KEVIN RUDD has taken a poke at Julia Gillard by saying he was more likely to captain the Brisbane Broncos than become prime minister again.

One month before deposing Mr Rudd last year, Ms Gillard likened her chances of taking the leadership to playing full forward for the Western Bulldogs AFL team.

Tensions have been high between the pair since Mr Rudd's ousting.

Last week, with Mr Rudd in the Middle East and Ms Gillard in the US, they had a difference of opinion over Libya and Ms Gillard admitted they had not talked to each other while abroad.

The latest Herald poll shows Mr Rudd is more preferred than Ms Gillard as prime minster by 39 per cent to 34 per cent.

Mr Rudd said yesterday he ''absolutely'' supported Ms Gillard's leadership, he was ''absolutely satisfied'' with his role as Foreign Affairs Minister, and, as for a return to the top job, ''I'm not of the view that lightning strikes twice''

http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-takes-pot-shot-at-gillard-as-he-firms-in-polls-20110315-1bvzh.html

As I have mentioned here before — and tell students of "economic sciences" and "political sciences" that politics and economics are no more sciences than religion is. Politics and economics are ART FORMS, in par with cartooning and painting ceilings at the Sistine chapel in Rome... Just thought you might need a reminder...

From Chris Floyd...

Politics -- the machinations of the stunted, damaged souls and third-rate minds who hanker for power -- is just a small part of life. It entirely lacks the tragic element; nothing tragic or depthful about politics and power, it's just brute force, greed, ignorance and spite. So there is no deep meaning to be found in it. No tragedy; no real joy either. Even the greatest moments, the epiphanies -- and they do happen in politics on rare occasions, one must admit -- will lead very quickly back into the sewage. And that's OK, that's the way it is; sewage, waste management -- it's part of life. But it's not where meaning, joy, tragedy, the salt and savor of existence can be found. So why let the evil done by third-rate goobers drive you to despair of life itself? By hook, crook, lies and murder they've already amassed all kinds of power; why give them power over your very soul? 

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read more of Chris Floyd....

see toon at top...

I was more kind to political loitering than Floyd : "As I have mentioned here before — and tell students of "economic sciences" and "political sciences" that politics and economics are no more sciences than religion is. Politics and economics are ART FORMS, in par with cartooning and painting ceilings at the Sistine chapel in Rome... Just thought you might need a reminder..."

In some way, one must remember few can draw and paint... There are a lot of graffiti stupidos and bad sunday amateurs out there... Politics is not the meaning of life. It's all in the management (bad or good) of our illusions in our survival. Some are idealists but most are sociopaths that start and end up corrupted by the system... 

have a nice day...

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned Australia will face increased cyclone intensity and coastal flooding if the world does not tackle climate change.

Ms Gillard used a major speech in Adelaide tonight to build the Government's case to put a price on carbon.

She says the consequences of global warming are real and the Government has to act.

"Warming is real. Its consequences are real and it will change our lives in real and practical ways," she said.

"More extreme bushfire conditions and droughts, falling crop yields, loss of species, increased cyclone intensity, coastal flooding as sea levels rise."

Ms Gillard promised the Government will protect jobs as it introduces a price on carbon.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the carbon tax will hurt several key industries and drive jobs and investment overseas.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/16/3165979.htm?section=justin

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Gus: at least Julia gets it while Tony-the-Rat (see toon at top) is prepared to play the sorcerer's apprentice... Remember the Disney movie "Fantasia" acted on the music of Paul Dukas from a poem by Goethe?

At cinemas in Hollywood and beyond, children have been watching a big-budget 3D animated feature called Mars Needs Moms. Most will have been happy enough with the film, produced by Robert Zemeckis (who ranks as a pioneer of digital 3D film-making along with James Cameron).

Wearing their "RealD" spectacles, viewers munch popcorn as they watch a far-fetched yarn about Milo, a nine-year-old who doesn't eat his broccoli and whose mother ends up being kidnapped by Martians. What these children don't realise is that the film is at the centre of a ferocious debate about 3D ticket pricing that threatens to derail 3D film-making altogether.

To put it bluntly, Mars Needs Moms has been a mega-flop. The film cost about $175m (£110m) to make and market – yet grossed less than $7m on its opening weekend in the US.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-175m-flop-so-bad-it-could-end-the-3d-boom-2247778.html

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Gus: one thing for sure is that imagination and 3D technology does not have to produce stupid or loopy movies...  Entertainment has become the flavour of our times but the concept of style has often fallen between the floorboards. Proper political style with Tony in the opposition seat has also gone to the dogs... see toon at top..