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The welfare of our children is up to all of us

Sue Packer

by Sue Packer

03 Sep 05:50am

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Filed under: Abuse, Child Welfare, Parenting, Society

34 comments

It is National Child Protection Week, 2- 8 September and again, we know that more than 30,000 Australian children have been abused and neglected in the past year. This figure has never substantially improved since we first began to consider the problem and we, as a community, continue to respond as if we are powerless in this distressing situation.

We're all connected, or we should be. Picture: Herald Sun

If we were told that in the last year 30,000 children had suffered an infection, which had caused some deaths and left many children with a lifelong burden, there would be public outrage, demanding a solution.

Abuse and neglect is a social infection, endemic in our community, and with equally devastating results, yet it seems to pass us by.

In 2009, in an attempt to understand this better, NAPCAN conducted a nationwide survey* involving 22,000 people. In analysing the results, I found that those participating were predominantly women and had a better than expected level of knowledge of child protection. Most had regular involvement with children either at home or at work.

Unanimously, and not surprisingly, they agreed that parents were responsible for keeping their children safe. But worryingly, less than half of this well-informed group would not take direct action if confronted with a significant child abuse or neglect situation.  More concerning to me was that 11% believed that neighbours had no responsibility at all for keeping children safe.

Recently, I attended the funeral of a very old, long established neighbour, who was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Amongst the mourners was a vibrant young woman, who knew me, but it took me some time to recognise her. She and her family had been neighbours of this man many years ago when she was very young. Her family was chaotic, troubled and they worried all of us.

The woman told me how this elderly couple had always been friendly and interested in her. She had loved going into their calm, organised home and dreamt of living in a home just like it. When she was in primary school, her family moved away, but her connection with this man had been so significant that, on hearing of his death, she came to his funeral. She has a family of her own now, satisfying work and is content.

This woman also reminded me of a teenager who had also been a neighbour. He was a troubled child and was growing into a scary, aggressive teenager. The same old couple, more than 20 years ago, had helped this young man find work and had even helped with transport to ensure he got to work on time. All this time later, the young man is still employed and leading a fulfilling life, with no criminal involvement, which had seemed inevitable back then.

If this old couple had taken the view that helping troubled young ones was ‘someone else’s’ role and had done nothing, these two young people would not have sensed any hope in leading a more fulfilling life. What did he do? He recognised both children as worthwhile individuals who needed attention and respect to help them through their uneasy childhoods. What a wonderful memorial for such a deserving, unassuming individual.

Being a good neighbour can be challenging these days, with people moving around, and often living isolated lives, though close together in a neighbourhood. Too often there is an emphasis on the possible danger of becoming involved. We need to change this way of thinking and remember instead the wonderful bonuses that neighbours can bring.

If more of us were good neighbours, we could be there to support each other. The modern ‘bogeyman’, the paedophile, would be severely hindered if children lived in neighbourhoods where all the grown-ups knew them and watched out for all of them. Neighbourhoods where grown-ups were ready to recognise and celebrate when children have made good decisions or achieved special things, and at the same time ready to notice when they were not safe or distressed and be prepared to help.

We all have our own examples of clashes we have had, which have left us feeling angry and distressed and with a continuing resentment towards the service involved. On the other hand, a caring, genuine response in such a situation brings a far more positive result.

Go on, surprise and delight your neighbourhood by being respectfully interested in what is going on, and practice being always willing to recognise delightful parenting when you notice it. If we could boost in our minds the value of children and young people in our lives, all of us, but particularly our most vulnerable neighbours, would have far more positive, optimistic lives.

To start you on your “good neighbour” journey, have a look at the NAPCAN website www.playyourpart.org.au There are many excellent ideas.

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34 comments

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    • Gregg says:

      06:57am | 03/09/12

      ” If more of us were good neighbours, we could be there to support each other. The modern ‘bogeyman’, the paedophile, would be severely hindered if children lived in neighbourhoods where all the grown-ups knew them and watched out for all of them. Neighbourhoods where grown-ups were ready to recognise and celebrate when children have made good decisions or achieved special things, and at the same time ready to notice when they were not safe or distressed and be prepared to help. “

      That does sound fine but be too caring and involved and I reckon you might just make it on to Suspect Paedophile listing yourself.

