Can't log in after fresh install

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I get an internal server error when logging on a user after a fresh install. The log file says this:

/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/askbot/middleware/pagesize.py TIME: 2012-01-10 15:19:22,959 MSG: pagesize.py:process_exception:43   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py", line 111, in get_response
    response = callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/utils/decorators.py", line 93, in _wrapped_view
    response = view_func(request, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/askbot/deps/django_authopenid/views.py", line 346, in signin
    method = 'password'
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/__init__.py", line 55, in authenticate
    user = backend.authenticate(**credentials)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/askbot/deps/django_authopenid/backends.py", line 101, in authenticate
    provider_name = provider_name
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/manager.py", line 132, in get
    return self.get_query_set().get(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/query.py", line 344, in get
    num = len(clone)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/query.py", line 82, in __len__
    self._result_cache = list(self.iterator())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/query.py", line 273, in iterator
    for row in compiler.results_iter():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py", line 680, in results_iter
    for rows in self.execute_sql(MULTI):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py", line 735, in execute_sql
    cursor.execute(sql, params)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py", line 86, in execute
    return self.cursor.execute(query, args)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/site-packages/MySQLdb/cursors.py", line 174, in execute
    self.errorhandler(self, exc, value)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/site-packages/MySQLdb/connections.py", line 36, in defaulterrorhandler
    raise errorclass, errorvalue

My database encoding is correct (ENGINE=MyISAM)

I have searched for an answer here but coming up blank ... are there any pointers for this situation?