Butternut soup with cream

What was it about Mahendra's tie tonight? It was, dare I say it, subtle. Well almost.

The tie was a light orange - lets call it butternut - and its stripes were of a different texture, while remaining the same colour. It had the unfortunate tendency of making his shirt appear cream, but then, a dash of cream in butternut soup can be delicious, if fattening.

Mahendra was not the only object of fascination tonight though... During an insert showing Tony Blair, I observed that the British PM's tie was nowhere in sight. The shot was cut off abruptly, just under his chin, and I had to wait until the last few seconds of his interview to catch even a glimpse of his tie. (It could have been red and blue, but don't count on it - this is not a tip for the quiz).

What was up with the dodgy camera work? Did Tony issue the television crew with specific instructions to shield his tie? Is he trying to hide from our scrutiny?

Next up was the erstwhile JC Engelbrecht, dressed in a reddish tie (with a modest knot), a navy sweater, and a plaid scarf jauntily flung over his shoulders. When he announced the third cold front that will be hitting later this week, he won my sympathy for the scarf.