LUBBOCK: "Not about to fade away," P. L. Inkletter reckons, "a flavour in American pie, beautiful corpse. Oh boy! Just imagine what would have been…"

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

07^th September 2010

Tuesday: I slept badly most of the night, despite being incredibly tired. I know the reason this time: a 'distant' family member, the same one whom I spoke of back in the posting of 24^th August, has continued applying pressure to a close family member to hassle me for a particular immature, and, I'm highly convinced, disingenuous goal, and this close member is far too emotionally fragile to be involved.

This occurred very recently, spoiling an otherwise most satisfying time spent with the close family member. The tension and stress resulting from it was very difficult to bear for both of us, and the inner turmoil has continued troubling me for too long.

So, another non-rejuvenating sleep, as if I need another one of those…

It was so nice that a little rain came today, and I had the opportunity to curl up on the Player recliner with Cadbury on my lap, and watch several hours of the news on the ABC, covering the decision of the three federal Independents, Katter, Oakeshott, and Windsor, which delivered the election to the Labor Party. Another little piece of history I've managed to catch as it unfolded; now just how much additional good will our nation manage to draw from this minority government situation? – the first in 70 years or so, so they say.

Very late in the day, after Missus Inkletter returned from yet another marathon out and about with The Dear Leader, during a spell between showers, I began cutting the weeds with the electric mower in the front yard, getting maybe a quarter done by dark. I used the catcher and put about four loads of clippings out onto the worm farms in the backyard, which will thrive on the stuff.

Oh, before I forget to mention, poor Missus Inkletter badly scalded her left hand on Saturday, when she was filling a thermos pot for a picnic we went to with sister Mary and Mum at Wireless Hill, where we saw about six or seven varieties of native orchids. Anyway, back to the scald; almost the entire top of the back of her hand and most of her fingers got a drenching with boiling water, and three days later, despite copious amounts of aloe vera applications, the hand looks like it has been roasted in the oven. It hurt her terribly at the time, and has been very tender and sore since.

And also, before I forget to mention, Mum and I visited my dear Uncle M yesterday, who is in a nursing home in Midland (which I did not know until a few days ago, believing it to be in a suburb to the south of there). I first mentioned him back in a very early entry on my Main Site, on Monday, August 20, 2007. Later this month he turns 90, and his life imploded just over three years ago just before the date of that posting, when he went from a fully active life, still driving, to being in a wheelchair, from a serious car accident which almost killed him. We had a chat for over an hour, and he was close to tears when we had to leave.

He amazed me with his sharp mind, and most particularly his kindly disposition given his unpleasant circumstances; the conditions at the home could be worse, but they could be far better, and the states of mind, ethics, and health of some of the residents swarming around him are, frankly, very distressing. I am left convinced, if I needed it, that I have here an uncle of remarkable character. He was a delight all of my young life, and given what has happened to him in recent years, he could have gone two ways; while we were with him he did not complain about his lot once, and was inspiringly cheerful. I look up to him for his wonderful achievement in awful circumstances.

I enjoyed an evening in front of Aunty with Cadbury on my lap again (she has been uber spoiled today). Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: there definitely are advantages for a journalist being on duty on a momentous news day, and this was Leigh Sales' lucky lot today, given the long awaited decision from the three federal Independents, which has handed ongoing government to Labor. Ms Sales' appearance was simply spectacular tonight (as it was last night by the way, don't you agree?:

Did Leigh Sales make Professor Hugh White see red or gold?

 ), with a high necked grey jacket over a black camisole, subtle effect makeup, tiny pearl earrings, and a divine convex flaring hair style:

Leigh Sales looked spectacular. (It must be a pain in the bottom to have know-it-alls like me commenting on your appearance all the time!)

Her first interview was with the incomparable, for all the right reasons, Tony Windsor, Independent for New England. Mr Windsor looked excellent, his dark suit and white tie conservative combo set alight superbly with a bold striped tie of black and gold:

It's either this or cry… Tony Windsor after a momentous day in Canberra, still down to earth, still fragrant

 More story coming…

+paytontedwithlove+

NEW HYDE PARK: "Not one to take it lying down, he helped over 5 million families lie down," PLInkletter said, joining Madam Nodette on the convertible

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

24^th August 2010

Tuesday: Another day night day blur… Anyway, that's nothing unusual around these parts.

