Turnbull at a gate 2

Back in 2009, I wrote a piece here related to the Godwin Grech affair suggesting that it was Malcolm Turnbull's impatience that caused him to severely damage his credibility.

Turnbull's patience in retaking the Liberal leadership suggested he may have corrected this problem, although in the last week, it appears he may be reverting to type.

I explain in an updated post at AusVotes 2016.

Thinking of linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australia:
How Turnbull missed his chance for an early election

Everything you don't understand about Senate voting reform (and are afraid to admit)

Haymarket health clinic for Sydney's homeless set to close after funding cut

Hammer comes down on Hazelwood: environmental charges to be laid over mine fire

Chaos theory: Everywhere you look, the government is confused

NBN HFC rollout known internally as 'Operation Cluster … something': Conroy

Turnbull government unveils dramatic changes to Safe Schools program

Tim Wilson heading to Canberra after winning safe Liberal seat of Goldstein - The headline is misleading. He hasn't won the election yet.

Battle Suits, Not Business Suits – The Double Dissolution Election We Don’t Need To Have

US:
Merrick Garland is Obama's choice to replace Scalia on US Supreme Court

What is a brokered convention, and are we going to have one in 2016?

It’s Still Not Clear That Donald Trump Will Get A Majority Of Delegates


I cheered as protesters clashed with Trump supporters. Then I felt shame - "On Friday night, I was brought down to Trump’s level. For that I’m sorry."

Authorities consider charging Trump with inciting violence at rally

Ben Carson Wanted to Endorse Someone Else But Trump Promised Him a Position

Anonymous Just Leaked Trump’s Social Security Number, Private Personal Info - Follow the links.  Let's hope Lindsay Graham does too!

How Donald Trump Bent Television To His Will - pretty sad that it takes Buzzfeed to tell us this

Rabbis organize boycott of Trump’s speech to pro-Israel group

I yelled ‘Black lives matter!’ at a Trump rally. This is what happened next - Someone talk about free speech now. I dare ya!

Who Said It: Renowned Racist George Wallace Or Donald Trump? We Seriously Can’t Tell.

The Night I Fired Donald Trump

UK:
Monuments and memories

Iain Duncan Smith's resignation letter in full

Pique rather than piety pushed Iain Duncan Smith over the edge

UK ‘tampon tax’ to go to charity after revelation that some women have been using old socks

Music:
George Martin: musicians pay tribute to the genius behind the Beatles

George Martin: the man who changed pop forever (with a little help from his friends)

Vale Keith Emerson: The Dr Who Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

Dogs of C-Kennel

Media:
Clive James: I got used to Hollywood, but never got used to the teeth

Joshua Malina is now hosting a West Wing podcast

Tech:
Amazon Kindle Owners Face Mandatory Update

Science:
Scientists lament CSIRO cuts as politicians stay home

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

Thinking of linking

What I've been reading lately...

Australia:
Federal politicians claim almost $48 million in expenses: Find out how much your local MP spent

Cardinal George Pell's 90 minutes from Hell

On John Howard's big night, all eyes turn to Abbott and Turnbull

Lib MPs fear Abbott could blow election chances

Senate voting needs reform below the line as well

The proposed Senate voting change will hurt Australian democracy

Liberal anger simmers over Abbott's submarine grenade-throwing

Australian cardinal admits ignoring boy's complaint about a sexually abusive priest

Kevin Andrews tried to appoint adviser to defence job in days after leadership coup

This 65-Year-Old Christian Guy Blasted The Australian Christian Lobby On Live TV

Australian Christian Lobby is not nearly as influential as some suggest, Stephanie Judd writes

'Austerity of hope' as Australians lose faith in politics, Liberal strategist Mark Textor says

Kevin Rudd at his worst never behaved as badly as Tony Abbott

The slow-motion death of conservative politics

Early election would be ‘longest suicide note’ for Turnbull Government, MP Russell Broadbent says

Niki Savva: How journalist went from conservative darling to Abbott 'she devil'

(trigger warning) Ten-year-old Aboriginal girl kills herself in far north Western Australia

(ditto) Two offshore asylum seekers placed under suicide or self-harm watch every three days

Will Australia be caught short as politicians sacrifice the national interest to stay in power?

