Somewhat amusingly, the recycled water debate is back on the political agenda for the Bligh Labor government in Queensland.

I'm not one to take a great interest in American politics. I see their system of electoral college delegates following the trend of the popular vote, without being obliged to do so in reality, to be fatally flawed. I don't see it as democracy in action, so don't take a real interest in what happens and doesn't.

Day two of a Pre-Obama presidency and already we see the collective right out in print claiming that their beloved America can't possibly be racist, because America has elected a black man as her president.

If this is the kind of politics we can expect to see from the leader of the opposition in the Australian Parliament, then options for rebuilding of conservatism in this country have really taken a poor turn. Oh woe is Malcolm. He has no friends and so desperately wants the PM to be his friend. He'd like to have a conversation with the PM's missus, but doesn't seem to know how to go about it. Pretty simple, Malcolm....go up to her and say 'Hi there!'. If she walks away, THEN you can claim to have been snubbed.

On a serious note, this really is bottom-feeder politics. To claim Rudd is discourteous in the Parliament, doesn't answer questions and turns his back on the opposition, is SOP from what I've seen of the House over the past twenty years or so. Howard quite often responded to opposition questions with unexplanatory one-word answers, and turned his back to the opposition. Parliamentary courtesy is maintained by the Speaker of the House, ergo, one could extrapolate that Malcolm is accusing Harry Jenkins of failure to uphold traditions. A serious slight from the leader of the opposition, indeed, any member of the House.

This is yet another pathetic attempt by Turnbull to be seen as Mister Nice Guy, and Rudd as that rude bully brat from the rough side of town. Here's a little advice for Turnbull. Take a teaspoon of cement powder and harden the fuck up!

Thanks to timezones and some weird perception on the part of V8 Supercars Australia that journeying once a year to a little used, but palatial race circuit in the middle of no-where is going to help promote the sport's image at home, I've just watched Race One of Round Twelve.

For the past week and a bit, the Oz has been putting a "don't-drink-poo-water" article on the front of their website.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks that a conservative brand of Federalism is good for democracy.

There's a major promotional push on by the ABC in support of it's headline doco, "The Howard Years", a look at the almost 12 years of autocratic government by John Howard, a selected mix of yes men and party sychophants from 1996 until November 24, 2007.

Qualifying and race one probably couldn't have gone off any worse for some championship contenders.

Post Symmons Plains, the championship is now down to 67 points.

... but didn't want to admit to ignorance?

Here's a rare case of Janet Albtechtsen knowing full well what she's on about when it comes to fear and loathing. Her unstinting support for a conservative government which held this country hostage through it's use of fear and loathing for eleven years, stands her in good stead when identifying such tactics used elsewhere in the world.

Listening to Question Time today, I simply could not believe the continual attacks on the government by an opportunistic Opposition, over the all too obvious, but until yesterday unspoken probability of Australia's budget position going into deficit.