I spent much of the evening with Cadbury asleep on my lap, while I watched Aunty's fabulous lineup. I was struck by Kerry O'Brien's attire tonight, the anchor of The 7.30 Report. What do you think?

Kerry O'Brien made his attire choices well tonight, proving he's still a chick magnet

It was a privilege again to listen to Ayaan Hirsi Ali chatting with Jennifer Byrne on Jennifer Byrne Presents. I say 'again', referring to the recent interview she had with Leigh Sales on Lateline.

Speaking of which: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Ms Sales looked very good with her attire choices tonight, with the green blouse contrasting excellently with both her skin and jacket, and her understated and subtle-effect makeup worked superbly with her tiny earrings and lovely convex flaring hair style.

Little wonder Leigh Sales glowed tonight, with two excellent interviews lined up with a couple of Aussie blokes who know how to excite a lass interested in politics

Ms Sales treated us to two excellent interviews tonight, on the pertinent topic of how the soon to be formed post-election Federal Government could be structured and run successfully. I almost choked on my cocoa watching the news earlier tonight seeing Tony Abbott hypocritically suggest that Parliament could become a kinder more sensible place; what a sad sight to have one of the greatest causes of nastiness in our House on the hill claiming he can fix it. Her first long interview guest was current Tasmanian Labor Premier David Bartlett, who looked great in his dark suit and self striped white shirt, set off well with a fandango tie. I did not know he wore a ring on his right thumb (one of those health copper thingies perhaps?)

A politician who sounded less like your average Australian politician, David Bartlett was a pleasure to listen to. Is that a ring on his thumb?

Ms Sales began with a provocative question regarding the selling of Mr Bartlett's soul (his own words earlier this year) to form government in league with the Greens. He laughed it off, and went on to give a refreshingly uplifting description of what his Government does to make his minority government work, and how it could work for us federally. For a party politician, he was relatively an inspiration to listen to.

Next came the cream on the cake, a long interview on the same subject with former NSW Opposition Leader John Brogden. I don't recall what he was like when he was in politics, but he was just wonderful to listen to five years out from his departure from parliament. Mr Brogden also looked great in a dark suit and pale blue shirt combo set off nicely yet conservatively (surprise surprise, being a Liberal Party member) with a (paradoxically) red tie with stripes; it would have looked better with a wide knot.

Watch this fellow! He talked such pleasant sense concerning the new challenge for our federal politicians to govern our nation in a more cooperative manner, and struck a chord a half with the anchor of LATELINE, Leigh Sales

If only our party politicians were as pleasant and stable and non-hysterical as this fellow (Mr Bartlett came close), Mr Brogden gave excellent accounts of the challenges ahead for our federal politicians as they grapple with their emasculation in terms of majority rule margins, and I especially appreciated his appraisals of the three currently elected independents. Every aspect of governance he spoke about was very well considered and sensible. We need the likes of this fellow at the very top (Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott as well. Did you see Tony Windsor's fine performance on Tony Jones' Q&A Monday night?!)

Now if you haven't seen tonight's LATELINE interview, then please visit the ABC's website and watch it, and see if you don't agree that Ms Sales and Mr Brogden should be grateful they were obviously not alone in the studio at Ultimo, for their rapport was palpable and began to encroach on dangerous ground! Alone, anything could have happened! Their spouses should make sure they're each present in the studio for any future interviews.

Are we witnessing the melting of a disciplined stalwart of current affairs – Leigh Sales – under the charms of of a former NSW Opposition Leader – John Brogden?

Yes, I hear the opinions that they would make beautiful children together, but hey, this is the ABC!

I take my hat off to John Brogden: his was one of the most subtle charm offensives I've witnessed, winning Leigh Sales with propriety of all things!

