To recognise changed focus of maritime welcome and client attraction programs, today marks the official re-naming of the Commonwealth's sea-borne greeting, client-entertainment and shore-transfer operations.

Please remove all reference to Border Protection Command and replace with Boarder Protection Command.

To be promulgated for widest possible dissemination.

(with thanks to reader Muso who is a very funny bugger and keen observer of Gillard-directions)

I was privileged to be responsible for Australia's multi-million dollar investments in the Inmarsat satellite constellations for some years from the late 1990s.

I saw the financing and operational plans for many satellite launches, and in a range of jobs I had executive responsibility for satellite earth station operations at Ningi, Queensland, Gnangara Perth and a range of other locations around the earth.

This little application is the greatest real-time satellite tracker on the web.   It shows you in real time where every satellite in orbit is, right now, above the earth.  You'll see the geo-synchronous birds about 35,000Ks out with their view over more than 25% of the earth, and the Low Earth Orbit birds like the Iridium and GPS satellites much close in, about 750 Ks away.  

Way out further you'll find the outer reaches of some of the elliptical orbits a very few polar satellites take.

Further yet, in the deeper reaches of vacuous empty space, you might encounter Stephen Conroy.

As you'll see when you click on the NASA real time tracker,  there are lots and lots and lots of satellites in space right now.   But rather like men who build very tall pointy buildings, there are lots more men who are very keen to prove themselves by launching lots more rockets pointing provingly upwards.

Stephen Conroy is one.   Shame that'll cost us so much money.  I'd say it's better to buy services from other people happy to risk their own capital, than to fund a politician happy to risk ours.

It would also be a major blow to the embattled Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, who has been tenaciously driving the NBN policy, including enthusiastically endorsing the decision by the national broadband company to build and launch two of its own satellites at a cost of about $1 billion. The negotiations, which are believed to be at an advanced stage, are understood to have the support of the US government to enhance its relationship with Indonesia.

The Weekend Australian has been told Indonesia wants to acquire the satellite facilities to deliver a government-owned television, broadband and education service across the Indonesian archipelago.

The negotiations involve the Australian satellite company KaComm, which has several orbital slots that could be used by NBN Co to deliver its service to regional and remote areas of the country where the installation of fibre cable would be too costly and impractical. When it decided to launch its own satellites some time ago, NBN Co awarded the $620 million contract to Space Systems/Loral, a big US satellite company. Loral subsequently invested in KaComm's satellite delivery plan. It is understood the negotiations with the Indonesian government are being run from the US and do not involve representatives of the Australian operation. KaComm's local chief executive, Gregory Clark, refused to comment when The Weekend Australian asked about the Indonesian negotiations.

Read more about The Australian's article here

Read more about men with tall building and rocket launch fascination in the comments section to this story when Mel and other learned commentators go to town.

A Strong Woman, Governing, Getting on with Governing as a Strong Woman, Strongly Governing in a Womanly Strongly Way with Governing Strongly as a Woman at the core of our Strongly Womanly Governing Message.

And the key message - sorry, here's Justin Bieber with the Beauty and the Beat, next up  we're with Ellen at the Zoo!

Not a great day today just the one, must do better, Serco can't get rich without clients!

Sauce: 5:00pm

With Chris Bowen gone too there must be a lot of MPs feeling insecure about their future..

Perhaps they need a union..

"The AWU has the strength, experience and skills to stand up for you at your workplace...."

Anyone seen Mr Howes?

Sauce: 4:00pm

Kim Carr has also pulled the pin. 

"The numbers were very, very close. Don't listen to the nonsense being spoken to the contrary."

He's also predicted there will be a royal comission into unions if Tony Abbott is elected.

Sauce: 3:30pm

It's only opinion and conjecture (at this stage) however many believe the soap opera witnessed yesterday seems to have 'stunt' written all over it.

Simon Crean made no sense in his press conference(s), he backs Rudd? he doesn't? he wants to be deputy? whose?

A petition was circulated.  Some evidence would lie in the signatures on that petition. Were the signatories supporters of Rudd or Gillard?

Was the petition presented to Gillard or did she call the ballot without it.

Crean said that he'd spoken to Rudd. More evidence here, in that meeting did Rudd say he'd challenge or did he stick by "his word"?

The ballot arrives and no one challenges.

This could be over analysing but it leaves 4 possibilities.

A. Flush Rudd out

If it was an attempt to 'flush out' Kevin Rudd you would assume a little more time would be given to ensure he nominated.

B. Remove the non-believers

Looking at the carnage that has followed it should appear more likely that the spill was designed to flush out those who support Rudd.

C. Cover up the failing of the past two weeks

Highly likely, but does the damage caused by the spill outweigh the damage caused by the past two weeks?

D. None of the above

It was just another Fail

Sauce: 3:16pm

News Ltd has full coverage and video here.

He has mentioned his dissatisfaction with the implemetation of the MRRT along with a host of other concerns. If his sentiments are felt by other member of the Labor Party my prediction of an MP crossing the floor might not be to crazy.

It might be time for that calculator again, how many are we up to?

As far as the reshuffle goes, will our PM be selecting who is best for the job? or who is left for the job?

Sauce: 2:00pm

The last and only time a motion of no confidence was successful was immediately after the 1975 Dismissal. The Governor General had already decided to disolve parliament at this stage so it was not used.

The media speculation suggests Kevin Rudd would have challenged and succeeded if he had more time to secure the numbers. 

I think the same can be said for yesterday's motion by Tony Abbott and why he has stated publicly that he will make another attempt when the House sits again in May.

During yesterday's vote Windsor, Oakshot and Wilke voted with the opposition. While it did get some (me included) rather excited about the propects of success it needs to be understood that all three of these Members have always held firm that they will not support any gag motions and will always support the democratic right of the House and its Members.

In a nutshell, they were voting to give Mr Abbott the right to move the motion, not the motion itself. Its very unlikely that Oakshot or Windsor would have supported a no-confidence motion and Wilkie's office seem very tight lipped on everything. (either that or his Media Advisor really doesn't like Sauce)

Craig Thompson said yesterday he'd be discussing the planned confidence motion seriously with the other cross benchers over the next six weeks.

He continued (please put your coffee down now)

"But at this point I am not inclined to give my vote to Tony Abbott, because I think as prime minister he would be very damaging for the central coast and for Australia."

 (you can resume drinking)

The Parliment yesterday had a sense of finality to it.  If enough MPs believe there is little that can be achieved between now and September we may see the independants support the motion, we may see the opposition finally accept Craig Thompson's vote and we may even see someone cross the floor.