Nuns, church groups start training for Australian Border Force raids - Pro tip: Never pick a fight with nuns.

Peta Credlin and Tony Abbott: cheap gossip and revenge shouldn’t colour political commentary

Sophie Mirabella v Cathy McGowan: the battle for Indi

Preselection esteems politics over merit

Greatest danger facing Malcolm Turnbull isn’t Bill Shorten but Tony Abbott

Gay marriage plebiscite will cost the economy more than $500 million, study found

Most private schools can't prove they spend government funds appropriately: watchdog

US:
Union Leader Publisher On Christie Endorsement: We Got 'Egg On Our Faces'

New York Court Deals Trump A Super Tuesday Blow In Fraud Suit Over Trump U

Donald Trump’s business disaster is worse than you think

Battered by drop in oil prices and Jindal’s fiscal policies, Louisiana falls into budget crisis

The huge divide in the presidential race that no one’s talking about

Why, Exactly, Is Trump Driving Conservatives So Crazy?

‘Oh, come on’: Fox host utterly destroys Ted Cruz for throwing tantrum about tough interview

Farook’s iPhone Is Probably Useless, Even the Police Say So

Obama Didn’t Create Trump, The GOP’s opposition to Obama did

Christian Post: ‘Donald Trump Is a Scam. Evangelical Voters Should Back Away’

This Is Not A Fucking Game Show, Rest Of World Reminds America

Revenge of the Simple: How George W. Bush Gave Rise to Trump

How the US went Fascist: Mass media Makes excuses for Trump Voters

What happened to Trump's donations to veterans?

My Gen X Hillary problem: I know why we don’t “like” Clinton

John Lewis to Trump: 'Have you no decency, sir?'

'My four-year-old gets jacked up to shoot': mother brags hours before he shoots her - Hello Darwin Awards!

Donald Trump, Chicago, and the Lessons of 1968

Trump Rally No Joking Matter

Barack Obama: don't blame me, blame the GOP for the rise of Donald Trump

Man arrested in connection with Iditarod crashes

Meet The Doctor Social Conservatives Depend On To Justify Anti-Transgender Hate

The case against Hillary Clinton: This is the disaster Democrats must avoid

UK:
This Woman’s Response To David Cameron May Be The Biggest Post-Colonial Clapback Ever

World:
The many ways Canada’s Trudeau is the anti-Trump

Ricky Tomlinson vows to prove innocence in explosive new documentary about his time in prison

Sinn Féin calls for vote on Irish reunification if UK backs Brexit

Music:
Former Black Flag member among last night's Oscar winners

Interval Cheat Sheet: Tunes to Help You Remember All the Common Intervals

Forget Leo, Ennio Morricone finally won an Oscar after 500 movie credits

What the late George Martin really did for the Beatles

The tears of many clowns

Media:
If we covered London like the media covers Africa...

What Happens to Journalists When No One Wants to Print Their Words Any more? - “You know who loves this new day of the lack of journalism? Politicians. Businessmen. Nobody’s watching them anymore,”

Social media trolling of female journalists is insidious, report shows

Society:
12 Things About Being A Woman That Women Won't Tell You

Science:
It’s not ‘doom and gloom’ to point out what’s really happening to coral reefs

Chronic stress enhances cancer spread through lymphatic system

The more we learn about Antarctica’s past, the scarier the present looks

Australasian swallowtail butterfly holds record number of vision cells in its eyes

BMI Is A Terrible Measure Of Health

Tech:
Identifier Creeps

History:
Let's stop neglecting the unique struggles of Aboriginal women

Faith:
Why I Left the Right: How Studying Religion Made Me a Liberal

Culture:
How to tell good acting from bad acting, according to a Shakespearean director

Mental health:
How to tell if you're depressed or just low

Humour and satire:
Every interview ever

Famous Authors Reply to Your Unsolicited Dick Pic

Clickbait of the week:
20+ Movie Scenes Before-And-After Special Effects

Vale:
George Martin
Jon English
Keith Emerson
Andrew Carswell
STAHP!!!

