Being Australian means that my default red wine is Shiraz. My preference is for the big, sugary, high in alcohol version of Shiraz that you usually find in North Eastern Victoria, particularly around Rutherglen. I am not too finicky though, and I am fine with most dry reds – for instance, my best friend and …
Author Archives: Ernest Zanatta
Should I Adopt A New Investment Strategy?
Telstra shares hit an all time high of $9.20 in February 1999. I know this for certain because at the time I had 600 shares in the company from the original T1 float, and had temporarily moved to Canberra for a few months in late January 1999 – it was a moment I could well …
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The Stultification Of Literature: The Real Threat From Artificial Intelligence
Not that anyone can tell too closely from my library (which is sorted in what I call ‘autobiographical order’), but I have a marked preference for the works of Anthony Trollope over those of Charles Dickens. I am pretty sure that I have read all of his novels and most of his short stories, although …
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Rise Of The Street Libraries
I’ve always been a bit of a Tom Wolfe fan, back since I read The Right Stuff at age 16. The movie, which was made around that time, remains one of my all time favourite films (indeed, you might have read something I wrote here a few years ago comparing the movie to the new …
Canary Black: Kate Beckinsale Continues To Play To Her Typecast….
I did not really notice Kate Beckinsale in her first major role – which was the oddly named Hero in the Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing circa 1993. To be fair, how could you? The leads were Branagh as Benedick and Emma Thompson as Beatrice, and the chemistry between them was amazing. And …
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At the Insignia Financial Group AGM
In the almost 17 months since I retired from work, I have started making an effort to attend corporate AGMs where I have a direct or indirect interest. [Direct interest is where I am a shareholder. Indirect interest is where I get my mother to appoint me as a proxy to vote her shares in …
The End Of The Lonsdale Street Greek Quarter?
Have you ever heard of Demestica Red? No? You are probably lucky. Circa 1996, when I used to be a regular Friday night fixture in a corner of Stalactites, the Greek restaurant on the corner of Lonsdale and Russell Streets, I think I drank a lot of it. In May 1997, as groomsman for a …
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Fun With Business Cards
Being retired, I recently got myself some new business cards printed, which describe me as ‘Ernest Zanatta Esq’ – putting my degree (a mere BA (Hons)) as a post nominal seems rather passe. I gave myself the title of ‘Gentleman Of Leisure) . I got 500 printed, and will hand them out at social occasions, …
Thoughts On The Resurrection Of The Trump Monster….
Where the hell does one start when talking about Trump winning a non-consecutive second term as US President anyway?!? I guess I will start by saying that as a recently retired ‘Gentleman’, I have joined a couple of the private members’ Clubs in Town. One, as you would know, is the Kelvin Club, which I …
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Tomato Planting Season
It is traditionally said that tomato plants should go in by Melbourne Cup Day. I got most of mine in 10 days ago, of various different varieties. Now my challenge is to keep them alive over the summer.
Lost For Words! 