BRISTOL: "An albatross around his neck, with much huffin and puffin, he soon put paper back in front of the masses," PL Inkletter coolly noted, drily.

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

21^st September 2010

Tuesday: Late last night I registered online to be an organ donor, after watching Tracy Bowden's report, in which Mark Colvin was featured, on the low organ donor rates in Australia, on Kerry O'Brien's 7.30 Report. The online page advised me that my new application appeared to be a duplicate, and asked me to phone to clarify matters. And in the middle of the night I did, to learn that yes, I have long been registered.

I was uncertain, because donkey's years ago I had my status as an organ donor on my driver's licence, only to have that system scrapped here in W.A. Anyway, the friendly nurse informed me that I re-registered in 2002. She confirmed my understanding that, unfortunately, despite my registered intention, next of kin can still block my wishes after my death. And so, registering that I want to be an organ donor when I cark it if they're of any use, then being contingent on the okay of my next of kin, seems a bit redundant to me, to say the least.

Speaking of last night, it was great to see Ticky Fullerton return, with her undeniable journalistic skills and intelligence, after some week's absence, to Lateline Business; however, she did exactly what Ali Moore did, or strictly speaking, didn't do, when she returned from an absence: back in May, Ms Moore returned to the chair after many weeks away, during which time Whitney Fitzsimmons had filled her position, but neglected to make any mention of her service; last night Ms Fullerton neglected to make any mention of Brigid Glanville, who had filled her position. These lapses, for that's what they seem to be to me, are missed opportunities to be gracious, regardless of the quality of the job the replacement has done. I am slightly puzzled as to why ones of the stature of Ms Fullerton and Ms Moore would not have done this.

I didn't manage my walk last night, although I would have enjoyed it and I somewhat needed it.

I was dead tired as per usual, and dragged myself up at the crack of one (p.m. that is!), and helped Janny clean the place up for our special guests for dinner and my training tonight, Reeve Chocson and his business partner and friend, Meynell the Humble. Our guests arrived by six, and we broke bread, a wonderful meal on short notice by the greatest cook in Australia, Janny Inkletter.

The training to which I referred? Reeve observed Meynell the Humble who gave me one-on-one training with Photoshop Elements, for a couple of hours. These fellows are going to be training professionally with one-on-one courses, and I was the benificiary of their early development of the course they are designing. I am very grateful to be the guinea pig, because anything to do with Photoshop has always been too arcane for me on my lonesome.

Reeve had to depart by nine, and Meynell the Humble stayed and chatted with us after my training wrapped up, for another hour and a half. It was nice to get to know him better.

After our guest left, Lateline was just starting: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Leigh Sales, as usual, looked consummate in her dark jacket and bisque ruffled blouse combination, subtle-effect makeup and convex flaring hair style, and with but tiny pearl earrings her only concession to jewellery.

Leigh Sales' enjoyment from interviewing one of the Independents in Federal Parliament was evident

Her long interview guest was Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who also as usual, looked tired (maybe not, but his bags under his eyes – like my own – always give that impression), but was smartly attired in a dark jacket and pale textured shirt with a very conservative dark striped tie, to put a ring of sombreness to the main subject discussed: pokie machine gambling.

Despite the serious subject, Senator Nick Xenophon was like a breath of fresh air from amid the morass of Canberra politics

There is so much comparitive refreshment when our independent politicians are interviewed. I for one cannot get enough of these interviews; these politicians usually tell it like it is, and their integrity glows from their pores.

Ms Sales gave us a sweet moment after some disarming modesty from Mr Xenophon: "I think my thoughts are largely irrelevant. I think that ... (concerning who should be the Speaker of the House of Representatives)"

Ms Sales: "That doesn't stop many politicians!"

I found this a really good interview, and I hope we are treated to many more from this combination of Ms Sales and Mr Xenophon. It beats the crap out of the predictable output of the typical Labor-Coalition divided politicians.

I mustered the energy very late – around 4 a.m. – to go for a badly needed walk, and while it was rather tiring, I got a psychological boost.

+paytontedwithlove+

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+

SPRING GROVE: "A true alchemist whose life wasn't just one of halves," PLInkletter said, "his was the alpha and beta. Pity his split tummy was gammy."

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

30^th August 2010

Monday: I drove to Melville in the early afternoon, and took Mum shopping here and there, getting those things done 'that never get done'. Of course, we began at Miss Maud's takeaway, and put away a roll each of her exquisite creations, each choosing the savoury spinach variety today.

There was a mildest of hint of disappointment in the background of our time together, mainly in the early stages, given a disagreement last week over the way to deal with a distant family member's dealings with me. I was expecting there would be some hint of dissonance, for we are all too human. Sad thing is, I'm the innocent party (I would say that wouldn't I?)

I didn't get back home till about six. I must have frightened little children and some adults with my right bloodshot eye, which has been spending more time shot through crimson than white these past many weeks.

Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: the long interview tonight was conducted between two remarkably well presented women, Leigh Sales and Julie Bishop, Deputy Opposition Leader. Ms Sales chose a most attractive grey jacket over a black blouse with large white wonky pokadots, super subtle-effect makeup, zero jewellery (not even earrings), and nicely convex flaring hair style. And she shone. Ms Bishop looked fabulous in her choice of coarse weave-effect jacket and brown blouse, with expensive looking jewellery – because doubtless it was – and, perhaps apart from her eye makeup, all was rather subtle-effect, with her shortish but effective hair style.

Leigh Sales shines without jewellery and minimilist effect makeup

Julie Bishop radiated, with the help of some high end fashion and precious stones

Nothing Ms Sales could ask or suggest or prompt, on the general subject of the negotiations still ongoing with the Independents with the view to forming Government, could get Ms Bishop to deviate from totally stock standard Australian adversarial polly style and polly speak, and thus she's still as boring and predictable as bat shit like the great majority of our politicians are.

However, Ms Bishop spoke in a polished way, demonstrating she has good oratorial skills, and she just may well be maturing somewhat from some of her petty 'how very dare you' performances in the past, and be growing into a reasonable politician. Be aware that it is one thing to present as a quality politician, and another to be a quality politician. I hope we are seeing the ongoing transformation into the latter in process with Ms Bishop.

Let me acknowledge one major strength in the Coalition that Ms Bishop spoke of, that leaves the Labor side for dead: "...we allow members to cross the floor without their being ramifications.

I mean, that is a stark contrast with the Labor Party that has this Stalinist approach to anybody who speaks out of caucus. They're not allowed to cross the floor, otherwise they get expelled from the party." Hear, hear!

Lateline Business got rather cute tonight, and one could be forgiven for thinking a beautifully attired-in-magenta Brigid Glanville 

What a simple way to spice up a business current affairs program: Brigid Glanville lets loose a bit of colour

was flirting with a dapperly done out Charlie Aitken from Southern Cross Equities, or was Charlie flirting with Brigid?:

Brigid Glanville: "You sound positively excited."

Charlie Aitken: "I am a bit excited. I'm doing well to contain myself."

Is Brigid Glanville positively exciting Charlie Aitken, and how well did he contain himself?

+paytontedwithlove+