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

On senate voting reform

As nutty as Jacquie Lambie or David Leyonhjelm may be, the senate is undoubtedly more representative of the wider community for their presence.

There is nothing wrong with the senate voting system that can't be fixed by more people taking an interest in their vote.

I'll tell you why at AusVotes 2016.

Thinking of linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australia:

Finally we have a real tax reform debate

Smashing the Preference Whisperers’ Business Model

AMA President Brian Owler says Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have spoken over Baby Asha case

Baby Asha: this is the Australia we love!

Unsafe schools (trigger warning)

Bill Shorten grows a spine

View from the Street: Are Australia's children being bullied enough?

Incensed By Its Irrelevance, The Coalition’s Far Right Is Running Riot

How to criticise Bernardi without calling him a homophobe

Bracket creep is code for cutting high-end taxes

Malcolm Turnbull wants an early election, but would it spell disaster?

What is the point of Malcolm Turnbull ask voters?

PM Turnbull spurns his devoted supporters

Tony Abbott: I could have won this year's election - Of course you could have, sunshine! Run along now.

I think it would be fun to run a country – Our Charles Foster Turnbull is lost

US:
Donald Trump Takes Ownership of Republican Party

The moment of truth: We must stop Trump

Donald Trump’s foul mouth is just a cover for his ignorance

Why Trump Is Still Here

Stopping Trump: The Nuclear Option

Christie’s Endorsement Of Trump Totally Makes Sense

Scalia's Death Prompts Dow to Settle Suits for $835 Million

The US Landed on the Moon In Less Time Than It Took to Build DC's Two-Mile Streetcar

Campaigning While Christian: 6 Tips for the 'Jesus' Candidates

UK:
Blair's baffled by the left because he doesn't see the bigger picture

World:
Heroes Unlooked For: A Tale on the COMELEC 35

Music:
Sgt Pepper, the musical

Magic Shop, Where Bowie Secretly Recorded ‘Blackstar,’ To Close

Mike Love Is Kind Of An Asshole

Producer Bob Ezrin Triggers Twitter Outburst From Kanye West

Society:
Why This Radical Leftist is Disillusioned by Leftist Culture

Are you an office doormat?

The Thing All Women Do That You Don't Know About

Media:
Newt Gingrich: "You Could Say That Trump Is The Candidate Fox & Friends Invented" 

'I'm not a 14-year-old': How 5 agency Gen X'ers Snapchat

And the winner, yet again, is Sydney: how Fairfax betrayed the Age

Facebook tells Viz to f**k right off

Tech:
The man who made 'the worst video game in history'

New HTTP error code 451 to signal censorship

With 12 Other Active Cases, The FBI Can’t Claim That It’s Just About One iPhone

History:
How a union saved the city

Thoughts on democracy from a martial law baby

Mental health:
6 true things about living with an anxiety disorder

Epicure:
How To Make Rey’s Portion Bread

Humour and satire:
Noam Chomsky steps aside to make way for Russell Brand

Clickbait of the week:
Every episode of House in a gif

CHP Helicopter Tracks Down Escaped Unicorn Near Madera

I got stupid on me and now I'm wiping it off on you:
People too scared to speak about issues: John Howard - Um, John, if people are scared to express honestly held opinions because they might be rebutted, that's not censorship, it's cowardice.

Piers Morgan Doesn't Really Seem to Understand How iPhones Work - Irony of the week.

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

Yes, it's been a particularly dull week for photos.
Post your responses in the comments if you like.

Embarrassed yet?

I have mostly kept away from the US presidential campaign thus far, mostly because I do not have time to wash all the stupid off afterwards. I will take this opportunity to observe that the so-called front-runner Donald Trump has polled roughly one third of the vote in most primaries so far. Notwithstanding Nevada, where Trump's 45% could almost be considered convincing, at least two thirds of Republican voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina voted for someone else.

