TheWanderer

Haha That could be it, though I don't see any power lines that were in the original pic...

That's an excellent article. On a personal note, I've been totally disheartened by not only the act itself, but by a lot of the reactions to it (some even in this thread).

Mendoza Province?

I believe Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity, like Protestant, Lutheran, Anglican etc. Though like you, I'm not an authority or proponent of religion myself.

Chile is a good guess! Paraguay and Bolivia are generally mountainous, and the further up you go the more tropical the surroundings become. Uruguay?

Trying to identify road markings...South America has double yellow road dividers...still cold?

I've seen some rural surroundings in Australia look similar. Am I warm?

Hmmm...doesn't look like anything familiar from Asia. North America?

Unless you're an expert on types of grass, there's not a lot to go on! Is this in Europe?

6286

In regards to Romney, that's exactly how it looked from over here. He came across as playing a role he didn't fit into, and subsequently appeared disingenuous and unrelatable.

Was Jeb the clear favourite before this? You think Republicans will be receptive to him after his past campaigns?

Haha I think I may have just reached that point myself.

Glad your friend is ok, Robert.

An interesting read: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/opinion/nicholas-kristof-lessons-from-the-charlie-hebdo-shooting-in-paris.html?_r=1 "...beware of perceiving the world through simple narratives..."

Maybe we should also avoid personal attacks. There are people from all over the world here at IRON, and it's a perfect chance to have discussions like this where we have input from multiple perspectives.

I live and work amongst Muslims. In fact, half my staff are practicing Muslims. Not one of them think that violent extremism is anything less than barbaric. Not one of them think that other religions should convert to Islam. They are all good people, have families like you and I, and want to live a good life. When we start looking at entire groups with suspicion, for the acts of what are essentially a minority, then we are fucked. We are playing right into the hands of these people who seek to create chaos and drive divides that will swell their ranks. Please stop quoting the Quran, Bible, Torah etc. All of these texts have some element of outdated nonsense in them, and their proponents have selectively chosen what to follow and believe for a very long time.

Thanks for the answers. I think in regards to the distrust of government, cultures aren't as different as we might think. It may manifest in different ways, but I understand where you guys are coming from. @Lysistrata - I knew when I asked those questions you would put a lot of thought into giving an honest answer! @ihateaaron - I enjoy discussions like this too, and couldn't agree with you more about using these conversations in reaching a better understanding of both sides of the fence.

Thanks for the real life example. I poke and prod with the gun issue because I'm trying to understand the culture behind it. I have never lived in the US (though that will change in 6 months) and though I have been in a couple of hairy situations, I've still to this day never felt like I ever needed a gun. I hope that continues. Anyway, different cultures, different world etc.

Again, statistics don't necessarily paint a complete picture. If I were to tell you that the flu is estimated to kill 36,000 people a year in the US (CDC), would we be correct in assuming that the flu is more dangerous than a gun? Vehicle accidents are the only non-disease/illness in the world's top 10 leading causes of death (WHO), and the leading cause of death in the world for people aged between 15-29 (WHO). It would also be pertinent to highlight that a vast majority of these deaths are accidents, whereas the majority of gun deaths are not. The fact that gun related deaths are even close to vehicle deaths, given how much time we spend in vehicles and the sheer amount of vehicles on the road, is alarming on its own. The same sources where those above graphs come from also note that in 14 States gun related deaths outnumber vehicle deaths, and by 2015 it's projected that the overall number of gun deaths in the US will outnumber vehicle related deaths.

The statistics are interesting, but I don't think they provide the needed answers or insight into what is undoubtedly a complex problem (I'd still like to see them though, ihateaaron, if you have the time!). I'm not American, and I do have difficulty understanding the gun culture there. Having said that it, it does seem that the problem really isn't about the guns. For example, I have seen statistics that supposedly show increased legal gun ownership in certain areas also shows a decrease in crime. But what areas are these statistics focusing on? Do these include areas predominantly inhabited by those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum? Would an increase in gun ownership there lead to falling crime rates? I'm also interested about the whole guns = freedom philosophy. Do some Americans believe that other places are less free (Europe and Australia for example)? Or that if given the chance, your government will enslave you if the public weren't armed? Is freedom being able to defend yourself, or being able to send your kids to school without the fear of them being shot? These are all sincere questions and not criticisms, by the way.

I find this incomprehensible. How, regardless of their religious or political agenda, do they think something like this is justifiable? Truly sad.

If anyone is interested, have a look at the #iwillridewithyou twitter trend happening in Australia at the moment. Ordinary Australians are offering support to their Muslim brothers and sisters by sitting with them on trains and walking with them on streets so that they feel safe from any potential backlash. I had the pleasure of living in Australia for 3 years when I was in my early 20's. They are a class act. My thoughts are with them.

Sorry to hear this, Cadana. In these situations it's never anyone else's fault. Mental illness is a dark, complex and lonely experience. The fact that you have glowing memories of her speaks volumes, and is the best tribute you could give.

LOL See, even here her ass is a complete distraction during a serious conversation. Well played, media.