LYME REGIS: "Yes his ruling passion feathered his nest, kept him humming, but never did it knock the stuffing out of him," according to P.L. Inkletter

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

14^th September 2010

Tuesday: Dead tired, despite 13 hours sleep. Oh well, what's new?

I was up at noon, which was early for me, and the day outside was wonderful, but I foolishly and obsessively wrestled for hours with Blogger's inability to display animated gifs properly, finally posting an animated gif of Brigid Glanville and Charlie Aitken on Monday 6^th's posting, through the labyrinthine pathway of 4shared.com, who do host animated gifs (with a frustrating size restriction), and some gymnastics in the HTML code that I accidentally discovered. What a pain in the rear end. The rats at Blogspot-Google could make it a cinch by accepting animated gifs.

And in the middle of the night, again after an hour or so, I managed a second animated gif at the same posting, this one of Ms Glanville and Austin Williams. Both these animated gifs are just a bit of fooling around, entertainment value only. And as from my first Blogger experience over three years ago, I'd gladly shove the software up the jacksies of the programmers who have made it and kept it so limited and contrary, whimsical and arbitrary.

When Missus Inkletter got back from taking The Dear Leader to several medical appointments and such, I got her to video me doing my first furmination of Cadbury, in the laundry. It removed a fair bit of fur, but she wouldn't put up with any more, so her belly area awaits the Furminator… (Baby Inkletter gave her a few strokes with it a couple of weeks back, but today's effort was my first and the first attempted all over grooming with the very cleverly designed metal comb.)

Late in the afternoon I managed a bit of sunshine in the back and front yards, attending to some small gardening jobs. Cadbury kept me company, but I wish she'd stay out the back, for she goes right up to the edge of the street, worrying me for her safety.

Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: I enjoyed Leigh Sales' longest interview tonight, with the Director of MOBY Group, Afghanistan's largest media company, Saad Mohseni.

Ms Sales asked a myriad of questions, partly due to the efficiency of Mr Mohseni's answers; while he had plenty to say, he didn't try to hog the airtime like our politicians are fond of doing. It was a credit to Ms Sales that she was not short of things to ask Mr Mohseni about; she certainly does her research, as well as having a good all round nous to see her through most subjects she covers with her interlocutors.

I was piqued by the question Ms Sales put to Mr Mohseni on the influence upon women of the media in Afghanistan; it is, if done well, a great hope for mining the crucial resources and graciousness of womanhood, to eventually liberate the country from the primitive mindset infecting the ruling men from husbands up to the highest levels of government.

Mr Mohseni did rise to the opportunity Ms Sales' persistent questioning gave on the subject of corruption in the government of Afghanistan, and gave insightful and balanced answers, which was most refreshing to hear, while not exactly pulling his punches.

I wonder if some of the, almost caution I suppose, Mr Mohseni evinced with his answers, is due to the genuine risks he must face from the barbaric religious fundamentalists that have been ruining Afghanistan's present and future for too long now? He didn't bignote his company's doings overly much; would you want to in the lethal environment of that fragile nation?

Anyway, what a hopeful thing to listen to someone rational, positive, and gracious from within Afghanistan, with a modern attitude. Such a rare event. I think Ms Sales brought us a valuable interview here.

I went for a very late walk, around 3 a.m., my first in five days or so; too long, but I have been too exhausted to manage.

My bloodshot eye problem will not abate; two days back I woke up with a fresh map of blood over most of the white of my right eye.

+paytontedwithlove+

DERBY: "He found he'd split his jeans, but he could splice them back again. 'Structure, structure!'" PL Inkletter said, wishing many diseases goodbye.

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

06^th September 2010

Monday: The highlight of today was visiting my Uncle M, soon to turn 90, in his nursing home in Midland. I picked up Mum from Melville, and we drove to Midland to see him. I was under the impression that he was in a home several suburbs south of there. The lovely man still has his wits, and his character is evident in spades, against formidable odds, arising from the car accident that disabled him three years ago, and the enormous challenges from the fellow patients and the environment around him. I have described a bit more of this visit in tomorrow's posting.

Lateline Business: Brigid Glanville looked refreshing, don't you agree, in her simple striped shirt, as she hosted the program:

A delightful bit of colour to spice up the LATELINE BUSINESS program, and a great choice for jammies as well, Brigid Glanville in danger of setting the studio at Ultimo smouldering

A billion dollars of property to be offloaded by Woolies? Not unless Charlie Aitken gives it the go ahead?

Full marks to Charlie Aitken for his stylish combination of textured tie with non-conservative shirt colour, all within a conservative dark jacket package. It certainly had Brigid Glanville taking notice.

She is going to have to watch that financial devil, Charlie Aitken, and the games he's playing with her, or is it some psychic power he wields? – as the picture below attests:

Is Charlie aitken it again? What manner of power can do this to a woman?

On a less lighthearted note, tonight's LATELINE – LATELINE BUSINESS package illustrated the power and value of research and understanding. Leigh Sales' interview with Professor Hugh White demonstated that Ms Sales, by her comments and questions, that she had researched Professor White's Quarterly Essay 'Power Shift: Australia's Future Between Washington and Beijing', and understood the gist of it. Brigid Glanville, on the other hand, demonstrated the opposite, unfortunately, during her interview with Austin Williams, Director of the Future Cities Project in London.

Mr Williams was courageously blunt here and there with some of his returns to Ms Glanville, and I was left with the impression that she was not around the issues he was addressing. He made a great deal of sense. I wouldn't mind hearing Leigh Sales interview him on the same subject.

To be fair to Brigid Glanville, I don't know how much time she had to prepare for the interview. Preparation time is definitely a factor, in which some ferocious paced reading would need to be done.

Uh oh! I've put my guest to sleep! Brigid Glanville tests Austin Williams' fortitude and stamina on LATELINE BUSINESS 6^th September 2010

 +paytontedwithlove+