Are you starting to see why simple majority winner-takes-all voting systems are bullshit?

I couldn't let this clip pass without comment though:

No. No no no. I don't repeat myself. I do not repeat myself.

If you heard a pair of 12-year-olds talking like this, you'd bang their heads together and tell them it's time they grew up. Whoever would have thought we would miss the calm, sober reflection of George W Bush?

However, it does tell us that if nothing else, Rubio can learn from a mistake. It also tells us Trump can't think on his feet, constantly resorting to don't-you-know-who-I-am finger waving and talking over everyone. He doesn't understand that when running for office, he can't just order people around like he's used to. And if this century's political history has taught us anything (and it probably hasn't), it's that he won't be able to get his own way as president either.

So it's down to Rubio, a 69-year-old man who hasn't matured since the age of 16 and a guy who thinks it's big and clever to cook bacon by wrapping it around the barrel of a machine gun.

If I were a Republican, I'd be pretty embarrassed right now.
 

Thinking of linking

What I've been reading lately...

Australia:
No Shame: The Science Behind Why Most Australians Feel Okay About Tormenting Asylum Seekers

Dan Andrews: It wasn't a political stunt, it was a moment of clarity

The gun-toting, gay marriage-opposing Nationals senator...who lives in the inner city

'Unspeakable crimes' take toll on MP

Two Victoria Police officers take their own lives in a week

Minister Stuart Robert’s trip to China in 2014 has raised some key questions for the government

Australia to sack hundreds of climate change scientists because it has learnt everything it needs to about basic global warming science - Which is kind of like saying "We know cancer's a thing so get over it."

Is Australian coal finally having its “oh sh*t” moment?

Malcolm Turnbull cannot afford to upset millions in the middle

Greg Hunt wins inaugural Best Minister in the World award at Dubai summit - yeah, um, I don't think that should necessarily be taken as a compliment.

Greg Hunt, the greatest minister in the world, accepts his colleagues' acclaim

Peta Credlin as the new Sex Discrimination Commissioner? YES!

Gippsland school mourns loss of Holly Nicholson, who drowned trying to save brother at beach

Work for the dole has little effect on finding work: review

John Howard's tax turns up to ruin the Coalition party

Tim Wilson resigns as Human Rights Commissioner, seeks preselection for Liberal Party - What?? A senior IPA member turned Abbott Govt appointee was a Liberal all along? Well, I AM surprised!

The Territory’s greatest living artist gets his day in Court

We must invest now in elite detectives or cop the consequences

'That's right, I'm a girl': Australian comedian comes out as trans on YouTube

George Pell controversy: pursuit of Cardinal hindering royal commission

A helpful guide to free speech: don't be a dick

The world regards Australia's healthcare system as one of the best. It's time we realised why

Independent modelling backs Labor's negative gearing policy

Negative gearers aren't poor, Mr Morrison

Negative Gearing: There’s No Positives For Renters Like Me

Negative Gearing – Why Boomers and Gen X Need to Let It Go

Baby Asha: Authorities preparing to remove asylum seeker baby from Lady Cilento Hospital, refugee advocates say

US:
After I Lived in Norway, America Felt Backward. Here’s Why. A crash course in social democracy. 

The rise of Donald Trump is a terrifying moment in American politics

Trump supporters file 'birther' lawsuit against Cruz in federal court - I've no time for Cruz but if the worst thing you can say about him is that he wasn't born in the right place, that's pathetic

We Already Had an Election to Decide Who Gets to Appoint the Next Supreme Court Justice, It was in 2012. - Republicans didn't wait until the body was cold to start salivating for their next overreach.

Ronald Reagan Once Urged Senate To Act On Lame-Duck Supreme Court Nomination Of Anthony Kennedy - but it's okay for Republicans.

How America Was Lost "Once upon a time, the death of a Supreme Court justice wouldn’t have brought America to the edge of constitutional crisis."

Shed no tears for Antonin Scalia: Let us not praise the man who gave us Citizens United and Bush v Gore - He also ruled that new evidence of innocence is no reason not to execute someone. So yeah, fuck that guy.

