We stayed up last night to watch the finish of the America’s Cup; Team New Zealand racing against Alinghi (Swiss boat with a mostly New Zealand crew and New Zealand skipper).

Flying home yesterday from Melbourne I pondered on the weekend just gone. After arriving there on Friday evening my brief had been to take the strategic planning sub-committee of the national board through a strategic planning exercise in one day!

The leaves glistened in the sunlight. I love the way the rustling leaves on our eucalyptus trees catch the light and send it on its sparkling way.

This morning I was inspired…

by a lady called Barbara Etter.

“When you buy a business today, on average 71% of what you are paying for is intangible,” says Ramesh Thomas, principal executive officer at India’s largest branding company, Equitor Management Consulting. “Twenty-five years ago that was only 18%.”

“Kenny – A Knight in Shining Overalls”

The Yangtze river dolphin has been declared extinct – Washington Post

Does this matter?

“Acting on Conscience – - How Can We Responsibly Mix Law, Religion and Politics?” by Frank Brennan

While watching a special show on the “Space Race” I pondered on the experiences of the astronauts who left our earth for a time. Although the Russians and Americans were deeply competitive about getting the first man on the moon, the asronauts themselves were focussed on doing the best they could in a very alien environment.

There is an organisation, a global organisation, let’s call it CSR, which operates entirely outside the “normal” monetary world. It was set up by volunteers because they saw a need for what it delivers. They don’t get paid, they will never get paid. In money – no money is involved in any of CSR’s transactions. And yet they watch over the way that CSR works. They watch closely and carefully that the way it was set up to operate, the ethics and values that are held dear, are upheld with almost religious fervour.

At a recent speech from Jillian Broadbent, director of BT Australia, Jillian outlined her approach to work and life.

I wonder what JRR Tolkein’s vision was for his trilogy, and what part did the ring play in it? Did it symbolise wealth? Could he see where the economic miracle would take us after his death?

Last night we watched the Fremantle Dockers play the Sydney Swans in the Aussie Rules semi finals. Although the game was played on the Swans’ home ground and they are a stronger team than the Dockers, “our” team played galantly (even the commentators said so) until the end of the third quarter. They gave it all of their very best!

Last night my husband Rob and I watched the first 2 episodes of “MASH”. As well as nostalgically reminding us of 1969 when we first met, it really came home to me how Hawkeye and Trapper fiercely protect the values that they hold dear – kindness and fairness to others, especially those who are not able to stand up for themselves. They protect those values for the entire army camp, despite appearing to play the fool. And those values centre on kindness and respect for others.

This morning I was reading in the Australian Financial Review (25th August 2006) about Johann Goethe (1749-1832), a “fully rounded man of the world: poet, novelist and practical statesman, traveller and businessman.” The article was written by Paul Monk, managing director of Austhink Consulting, in response to a new book about Goethe, “Love, Life, Goethe: How to be Happy in an Imperfect World” by John Armstrong.

Last Friday I delivered the last of three sessions for this course at the University of Western Australia Extension.

One of the biggest projects run by my Rotary Club (Perth, WA) is Passages, a resource centre for homeless young people.