      ” On the other hand, a caring, genuine response in such a situation brings a far more positive result. “
      Too many kids these days get left by parents to be out and about and possibly doing what the parents know little about or do not even care for.

      I care for a peaceful surrounds and we enjoy living out of a town a bit and that helps with that objective though I also care for kids on trail bikes roaring up the environment, to the extent that I was prepared to make a genuine response of intercepting them when they started on the roads, underage and unlicensed.

      Needless to say, they did not want to stop for a chat, that being Saturday and at least they did not come around on Sunday.

      Reply

    • bael says:

      09:55am | 03/09/12

      I grew up in a close knit community in which everyone was involved in everyone elses business.
      It did nothing to stop what happens behind closed doors.

    • Anne71 says:

      12:33pm | 03/09/12

      “That does sound fine but be too caring and involved and I reckon you might just make it on to Suspect Paedophile listing yourself.”

      Precisely what I was thinking, Gregg, while I was reading this particular bit of self-righteous finger-wagging.  Unfortunately, we are now in the situation where if someone takes too much of an interest in somebody else’s kids, it’s almost automatically assumed that they’re a potential child molester.

      Parents need to make up their minds. On one hand, they like to smugly inform us that “it takes a community to raise a child”, but on the other, so many resent any outsider taking an interest in their children, offering advice or help, etc.  It’s not surprising, therefore, that people - especially men, and I, for one, do not blame them - are increasingly reluctant to interfere where children are involved.

      The sad thing is that this suspicion will inevitably turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. If parents continue to treat decent people as potential child molesters, then it will get to the stage where the only people who will stop to help in a crisis will be those with sinister motives. Very sad indeed.

    • John (KRE) F says:

      07:13am | 03/09/12

      Good article and I agree, neighbours should get involved at times.
      For me another Father’s Day has passed without seeing my 2 oldest daughters (it’s 5 years now) They and I are victims of Parental Alienation. One day I hope the Punch touches on this quiet form of child abuse.

      Reply

    • Fiddler says:

      07:49am | 03/09/12

      John, write an article about it, either as a personal perspective, or an article with facts and backed up then submit it to the punch. They have, on a number of occasions published articles written by contributors.

    • John (KRE) F says:

      09:05am | 03/09/12

      Good idea, Fiddler. I really should give that some thought.
      Thanks smile

    • ByStealth says:

      10:59am | 03/09/12

      Good idea. For best results and a higher chance of getting it published try to refrain from attacks against your ex. Focus on how it has affected you and the children and made you feel.

    • John (KRE) F says:

      11:10am | 03/09/12

      Having been a victim myself of Parental Alienation I can empathise with my children and how it has and will effect them (after no contact with my own Dad for 6 years I only had the guts to see him the same day my mother died when I was 17)
      I think that thats the angle I should base a story on. History repeating and the view from both sides

    • Charlotte says:

      11:34am | 03/09/12

      @ John

      I am so sorry - I feel for you, it’s such a sad state of affairs, and more common that not.  Parental Alienation should be considered a passive form of domestic violence. I can just imagine the noise if it were men inflicting parental alienation.

      A former friend decided that, when she & her now ex-husband split, to minimise contact between the kids and their father as much as she possibly could.

      This bloke was a great dad. His only problem seemed to be not making enough money for his wife to ‘keep up with the Joneses’. All her new ‘socially acceptable’ friends had nannies - so she had to have one too. Mind you, she also got rid of her husband’s dog (without his knowledge), and bought another ‘trendy’ dog (a breed made popular because of a box-office movie) and joined the relevant social club for owners of that breed of dog. Of course, when the kid came along, that dog went too. This woman didn’t work outside the home, but just HAD to hire a nanny to help with the children (1 child at the time, another baby 5 months down the track). I used to shake my head as to why she ‘needed’ extra help. She wasn’t suffering from post-natal depression, she didn’t cook, she certainly didn’t do much housework (that was for the nanny to do). She spent her time ‘lunching’ and socialising. When their business struck financial difficulties, she stock piled extra cash out of their joint account, and then left him whilst he was away for work.

      During the divorce this woman constantly bad-mouthed her ex. Anybody who dared to question HER motives was immediately shut-out. Over the next 8 years, she quietly turned the kids against their dad, mocking him, calling him a loser, bitching that he wasn’t paying her her lifestyle.

