If I was in charge

Last week I read a book on Australia's system of government (mercy me it made those long hours on the plane fly by), so this week I've been noticing constitutional thing-bits everywhere (I did a similar thing with Hobbits after The Lord of the Rings and animals with revolutionary tendencies after Animal Farm).

From the rousing description of the constitutional provisions of the Executive Government in the opening pages all the way through to the definition of 'voting' at the end of the glossary, this book had me hooked and ready to buy a cheap island to set up my own democratic wonderland.

And in my small republic (since this is a wishful thinking, imaginary island), the Prime Minister's primary duty would be to go around ceremonially warning people of approaching 'political shit storms', just like this one:



Next week's exciting reading: All About Ships: A Book For Boys by Lieutenant Taprell Dorling, R.N. I'll let you know if the lieutenant has any insights on the constitution or how to spot a shit storm from out at sea.

Put it in your diaries!

Photo by Julie Milberger from this site... which is completely unrelated to this post, and which I haven't read, but which has a cool pic, so cheers, Julie.

I'm very excited to learn that Australia is about to get it's own 24-hour tv station dedicated to politics. I know! I know! I can barely contain my beating fun-stick either!

In a move of striking originality, our station is to be called 'A-SPAN,' which bears a striking similarity to the US's 'C-SPAN,' but with an 'a' out the front instead of a 'c'.

This is about as original as our 'New South Wales'. Seriously, could we be any more descriptive and any less original? So it was like Wales, but in the south and new. Aren't we clever clogs for coming up with that?

So A-SPAN will broadcast speeches an' stuff from a whole bunch of nerdy nation-running type people.

And it will be hilarious, too, if the launch by the nerdy nation-running type person Prime Minister Rudd is anything to go by. Apparently Mr Rudd said Australian question time might pose some challenges for US audiences.

He reportedly mused that Americans would require subtitles for insults such as "scumbag" and "sleazebag" which could be translated into "not a desirable person" and "an even less desirable person".

Ah mercy, the comedy channel had better watch out!

A-SPAN will be available on pay tv from January 20; be there and you'll most definitely be square.