To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain
by Daniel Stepniak · Published 13 June 2019 · Last modified 23 June 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutesSeries 2 is simply a different show to Series 1. It is no longer a tightly scripted psychological thriller. It has broadened its scope and expanded its focus to encompass the supporting characters. While lacking some of the first series’ focused suspense, and foreboding, the second series is still a cut above most other offerings, and undoubtedly worth watching.
by Daniel Stepniak · Published 11 June 2019 · Last modified 4 October 2022
Reading Time: 3 minutesAn Ordinary Woman tells the story of Marina, a 39 year old working mother who lives in Moscow. She appears to be an ordinary, if somewhat privileged, woman. However, the image of Marina, the ordinary woman, soon develops cracks. Most significantly, we discover that the flower shop is used by Marina to launder money she earns from running an online prostitution service. When one of her prostitutes is murdered, Marina’s life begins to unravel. The series also introduces a list of other family or more ordinary problems and issues. These enrich the series, creating a multilayered story line, and serve to keep the overall story grounded in ordinary issues amidst extraordinary developments. Like Marina, this series is anything but ordinary
Reading Time: 3 minutesIf Pell succeeds in his appeal, he will do so, thanks in part, to the bumbling performance by Chris Bryce S.C.
Reading Time: 4 minutesUnless we clarify and agree on what it is that we’re discussing, we run the risk of replicating populists’ irrational and dishonest discourse. This means, not allowing facts to stand in the way of your views, by pretending that they’re not there or creating your own alternative facts. You may also pretend that words don’t mean what they mean to most people but rather what you conveniently chose them to mean. Our debate needs to acknowledge and take into account the full context of exempting religions from compliance with a law that seeks to protect others from their harassment and discrimination.
by Daniel Stepniak · Published 30 May 2019 · Last modified 4 October 2023
Reading Time: 3 minutesSomeone is systematically destroying records of human history. The book’s storyline revolves around Maggie Costello, a former White House staffer, and her efforts to stop the person or organisation responsible. But, it is not the fiction that makes this book a particularly rewarding to read. The author facilitates understanding of a coherent and plausible rationale for populist movements’ troubling attack on verifiable truth.
by Daniel Stepniak · Published 26 May 2019 · Last modified 4 October 2022
Reading Time: 5 minutes‘The Sinner’ is a two series mystery and at times mystical crime drama. It stands out from the crowd of other television crime drama series. It does so by staying away from predictable plots, and cliched characters, while intelligently tackling some of the most complex personal and societal issues. The storylines and the issues addressed in the two series were notably original and poignant. This resulted in creating a show that offers much more than mere entertainment.
Reading Time: 2 minutesOpposition to greater legal and constitutional protection of freedom of religion is in part led by leaders of Australia’s established religions. What has long concerned our major churches appears not be widely appreciated by the Australian public. To protect religion entails protecting all religions, including the nutters, haters and the offensive.
by Daniel Stepniak · Published 23 May 2019 · Last modified 18 July 2019
Reading Time: 7 minutesThe outcome and events leading up to the federal election, when considered alongside the escalating conflict between the US President and Congress, suggest that it’s time to evaluate the nature of our representative democracy. An infusion of direct democracy would provide the means for great involvement by the people, many of whom feel alienated from politics. Direct involvement by the people in place of reliance on disappointing parliamentary representatives has the potential to reinvigorate Australian democracy. Such direct democracy would in particular benefit the initiation of constitutional amendments and enactment of legislation. It also has great potential in resolving deadlocks between the Houses of Parliament and reforming the behaviour of politicians as well as the nature of increasingly undignified and unruly parliamentary procedure.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis excellent ten-episode first series of black drama/comedy is thoroughly enjoyable and consequently highly addictive. Judy and Jen are very likeable, larger than life characters. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are perfectly cast as characters who are alike, yet very different to each other. This series is a breath of fresh air. It is not bleak, crude or violent. While the language is very colourful, it is not gratuitously crude.
Reading Time: 2 minutesSome religious leaders argue that express guarantees of freedom of speech would counter the use of workplace agreements to deny the right to express religious beliefs
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