The only problem with all of that is that the internet exists now.

Why is all this meat flying around? If it's imperative I have a meeting with someone on the other side of the planet in 6 hours then I'll go home, fall asleep, wake up, and skype them. All at much lower cost than what any aircraft can do.

Current air transport serves the "actually gotta be there" need. The internet serves the "meeting has to happen now" need. Obviously the people who need both of those things present too small a market to make supersonic air transport worthwhile.

There's considerable speculation that Rudd & Co may not care if they can't get support from independents and minor parties.

With the opposition in disarray they may use one of these failed laws as a trigger for a double dissolution election.

If that happens then they may stand to gain more seats and we'll be in the same position we were with the last term of the Howard govt where they have a majority in both houses and can push through whatever nonsense they like.

+1 honest

Or you could just put the cd that came with the motherboard into the computer and let it install the drivers. I'm not entirely certain how the FUD about how difficult it is to install a driver in windows really helps the image of linux. I'm assuming 90% of what you said is a joke but even the remaining 10% is kind of stupid.