Trump says Planned Parenthood does ‘wonderful things’

The Death of the Republican Party

All the terrible things Hillary Clinton has done — in one big list

You’re Damn Right Electability Matters to Black Voters

Stop Bernie-Splaining to Black Voters

Feeling the Yern: Why One Millennial Woman Would Rather Go to Hell Than Vote for Hillary

Senior U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia found dead at West Texas ranch

Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia agree to disagree

“Where to Invade Next” Is the Most Subversive Movie Michael Moore Has Ever Made

Donald Trump and the conservative psyche: What Republican operatives don’t understand about the Donald’s transcendent appeal "the GOP has allowed itself to shape-shift over the course of the last five decades from a political party to a quasi-religious movement."

Trump Wins South Carolina; Rubio Edges Out Cruz For Second

UK:
Sir Terry Wogan: Veteran broadcaster dies, aged 77

Lambeth Bridge bus explosion: Central London blast for Jackie Chan film sparks panic among unsuspecting viewers

World:
Antarctic penguin colony decimated after giant iceberg alters access to water, food

Hamburg Eliminates Coffee Capsules And Bottled Water From Its Public Services - Good!

Dairy economics: A ban most farmer unfriendly

Music:
David Bowie’s ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ Claudia Lennear of Pomona remembers her friend

Beware of Mr. Baker

Final pictures of Viola Beach revealed as friend shares band's last hours

Rolling Stones 'under 24-hour armed guard' after a worker on their tour of South America is shot dead

24/192 Music Downloads ...and why they make no sense - I'm not clever enough to argue, although I would say the greater care taken in the mastering of hi-res downloads is worth it whatever the bitrate.

Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl - They can, but again: mastering.

Paul McCartney’s “Wild Life!” The Disastrous Debut Of “Wings!” McCartney’s Plea To John Lennon! - "a video promoting the 2012 remastered version of the album..." yeah, um, nope.

Classic albums given new life at Abbey Road Studios with 'half-speed' vinyl treatment

Bay Area Woman Supervising Grammys House Mix Wins Her Own Award

Society:
I’m not your mitzvah project

Animals:
The truth about dogs and humans - we're different

Media:
ABC acknowledges error in reporting of Nauru child sexual assault story, paediatrician says she provided correct information - this in no way implies that children are not being abused

How the bimbos of breakfast TV disgraced themselves and feminism

Sunrise host Sam Armytage hits back at Virginia Haussegger for calling her a 'mindless bimbo'

Scream It Until Their Ears Bleed: Pay The Fucking Writers

Tech:
Twitter changes its live timeline, introduces ‘Home’ feature

Hard decisions for a sustainable platform

Latest financial report for streaming service SoundCloud is far worse than anybody imagined

Whatever You Do, Don't Set Your iPhone To 1970

Apple:  A Message to Our Customers 

Mental health:
The design of work needs to change to prevent mental illness

We need a better vocabulary to describe emotional emergencies

An apology to my autistic students…

History:
A Reminder: Halliburton Related KBR, Inc. Made A Profit Of $39.5 Billion From The War In Iraq

How American tipping grew out of racism

How A Dead Millionaire Convinced Dozens Of Women To Have As Many Babies As Possible

Science:
Don’t use body mass index to determine whether people are healthy, UCLA-led study says

Man given two weeks to live after taking popular weight-loss product purchased online

You Can't Judge How Healthy Your Food Is by Whether or Not It Rots

New Research Shows Earth’s Tilt Influences Climate Change

Culture:
Eric Idle - Chapter Five: B Day

Art:
Artist Stephen Lund Rides His Bike to Create GPS Doodles

Satire:
I’m Not Political (Because I Assume I Will Retain All of My Privileges Forever)

Clickbait of the week:
These hilarious Star Wars gifs imagine Kylo Ren's difficult teenage years

I got stupid on me and now I'm wiping it off on you:
Alex Jones: Obama Murdered Justice Scalia And Donald Trump Is Next - I actually can't believe if took him all of 24 hours to think of this.

The least boring photo on my camera roll: