (UK) system, yes. We have no direct vote (i.e. nothing akin to the Presidential vote in the US), the person who leads the party that wins the most seats in the House of Reps becomes PM.

Yes. It’s not much ($50 last time I checked) but voting is compulsory. And we like that... the result is remarkably centrist governments and occasional changes in power that don’t destabilize much at all, because you have to fight for everyone’s vote... “turning out the base” is not the goal, you have to appeal to the…

Please clarify that you’re talking about the US... Our 2016 Australian Federal Election turnout was 91% of eligible voters, and that was the lowest since 1925. It was blamed mostly on two unpopular choices (our current PM and opposition leader are historically, together, the most unpopular leaders we’ve ever had) plus…

Yes, even as someone who hates vegemite, I know it is meant to be spread very sparingly over already buttered toast.

I’m an Aussie and I can’t stand it. My American ex-husband loved it though...

I’m in Australia and we’ve had a few individuals/groups go out to major public squares etc. recently with signs saying things like “I’m a Muslim, ask me anything!” Or “want to talk about gay marriage with a gay person?” (History alert: today the stupid public opinion poll results were released with - no shock to…

It’s weird, though. I hold three citizenships: Australia, Fijian and US. Two I had at birth (Australian and Fijian) and one I have had since 2012 (US.) I identify as Australian, Fijian, and (somewhat more reluctantly these days...) American, although I always refer to Australia or Fiji as “home,” while the US was…

Seriously. My five-year-old gets it:

There have been multiple experiments that have shown both white and black people generally have implicit (automatic, or below ‘consciousness’) negative thoughts about black people. That comes from socialization in a racist society. Devine (80s-era I think) did some interesting research that showed that both “low…

I’m white and if I had a dime for every mediocre white man who has told me he didn’t get into “that college” or “that job” because he was a (sob!) white man and his place was stolen from him, I’d be too busy rolling in my money to post on The Root.

I love “I can’t mate in captivity”! But TBH... one of the reasons I hate “honest woman” so much is that I’ve never actually heard the “honest man” version. Not once.

No. I don’t want something practical for my birthday, I want something shiny! (I have made exceptions for a Vitamix and a $200 electronic tea-maker, which sounds ridiculous but has already brought me five years of joy, multiple times a day... I take tea rather seriously.)

Agreed, I’m into jewelry and I can tell when someone went “big but bad.” Small imperfections won’t be noticed, but there is a tipping point. It is hard to tell the good man-made ones from real ones, though... I usually suspect it only if the diamond seems too perfect, especially if a too-perfect diamond of that size…

I got engaged in a world where my 2-carat ring (I told my now-ex husband that I wouldn’t wear anything over 2 carats because I like delicate jewelry as a rule, and I work with my hands all day, so he bought me one with a center stone that was literally 1.98 carats, apparently after fighting with his mother and…

I’ve bought jewelry and sold it for a profit, but I never buy retail (I buy from eBay from legit sellers, or at clearance auctions or estate sales), and if my intent is resale/holding value and not just “I must have it” I only buy ‘named’ designer jewelry (also, only fine jewelry.)

I read the first “it” (if you liked it) as “being with her” (not just, but including, sexually) and the second (put a ring on it) ‘it’ as her finger. Neither as her, the person.

Yep. Pale, blonde and green-eyed here. I live on the beachfront but I don’t go outside without at least 30+ sPF, a hat, a full-length kaftan and sunglasses. My five year old - even paler and white-haired - has to sit through about 30 minutes of prep before he’s going on the beach/in the pool. Skin cancer almost always…