SLEEPY HOLLOW: "And if you should survive to 105, you'll be able to epitaph 'I had a wonderful life', spreading manure around," suggests P.L.Inkletter

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

13^th August 2010

Friday: I was too unwell to take Bob to Perth. I realised about one in the afternoon that a combination of factors, including having been unable to turn my mind off this morning to accrue badly needed time in Mistress Nodette's embrace, and a mobble phone call halfway through what sleep I'd had, had made it unsafe for me to consider driving. Janny phoned and broke the news for me, and Bob's people took it well. (Turn the mobble off, did I hear someone say? The Dear Leader won't countenance that option for a moment: we are his 24/365 emergency line, at his insistence.)

Janny left me to sleep, which I did till eight in the evening, still feeling far from rested.

Cadbury on my lap, belly up and allowing me to tickle and stroke her, made me feel a bit better, while I watched Aunty's The Collectors, an SBS documentary on WWII, SBS News, and then back to Aunty for Lateline, before a repeat of one of my favourites and the funniest of shows, The IT Crowd.

Lateline: The Tick(y Fullerton) Check Mark: Before I comment on tonight's program, let me thank NYU's Journalism Professor Jay Rosen, Leigh Sales' guest interviewee last night, for the neutrality in his comments on his Twitter page regarding my assessment of his interview, in which I gave a mixed review, but came down on the side of a thumbs down, and I finished by saying, bluntly and perhaps unkindly, that it would have been ten times more grabbing had Professor Rosen interviewed Ms Sales. He simply stated: "This Aussie blogger says reverse it: I should have interviewed Lateline's @ leighsales http://jr.ly/ucvx Judge for yourself http://jr.ly/7tni". A lesser man would have laid into me personally. His website is called 'Pressthink'.

Would the ABC consider allowing Professor Jay Rosen to interview Leigh Sales about the modern media landscape?

It is unfailingly a delight to sit down to a program anchored by Ticky Fullerton, and all the more so when she has a chat with the likes of Laura Tingle, George Megalogenis, and Peter Hartcher, as well as when she or Leigh Sales bring us the absolute highlight of the week, the weekly (too brief) wrap from the ABC's Economics Correspondent Stephen Long, who, if my failing eyes informed me correctly, was wearing a different set of glasses; however, I am jumping the gun…

Ms Fullerton chose an ivory jacket alone, pearl earrings, and subtle-effect make-up: she has long demonstrated that she is aware of the power of less is more. Her recent shorter hair style is helping her radiate the more.

Proving that subtlety with dress and make-up can enhance a woman's beauty, Ticky Fullerton glowed through tonight's LATELINE

Ms Fullerton's longest interview out of three was with the political editor of the Australian Financial Review, Laura (Eucalyptus frissonii vr blondus) Tingle, and George (Greek god) Megalogenis, journalist with the The Australian newspaper, both on-screen from the great beyond, Melbourne for Mr Megalogenis, and Canberra for Ms Tingle. Ms Tingle's choice of attire was suggestive that when the Amish women take their bonnets off they can look really hot, while Mr Megalogenis' selection, as rakish as it was, still could not hide the fact for many that he would look even better standing naked, slightly posed but dispensing with the fig leaf, on a block of marble (not me of course).

Laura Tingle showed how to make the religiously conservative women in the world look hot, while George Megalogenis could not, despite his dapper dungarees, hide the Greek god just waiting to spring naked onto a plinth of marble

They each had the opportunity to give their assessments of the last four weeks of the federal election campaign, and they were both a pleasure to listen to. I've said it before here, and I hope to be able to say it many times again, that despite whether or not one agrees with all the detail of some interviewees' opinions, there is a hearty satisfaction in listening to intelligent and articulate people discuss political matters without the political shrillness we suffer from so many of our elected representatives. Ms Fullerton provided the third leg in this solid platform.

I have to dip my hat to Mr Megalogenis for the expression "I'm suffering small beer announcement fatigue at the moment", referring to the numerous small spending promises flying thick and fast from both sides.

Ms Fullerton next spoke in-studio with Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald's political editor. I must admit I'm beginning to warm to his odd high shirt collar effect outfits, this week leaving it to a white shirt to rise high above his pinstriped taupe suit, and his tie was of an almost medieval patterned appearance, and all working well together.

Photo coming...

(It's caption will be:)

Still setting his own fashion style with high neck effect collar (it's growing on me), Peter Hartcher's golden tonsils charmed Ticky Fullerton tonight

His subject was Nielsen polling, due out in the marnin. (Not that it matters, but the ABC's online transcript page of this short interview mentions the word 'Nielsen' four times, spelt two different ways, neither of which is correct.) Mr Hartcher gave his opinions of why things have changed since last week, and it sounded quite believable; he also has no reason, surely, to be biased in his analysis of the results of a poll. I repeat that Mr Hartcher's voice is golden: subtly cultured, warm, and just a delight to listen to; he should, if he hasn't already, do audio books. I'd have him on every week on Lateline to discuss anything on the strength of his gorgeous voice alone.

And the highlight for me: The (Stephen) Long and Short of It: Ms Fullerton called Mr Long 'Dr Doom', with a twinkle in her eye, after his 2½ minutes of economics analysis glory. Mr Long had glasses on tonight, after a two week sabbatical from his sarsaparilla bottle lenses, but I reckon these spectacles are a different pair. I don't know how much store to put into the stories circulating at the Ultimo studios that Mr Long has been going to the photocopier and taking out the toner bottle and putting it in his coffee, and returning the toner to the fridge, ever since ditching his glasses.

Photo coming...

(It's caption will be:)

Look again, it's a different set of glasses Stephen Long is wearing tonight. Okay, I wouldn't bet my left testicle, but I think they're different

Ms Fullerton let Mr Long loose on the latest growth numbers out of Europe, which look good on the face of things; until, that is, Mr Long's incisive analysis put it into perspective, and gave us all a lot to keep worrying about, hence his Dr Doom appellation from Ticky when he finished his breakdown. He also highlighted the risks of potential U.S. deflation dampening consumer spending, and all the flow-on vicious cycle effects that would result. I think he's spot on, and as usual.

+paytontedwithlove+

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+