My wife has been on a rom-com binge over the last year or so and something I’ve noticed when I’m vaguely paying attention or walking past is that almost every single rom-com features people who are, at the very least, middle to upper-middle class. These characters all live in gigantic houses/apartments, have beautifully sparkling brand-new cars, take month-long vacations to their beachfront properties… it’s just so unrealistic and out of line with the life that the vast majority of us lead.

I understand some concepts - large rooms are easier to film in, rich people own nice things that set a beautiful scene, it’s not interesting to discuss financial issues all the time etc. but this seems (from my anecdotal perspective) to almost be a rule of the genre.

Some more food for thought:

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a867107/rom-coms-diversity-wealth-income/

NSW Police is considering authorising the use of "extraordinary" powers to search and identify protesters ahead of a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney planned for Sunday.

Acting Commissioner Dave Hudson said an event by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney was deemed unauthorised this week due to a form not being submitted within the required time frame.

It followed a protest in front of Sydney Opera House earlier this week where racial epithets were chanted by some attendees.

On Monday night hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Sydney Opera House, while the landmark was lit in colours of the Israeli flag.

At the protest flares were lit by some in the crowd and thrown onto the forecourt steps, where rows of police officers were monitoring the situation.

Some protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans like "f… the Jews", "free Palestine" and "shame Israel".

No arrests were made and no-one was reported to have been injured.

Acting Commissioner Hudson on Friday said if the powers were used, police would be able to search attendees without reasonable cause and request identification, where failure to provide relevant documents would be deemed an offence.

The wider powers were introduced after the 2005 Cronulla riots and have been used "intermittently" since, the acting commissioner said.

"The powers are extensive, when the authority is granted all those powers will be available to us, however, we would not be looking to exercise the full suite of powers," Acting Commissioner Hudson said.

"Only the ones bespoke to the situation we're currently in, and we think those additional powers are required to appropriately and safely manage what is to occur on Sunday."

He warned protesters planning to attend not to go to the planned gathering, but said police are expecting between 300 and 400 people at the moment.

"We don't prohibit anyone from the right to protest but there are peaceful manners in which that could happen," Acting Commissioner Hudson said.

"People do have a right to protest, but there are responsibilities with that."

What are your thoughts on this? I think I’m somewhat on the fence. I firmly believe in the right to protest and that the only effective protests are those that are truly disruptive, but I can also understand the argument that people have the right to feel safe in their homes. Protest rights have been slowly eroded over time in most Australian jurisdictions and so an act like this is sometimes what’s needed to affect change. There’s also the point to be made that the harm that people cause through business decisions doesn’t end at 5PM on a weekday, and we should have the right to protest individuals and their specific actions as well as the companies that they represent.

Thoughts?

Hoooooooooooooooowdy ho fellow Lemmings. How are we all today?

I'm currently throwing down the last glass of my red wine goon and trying to procrastinate going to bed.

What's happening in your nape of the woods? Neck of the wape? ...Why are you here? Y'know, skarnon?

Extra prompt: what's your worst personal trait? I'm a grammar and spelling nazi, and even though sometimes I understand what people are saying, if it's out of context I pretend I have no fucking idea what they're talking about in order to get them to communicate more effectively.