CHICAGO: "Didn't the city of big shoulders, after but 100 years, produce its most valuable output, putting it on the cosmic map?" ponders PLInkletter.

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

12^th August 2010

Thursday: The highlight of the day was the visit for din dins by The Babies Ink&Peggletter, the lowlight was learning from Mum by phone that my cousin Vee's throat cancer, some years younger than me, not even fifty yet, has returned to his lung and spine. He has never been a smoker. Early last year he had major surgery to remove the growth from his throat, necessitating the cutting in half of his jaw bone and teeth removal. We had high hopes that his recovery would be smooth. He has a wife and two young children.

Mum also let me know that my sister Mary is recovering fine from her bashing and robbing of the other day. I couldn't reach her by phone today, so I'll try again tomorrow.

It kept raining today, which makes me most happy. The Dear Leader joined us all for our dinner, which Missus Inkletter made to a Mexican theme, burritos, if that's what they're called, maybe fajitas – it's all Greek to me. They were delicious, I can vouch for that.

We played Drakon, the first time for we wrinklies, and it was fun, and long, and I kept getting a hammering from everyone. Baby Peggletter won, when I was confident I was going to. I counted my chickens too early.

If you care to google Drakon and select 'images', you'll notice the pieces are light grey. Ours were the most intricately coloured, so much so that I automatically assumed they came that way. I am in awe of what I learned: Baby Peggletter painted the pieces, and the fineness and richness of the work gobsmacks me and my good wife. He must have used a single hair for a brush. I must take a good photo when next they visit with the game and post it here so you can all admire his work.

Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Ms Sales chose but a teal green slub weave jacket, and it complemented her hair and skin superbly. She wore the finest of necklace with a single tiny pearl, with matching earrings, subtle effect make-up, and lovely convex flared loose hanging hair style, plus a red shade varnish on her fingernails. The effect could not have been improved; see what your eyes tell you:

This combination works so well for Leigh Sales

She had a curious fellow on for her long interview, one Jay Rosen, Professor of Journalism at New York University, who went very casual in a dark jacket and blue tee shirt. I won't criticise him for this (as I have been known to, laying the boots into people for not dressing with sufficient professional measure to their subject), due to the strange way I feel about the interview. I must explain:

Professor Jay Rosen went casual for his laid back  approach to his interview with Ms Sales

Professor Rosen made some very accurate, pertinent, and interesting points during the interview, and full marks for his coining of the term 'horse race journalism' to critique the type of election coverage suffered in U.S. elections at least, and increasingly as it transpired from the discussion with Ms Sales, in our own.

His remark "…if we can't rely on our professional journalists to make the important interesting, whose job is it?" saved the whole interview though.

I am reluctant to criticise the Professor, because he said so much that was so good, but maybe it was the way he said it, I'm just not sure, but despite Ms Sales' generosity of approach to him (she was, well, if not long suffering, validating in places where awkward doubt dwelt), his low key approach failed to excite me, and this from a fellow (moi) who doesn't put much store in excitement in matters serious.

Ms Sales' generosity was evident, and somewhat necessary, in this interview

Put it this way, I think this particular interview would have been ten times more grabbing if the roles had been reversed, and Leigh Sales was the one being asked the questions. I find it a little strange to be expressing my lack of engagement with the professor in this way, but there, I have. Ms Sales would have left us in no doubt that she is alive with zest and passion as she tackled the questions, but somehow Professor Rosen brought a lullaby quality to his answers. Ms Sales also is very much across the latest and widely used media communication methods, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she could do the professor's job back at NYU.

I went again for a late late walk in a break from the rain, and the very moment I returned, sans umbrella, it began to rain again.

+paytontedwithlove+