      She remarried a really lovely bloke. He’s treated the kids as his own. He’s done a lot for both his wife and her kids. However, the youngest said he wanted to see his dad…...which lead to the kid being sent to his room and made to “think” about everything she & her new husband had done for him. Guilt, guilt, guilt…..just for asking for his dad. The kid is a shy child, so I’m concerned that he now feels he’ll never be able to express his wish to see one of this parents, in fear he’ll be berated for it.

      This bitch is no longer a friend of mine. I called her out on her behaviour, her laziness, her gold-digging (and warned her new husband to keep an eye on his assets and finances). I have told the kids that if they do wish to chat to an independent adult, they can contact me. But I feel so sorry for their father - even with court directions/agreements, the mother has manipulated dates, times, places, or ignored them.

      Sometimes I really dislike my gender. We women can be so good at playing the victim (note - I said SOMETIMES), as long as it benefits us.

      More access for fathers. Absolutely.

    • John Findlay says:

      12:09pm | 03/09/12

      Thanks Charlotte, if only there were more ladies like you who were willing to out the bad women, life for everyone including these women themselves would be so much better.
      Even we men are our own worst enemy’s. Men who havn’t been through this almost always defend these women, unable to believe they could actualy do these things to their ex and their own children.

    • Anne71 says:

      12:38pm | 03/09/12

      I’m so sorry, John.  That’s a horrible thing to do to someone, and I feel nothing but disgust and contempt for women who keep children away from their father for no other reason than spite.

    • Charlotte says:

      12:47pm | 03/09/12

      No drama John. I hope that your daughters realise (when they get older and before it’s too late) that they have only one father, how they’ve been inhibited from seeing you, and that they can see the importance of you being there for them.

      I just get so sick of women constantly beating the “WE are the victim….WE are the victim” drum. Off topic - I got berated in public by somebody selling a White Ribbon Day merchandise because I dared to say that their sign should be “Stop Violence Against Each Other” instead of “Stop Violence Against Women and Children”. Apparentely, domestic violence can only happen to women & children (or unlike women, men are always able to defend themselves!).

      Just fed up with the game playing, gold digging, hypocrisy & goal post changing I witness amongst my own gender. I also have an immense hatred of shopping, gossip (particularly celebrity gossip), women’s magazines, hearing about the so-called ‘mummy-wars’, and talk-shows.

      Maybe I should go l live on an island with my dog, a piano, some books and a horse!!!

    • John (KRE) F says:

      01:03pm | 03/09/12

      @ Charlotte, no don’t leave us, we men need good women like yourself to remind those that have become bitter that not all women are as bad as their ex was.

    • Charlotte CRJ says:

      01:50pm | 03/09/12

      @ John

      Ta John - I wouldn’t say you’ve become bitter - but frustrated, hurt and angry. Nevertheless, who wouldn’t if in the same situation? Fathers have every right to have the same amount of access with their children as the mother (of course if either parent has committed any form of abuse/dv/harm etc to the child then that has to be the foremost factor of consideration).  However pettiness for pettiness sake, being vindictive, difficult and obstructive is just wrong. I worked in a Magistrates Court for four years and some of the things witnessed in that area was just…....unbelievable.

      In (insert deity of your choice)‘s honest name, the worst behaviour and mentality I witnessed came from the mothers. From the sisters & female friends of the mothers. I don’t know how these women sleep at night.  Quite well, obviously. These women ‘adjusted’ their way into whatever desired outcome. What they discussed prior to the mention/hearing was often different to what was disclosed in session. I could give you a dot-point list for examples but there is not enough space. Mums coaching their four & five year olds on what to say, live-in-new boyfriends being given more importance than the kids fathers. It goes on & on….

      All you can do in the meanwhile is be there for them. Keep a running diary of attempts at contact (phone calls). Also a ledger of every expense, receipt. A notation of when you send birthday cards, presents etc. It sounds clinical, but I suggest you do it.

      Hopefully one day the Courts in Australia will allocate fairness to fathers. That is what I wish for every day.

    • Alex says:

      08:31am | 03/09/12

      The link at the bottom of the article is missing a “.au”
      Is this what yo’re looking for?

      http://playyourpart.org.au/

      Reply

    • Get rid of both parties says:

      08:52am | 03/09/12

      @John (KRE) F

      I feel for you John (KRE) F.

