At the end of June this year, several weeks after I had added my mobile phone number to the Do Not Call Register maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), I started a spreadsheet where I record all the nuisance calls I now receive. Ultimately, at the end of this coming June, I …
Author Archives: Ernest Zanatta
A Quick Look Through Footscray Shopping Centre
My mother wanted her hair cut last week, so I accompanied her on the bus to Footscray, to attend the Vietnamese hairdresser in the Footscray Market. Footscray has changed a lot since I was a kid, so I did a bit of reminiscing whilst I waited for her. Describing Footscray to outsiders might help make …
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Posh Spice Officially Becomes A Lady
It’s now almost 30 years since the Spice Girls burst onto the pop scene with Wannabe, their debut single. They did not go by their nicknames Ginger, Baby, Scary, Sporty, and of course, Posh at that time. The media quickly gave them those monikers. At the end of Wannabe, they introduce themselves by their Christian …
Suzanne Vega To Fly With Angels To Australia!
As anyone who knows me well would know, Suzanne Vega has been my favourite singer since I was 17. Kate Bush and Tori Amos come in closely behind her. Suzanne Vega has toured Australia five times – 1987, 1993, 2008, 2014, and 2018. I was not cashed up enough for concert tickets in 1987, and …
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Charlie’s Pizza Reopens
It is now nine months since my paesano and Footscray stalwart Charlie Morabito died. His pizzeria in Droop Street near the Ballarat Road corner has been a Footscray institution since 1974 and I was worried that it was going to close forever. Good news! One branch of the family has taken over management of it …
The Catering Test – A Hidden Sign Of Economic Downturn
I suppose, as Honorary Secretary of a small Italian group, I probably count as an Italian community leader. Yeah maybe. Sort of. Last year that community involvement bore some fruits. I got an invite to a gala dinner organised by the Italian Embassy. I also had a pass to the VIP section of the Italian …
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Vale Ace Frehley
I’m actually not objective about the significance of Kiss as a part of rock history. I’m not sure whether their impact is that of a true super group, or whether they were just a niche band with a large and loyal fanbase. That’s because they have a large foothold on my childhood memories. Just like …
At the Treasury Wine Estate AGM
As is now my custom, I attended the Treasury Wine Estate AGM on Thursday. This time I planned in advance – a friend got a proxy from his wife to attend and two other friends who are not shareholders simply bluffed their way in. Even though the share price has crashed in recent days, the …
Why Does The Treasury Wine Estate Share Price Remind Me Of A Tom Petty Song Today?
I just checked my share portfolio on the Commsec app and am reminded that my decision to liquidate most of my Treasury Wine Estate shares two and a half months ago was an unintentionally astute move (unlike most of my share purchase and sale decisions). You see, this morning Treasury did a revised earnings guidance …
Australian Rules Football Enters A Golden Age In Queensland
In March 2005, I decided to take a two week holiday and travel around various parts of Northern Australia I had not yet visited: Ayers Rock (my heart skipped a beat when I first saw it from the plane), Alice Springs, Darwin, Townsville and Cairns. I ended the holiday with a few days in Brisbane, …
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Lost For Words! 