Things are a little political around the place these days, and I hope you’ll indulge me if I post this here. Long rant ahead. See no Evil This week has seen Mark Vaile, Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the National Party, Minister for Trade, appear before the AWB enquiry into the Oil for Food program bribes. The AWB (Australian Wheat Board), monopoly holder for Australian wheat exports, was caught by the UN giving a 10% bribe on all wheat sales to Iraq from 1999 to 2003. The bribe equates to $300 million, so this involved serious money in anyone’s terms. Mark Vaile, as Minister for Trade, should have had his eye on something like this - a large domestic company operating in a risky environment dealing with large sums. Indeed, it appears his department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), at the very least has keep tabs on this, with 21 diplomatic cables crossing the department’s desk. ...

A couple, probably well into their 60s, if not their 70s. They’re both reading a single broadsheet paper, different parts, each holding their side up with the “outer” hand. In the middle, their hands are clasped lovingly together, assuring each other they are still here, still committed to their relationship, to each other. My cynicism took a break for that half hour.

Things are totally settled now, I’ve run down my list of obligated-to-visit people, I don’t have any pressing items that need to be bought and there’s not a whole lot going down to distract me. Right. Looking around the house, I realise that perhaps I’ve been neglecting something. Namely neatness. There’s a pile of dishes in the sink, the laundry basket is kind of full - but more tellingly there’s shirts scattered all over my room and they don’t look like they were artfully placed there. There’s dust bunnies accumulated in the empty rooms. Shoes really need a polish. The single plant I have, a shoot of bamboo, is sitting in mostly green water. The grass outside needs cutting before it starts to gets rampant. There’s leaf-litter everywhere from the big stupid gumnut tree right out front. The study room looks like a literary bomb hit it, with books and magazines strewn about the place. Things generally need to be straightened out. ...

Furry violence is always inexplicably hilarious

6:45 - Alarm goes off. I reach out and switch it to the radio 7:04 - Swear, get out of bed. Do the whole morning thing. 7:59 - Start breakfast while watching TV for weather & news. Out the door by 8:09. 8:16 - At station waiting for 8:24 express to city. 9:15 - Log in to computers, read overnight email from London & NY. Catch up on bloglines. 9:45 - Start looking at work. Synchronise with overnight work from others, move into “work” mode ...