      It’s a national disgrace. Excluding extraordinary circumstances, this should never be allowed to happen. As an ex teacher, I can say first hand how utterly destructive it is to kids.

      I was separated and my ex tried it on but fortunately my kids were old enough to tell “that ain’t going to happen”. Blew her plans out the window of shacking up with the guy she ruined our family to be with.

      I’ll never understand what women are getting from doing this. It’s misery all round, for the kids, the dad, extended family and eventually the most misery for themselves.

      I’m with Fiddler. Get active, start a petition. Put a link here and I’ll jump on board.

      Reply

    • MK says:

      10:18am | 03/09/12

      “I’ll never understand what women are getting from doing this. It’s misery all round, for the kids, the dad, extended family and eventually the most misery for themselves. “

      Well it inflicts pain on somone who they felt has hurt them (the father)
      its a way to exercise power
      it makes the mother more important in Kids lives (as only parent)
      may even allow for sympathy as a psingle aprent with no help from “deadbeat” dad (even if the dad wants to help)

      Theres many reasons
      they may not be good reasons,
      but people are not rational

    • Get rid of both parties says:

      02:16pm | 03/09/12

      MK

      Wow.  That makes sense. I don’t like it but it makes sense. Thanks for that.

    • Get rid of both parties says:

      09:19am | 03/09/12

      Politics will always come before ANYTHING including the welfare of kids.

      A good mate of mine and his young family took in a friend of one of the daughters from school; I think about 9 years old.

      She got too much (having come from a messed up background) so my mate asked for support. It never came, so eventually he asked to reduce full time care to a four or five days a week. They came and packed up the kid. My mate and family can now only see the kid while supervised. They are all traumatized b y the experience especially the poor kid they set out to help.

      What kind of imbecile developed such policy?

      Reply

    • bael says:

      10:04am | 03/09/12

      I wish I knew.
      A good friend of mine and her brother were looked after by the same loving couple for 10 years, they raised those kids.
      The couple to the delight of the kids mentioned were trying to officially adopt the kids, however then the mother was released early from prison and got them back within a fortnight. 8 weeks later they were taken off the mother becuase suprise suprise she was back to her old ways.
      The kids were then put into seperate foster homes, why, because the mother had put a AVO out against the couple applying for adoption, and becuase the mother still had visiting rights that meant the couple who raised the kids had to go through 6 months of legal fighting to get those poor kids back.
      The system is messed up in so many ways.

    • John (KRE) F says:

      10:19am | 03/09/12

      @ bael, the big problem is that in all area’s the mother is ALWAYS assumed to be the best for the kids, add to the situation you described, it’s so easy to take out a malicious DVO/AVO. These orders were designed to protect people who REALLY needed them. They are now being used as a way to “GET” people. The sword of justice is now at times the tool of the abuser !

    • bael says:

      11:11am | 03/09/12

      @John,
      The law is an ass.
      This woman was a ex con and drugged out mess. Her kids loved her but she was no good. Just no good and she did not deserve a second chance

    • Anne71 says:

      12:49pm | 03/09/12

      Unfortunately John is right. The system always favours the mother over anyone, even if the mother in question is not fit to care for a goldfish, let alone a child. I still remember one family friend losing custody of his children to his drug-addict ex-wife. This was in spite of the fact that he had done everything for the kids during the marriage - cooked for them, washed and ironed, prepared lunches, etc - because the mother was either stoned out of her brain or out on the town. And yet the courts decided the kids were better off with her, even though the kids wanted to stay with their father! The law really is an ass in these cases.

    • Rose says:

      09:40am | 03/09/12

      As a kid I remember the security of having a network of neighbourhood families that meant that where ever kids where on the block some one was watching over them, there would be a call sent out at lunch or dinner time and it was like a domino effect of kids going home and telling other kids on the way that their parent’s wanted them home. I also remember knowing that whatever strife we got up to our parents would probably know about it before we even got home. There was a kid who’s single mum wasn’t doing so well in the parenting department and as much as they could, the neighbourhood tried to keep him safe, unfortunately as a late teenager he eventually got himself into serious trouble and ended up in jail.
      My kids have missed out on this kind of life because families are so busy now and kids haven’t got the freedom to traipse around the neighbourhood, exploring and getting into mischief. Often play time is taken up with organized activities or sedentary indoor games, it’s pretty sad.

