ANGERS: "His work was a fat lot of good, sudsed up too, but I hold a candle to a colourful and long life of contrasts," says P.L.Inkletter sceptically

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

31^st August 2010

Tuesday: I arrived at Guildford to take Bob swimming about half three, which was the best I could do; fortunately he is happy enough with the late starts, so long as he gets an outing.

It was wet – hurray! we need it badly – and so we skipped a walk, and arrived at the Swan Aquatic centre earlier than of late. We did still have our hot drink afterwards down at Fish Market Reserve, although the light rain conspired to keep us in the car, thus making it tricky to make the drinks and have Bob not spill his everywhere; it proved a success.

Earlier we called at Midland Gate shopping centre, because Bob wanted to buy a card for one of his brothers' birthdays coming up. We also visited the Woolies supermarket. On our way through the checkout with some groceries I noticed a film of blood from meat, almost certainly, on the surface by the till, and the checkout woman was sliding all my things very close to it, but somehow avoiding it. With half my things to go I remarked that there was blood there, in the vain hope that she would clean it up. With no response, rather than ask her to do her job, I said "I have a clean tissue, I'll just clean that up," and I leaned over and wiped what I could of it up, then walked over to a bin some yards away and disposed of it.

She remarked to the effect "You don't have to do that, I'll do that (or that's my job)," and proceeded to finish costing my things, take my money, and carry on oblivious. She wasn't a fifteen year old either, she must have been around thirty.

I am cursed with being too aware; so many are cursed with not being aware enough. I was noticed by a woman waiting in our queue, and I think she approved of what I did, I'm not certain, but if nothing else, I had made her chances of getting meat juices over whatever she was buying that bit lower.

I needed fuel on my way back after finishing with Bob, so I didn't make homefall till after half eight.

Janny kindly fed me, and with Cadbury on my lap I had high hopes, vainly, of staying conscious for the whole of Aunty's great lineup, but alas, I slipped in and out of slumber until Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Leigh Sales had an author to interview tonight, a very welcome change from the oleaginous politicians that strut their stuff on the program. Ms Sales assured the politics junkies not to worry because Antony Green was lined up to answer her questions, and while he's superb, it's so nice to have a politician free evening now and then.

Ms Sales looked wonderful with very subtle effect makeup and convex flared hair style, with a simple dark jacket over a white shirt affair, demonstrating why women look so much more beautiful in men's clothing than men do, her only jewellery being smallish gold circle earrings.

Picture coming…

Antony Green looked snazzy in his dark jacket, fine crisscrossed lines on a light coloured shirt, and deep red with small light squares tie. What I've often wondered is how the human brain, being such a relatively small thing, can contain so much information about every electorate in Australia, down to how individual booths voted for the past thousand elections. It's got me baffled.

Picture coming…

I wonder what he says in his sleep? "Darling, there's just been an increase in the margin for lower province, I'm going down!" (Mum, if you ever read this, forgive me, but Janny made me say it.)

Now the big treat tonight was the fascinating interview with one of the most visually entertaining people I've ever seen on this program, Jake Adelstein, who matched Simon Schama for gesticulations, if not exceeded him, but in his own catching way. Mr Adelstein looked larger than life on-screen, casually attired in a dark jacket and dark open necked shirt, and responded charmingly and directly to Ms Sales' many questions.

A man who spoke as much with his upper limbs as with his mouth, Jake Adelstein was as interesting and entertaining as all get out, answering Leigh Sales' questions on LATELINE

The subject matter was deadly serious, the Yakuza of Japan, crime group members who are, disturbingly, seemingly tolerated publicly in Japan, and somewhat glorifed through freely available magazines.

Mr Adelstein threw fascinating light, from his viscerally personal experience with reporting on crime for the main Japanese twice daily newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, over 12 years. Ms Sales had obviously done her research, which always lifts the quality of what she can draw from her interlocutors.

Some of the subject matter he described was horrible: human trafficking and child pornography, and the disturbing fact that Japanese law does not make the possession of child pornography illegal.

Apart from some of the truly awful subject matter, the interview intoto was brilliant and memorable. Here was a fellow only too willing to tell it as it is, clearly, directly, and authentically. There was an understandable and sound respect towards Mr Adelstein shown by Ms Sales throughout.

A most memorable interview; thank you Leigh Sales, thank you Jake Adelstein.

+paytontedwithlove+