 *

I've had some unwelcome stress to deal with these past many days, coming from the antics of a 'distant' family member, who is harassing me and pressuring me, and also through another family member, to pander to his dysfunction. Whew! Ignorance for some is bliss. And it is amazing how one can be made to feel responsible for the shortcomings of the perpetrator. When this situation flares, as it does periodically, it disturbs my equilibrium. I stop listening to music, I alter my behaviour in curious ways, in a somewhat unconscious attempt to cope better or whatever it is. Maybe the stopping listening to my uplifting music, which is not a good thing to do, attunes my behaviour to my mood?

The Blogger troubles I've been having have exacerbated my unease. I spent countless (literally) hours trying to make the stupid piece of online software do a reasonable job back in 2007 when I first joined blogspot, and here in 2010 it still is a misbehaving and capricious beast. The time I've wasted and still have consumed doing simple posts is time that I can't spend writing, which I'd far prefer to do.

Thank God for my wee small hours' walks, usually around 3 a.m., to help clear my head and heart, and remind me of my many blessings.

+paytontedwithlove+

MINTER FIELD: "He ruffled a few feathers, but in the main the condors just laughed," PL Inkletter recalls. "Gossamer would have readily grounded him."

Be all that as it may, meanwhile:

'In other news…'

23^rd August 2010

Monday: Phew! What a frustrating 48 hours I've had trying to fix up one of my webpage's appearance, without complete success yet, staying up all night pulling my hair out. Here's how it started:

Gladys Hobson, a great friend of Fool's Paradise – Infinity on a Shoestring, has long told me that she can hardly read the text at my The Abecedarian Project. I had assumed it was some fault at her end, as did she. However, I decided a few days back to install a Windows version of Safari, the web browser used by default by Apple-Mac computers, and visit the site with it. I got the vision I didn't want to see: the exact problem Gladys gets, where the dark patterned background underneath the webpage shows, not the overlayed page colour. An extra shock for me was to find that even IE does the same thing at this page only.

So now I have to test every page I create with four blasted browsers: Firefox, my default and preferred browser, which displays The Abecedarian Project just fine, Opera, IE, and now Safari. After untold hours of experiments, I now have a single column template at TAP, but at present the posts and comments links, along with any pictures embedded in the posts, won't activate in Opera or Safari, but at least the four browsers are displaying the eye friendly champagne background all the way down the page. One cost was having to eliminate several widgets, including the Stephen Long glasses poll.

I have a lot more experimenting to do to try to get the four browsers behaving the same. Oh, and Blogger, I still hate every inch of you.

Lateline: The (Leigh) Sales Graph: Ms Sales could hardly have looked better tonight, choosing a collarless dark blue or black blouse (eyes and TV!) with a white crazy patch pattern, a modesty panel in white (the only improvement would have been a darker shade for better contrast against her skin), no jewellery but for tiny earrings, subtle-effect make-up, with ideally somewhat understated eyeliner and shadow, with attractively convex flaring hair on the sides of her face.

Everything about Leigh Sales' appearance worked so well tonight

Her long interview on-screen guest, from Canberra, was Rob Oakeshott, freshly re-elected with an increased vote as an independent MHR for Lyne, who looked excellent in his choice of dress: a dark (bistre?) suit and a possibly Alice blue shirt with a crosschecked camel base tie: these calls might be wrong, but the combination was great.

Rob Oakeshott looked great, spoke great, was great!

Now what a pleasure these independent politicians are to listen to, from Ms Sales' guests last week, Bob Katter and Tony Windsor, and Mr Oakeshott tonight. Ms Sales got to introduce this Independent to me and doubtless many others, and I am left with a very positive feeling about the man. And what a contrast to the plasticness and phoniness of the party politicians we have to suffer through constantly.

His answers were fragrant with respect, sensibleness, acumen, and a healthy degree of earnestness, and I can well understand how Ms Sales could say, when time was up (17½ minutes!), "Rob Oakeshott, I've got about an hour's worth of questions but I will have to wrap up. We'll have to do it another time."

+paytontedwithlove+