      Reply

    • Noely says:

      11:49am | 03/09/12

      We only have one child and have always tried to have a very open home with all the kids coming through, unfortunately that is not easy today so with so many helicopter parents.  I grew up in a big Catholic family and we still have an awful lot of contact with our family, plus family friends, hence whenever we have a bbq or the likes we always have a heap of us here, this actually has caused issues in the past, where my daughter would have a birthday party, mum would drop off a friend and be like ‘ummm too many strangers…’  They may have been strangers to her, BUT, they are part of our family, normally that child would not be back, and it is a shame that there are so many insular families like that around now.  My daughter is now 18 and moved away for Uni yet we still see many of her friends (that did not have the ‘modern’ parents) and they still call in at bbq’s or down at my mothers (30 mins away), and in fact, some have stayed with others they met here at our home on many occassions.  Teaching kids to have some commonsense means they don’t miss out on being part of a community.  Teaching kids to be scared of absolutely everyone (which is the norm now), just breeds more of that and isolation!

      Reply

    • bael says:

      12:17pm | 03/09/12

      Some parents are freaking paranoid. I am always pretty relaxed with things like playdates. One weekend drop my kid off at their place, next weekend they dump thier kid at my place.
      The assumption really in that situation is that we are both loving parents who will look after basically a strangers kid.
      I see some kids basically denied a social life becuase they let thier personal issues infect thier childrens lives.

    • ByStealth says:

      12:05pm | 03/09/12

      I wish there would be less of a focus on paedophilia in an article about child abuse as sexual abuse is a relatively small component of child abuse.

      I’m also wondering why gendered approaches to combating domestic violence is accepted by society (eg White Ribbon campaign) and a gender neutral approach is taken to child abuse where women are more responsible for child abuse as a whole (including sexual, psychological, emotional, physical).

      Reply

    • Mel says:

      12:45pm | 03/09/12

      er - references supporting any of these statements..?

      e.g. “sexual abuse is a relatively small component of child abuse”, “women are more responsible for child abuse as a whole”. I would also like to see the “primary carer” controlled for in your second question. Only because, if you do think more women abuse children, is it because they are more likely (rightly or wrongly) to be primary carer? If you control for this variable - how does it stack up then? I would have no idea how it would turn out.

      As one of the posters said above - why don’t you write an article about men suffering from domestic violence? Punch may consider posting a well researched, finely crafted article on this issue.

    • ByStealth says:

      06:58pm | 03/09/12

      My references may have been stuck in moderation due to hyperlinks, but I can assure you they exist.

    • StuieG says:

      12:52pm | 03/09/12

      I sometimes hate the world we live in, I’m a mid 30 male and I feel like I can’t approach or talk to a child I don’t know for fear of people misreading my intentions. I’ve helped a kid who feel off his bike and one who’s chain had come off and remember feeling paranoid while doing so. The other day there was a child who couldn’t have been more then 3 crying hysterically in a front yard I drove past, I was worried the kid might walk into the road or he was lost but there was no way I was going to approach him so I stopped and waited until eventually someone came out of the house and got him.

      I also witnessed a woman who notice a 1 year old (approx ) crying in a car left in a shopping car park on a reasonably warm day, the woman waited for over 5 minutes before eventually opening the door and trying to comfort the child, when finally the mum came back she cut sick at the woman “how dare she” etc. That’s what you get for getting involved.

      Seems your damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

      Reply

    • ByStealth says:

      05:58pm | 03/09/12

      Your experience isn’t uncommon even if you find it discounted by society in general. Many men have had experiences as you do and feel as you’ve felt. Even women are starting to experience crazy interactions with overprotective parents (and overexcited bystanders).

      There will a significant impact on our culture towards individualism and an erosion of social capital over the next few generations if the vocal minority are allowed to continue their campaign of fear and hysteria.

      Yes, child abuse is bad. Yes we should do something about it. What we shouldn’t do is throw the baby out with the bath water and remove healthy role models from the lives of our children and teach kids that they can’t trust anyone.

    • Gomez12 says:

      12:55pm | 03/09/12

      I do my part to look out for kids.

      As a man, I stay WELL AWAY from all of them. It keeps me safe and happy, and removes the stress from the parents. Nobody wants a 6 foot something bloke chatting to their kid, in pretty much any circumstances.

      I actually like kids, and when I’m with those of friends I used to play with them and such, but out in the world I know I’m a “potential peadophile” due to my gender and am aware that it is incumbent on me to remove myself from the vicinity of children. I also know that if I don’t some delight will come and remind me that I’m probably a paedophile and should move, like on planes….

      Sometimes I wonder what the effect of raising children to believe all adult males are kiddy-fiddlers, particularly the males. But I’m more than a little confident that, as a man, this is none of my business.

      Reply

    • St. Michael says:

      04:15pm | 03/09/12

      “The modern ‘bogeyman’, the paedophile, would be severely hindered if children lived in neighbourhoods where all the grown-ups knew them and watched out for all of them.”

      Unlikely and a case of looking at your past through rose-coloured glasses.  Invariably the paedophile is someone who’s well liked, helpful, and respected in their community—including the local neighbourhood.  More children have been sexually abused by the “friendly neighbour” or “close friend of the family” that “nobody ever suspected” and who would regularly “watch out for children” than they were by random men in trenchcoats hanging around public parks.

      Reply

    • Robert S McCormick says:

      06:58pm | 03/09/12

      Yes, the welfare of our children is, primarily, up to the Parents and no-one else.
      Does anyone else get sick & tired of Parents demanding that their children be protected. Mums & Dads your children are YOUR responsibility. So bloody well protect them!
      We have all these do-gooders jumping up & down about how the rest of us should be “alert, watchful, cognisant of some child possibly being abused - be it sexually, physically or menatlly (emotionally). We should report our suspicions to the relevant authorities”
      Well, you do-gooding blowhards, I have a few questions for you!
      In South Australia the State Government has a Department, currently called “Families SA” - but who knows? by the time my rant is finished the silvertailed SA Public Servants on $300 or $400 or $500 thousand a year might well have squandered a couple of million on re-naming it.From now on when I use the words “Mother”, “Father”, “Female” or “Male” I use those words with a bulldozer-scoop full of salt for these people do not deserve even to be referred to as being “Human” let alone “Mother”, Father” “Female” or “Male”
      “FamiliesSA” had a so-called Female “Social Worker”, a friend of some alleged “mother” of 21 children. A regular visitor to a house where this slag was living with another female & the alleged “Father” of some of these 21 abused, neglected, tortured children.
      The “Social Worker” could not have avoided knowing what was going on in that house. Indeed, according to one of the inmates, she could not bring herself to even go into that house because of the dirt, stink & presence of children chained up. She would simply sit outside whilst she “visited”. The pictures of the state of affairs outside were appalling.
      What did this slag of a female Social Worker employed by Families SA do?
      NOTHING! Absolutely Bloody NOTHING.
      And what did the Head of FamiliesSA have to say? “Because this slag was not at the house IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY she was UNDER NO OBLIGATION to report what she had seen or knew about” !!!!
      The ALP Minister,under whose control FamiliesSA, came said & did NOTHING.
      She is still doing nothing. The head of FamiliesSA should have been sacked.
      Sue Packer & any other do-gooder jumping up and down during the farce called “National Child Protection Week’ it is all well & good for you to come out all guns firing from 2-8 September but if you can’t even get Very heavily Taxpayer Funded Government Departments to do the job they are paid to do then this “National Child Protection Week” is a total, complete & utter wast of time & money.
      You do-gooders, holier-then-thou spruikers love the limelight but you aren’t prepared to do anything other than chatter on.
      Make the Parents take Responsibility. make Governemt Departments take action against Parents who won’t. Make Government Departments do the job their grossly over-paid bosses are supposed to do.
      Even if a member of the public suspects or actually sees the abuse, in all its forms, going on why the hell should they waste their time in reporting it for they all know that those supposed to take action to stop it will do bugger all. That includes the Directors, CEOs & the Government Minister in all States & Territories.

      Reply
 
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by Sarrah Le Marquand

251

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go

Tim says:

They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]

From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go

Kel says:

If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]

Light weight

Gentle jabs to the ribs

Superman needs saving

Superman needs saving

Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more

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