A Proper Guide to Property and Proper Tea

Dr Piscopia, my principal private secretary, has informed me that one of her distant relatives, Caterina Cornaro, is keen to purchase my Venetian property for an excellent price.  It is an offer I cannot refuse, unless...

Tortoise Economies and other Leisurely Pursuits

Monsieur Saint-Saëns and I have been sitting in my garden over luncheon, discussing tortoise economies, household management, and the qualities of a perfect sales pitch.  He was most amused to hear of...

On the Market

It has just come to my attention that there will be an open inspection of the house next door on Saturday.  The asking price for the property is somewhere in the region of...

How to Develop a Pleasingly Cohesive Global Society

Many members of the Mozarty Party are currently campaigning far and wide to ensure the development of a pleasingly cohesive global society.  We know how each person over the age of twenty eight can achieve his or her true potential, either in...

Changing the Notepaper and Changing the World

What beautiful weather we are having in Adelaide today!  I have spent much of the day sitting in the sunshine in my north-facing antipodean boudoir, thinking about the power and influence of...

Suitably Elegant Frugality

One of the most beautiful of human expressions is the art of suitably elegant frugality.  Being frugal can take many forms, some of which are not particularly pleasant, yet there is no reason for frugality to be so.

My own work is always an aesthetic example of frugality, rather than an ascetic one.  It incorporates...

Social Structure and Status in Australia and the World

Social class is such a vulgar term.  It relates purely to the stratification of material wealth, and what it can buy, yet gives no recognition at all to ethereal qualities, or the lack of them.  Many Australians consider themselves to be middle class personages, even though most Australians are...

Tense Cities Sips and All That

Guiding suitably civilized behaviour is quite simple once the acceptable language and appropriately allocated responsibilities are made clear.  The South Australian Police have kindly provided several suggestions on ways to keep oneself relaxed, safe and informed, whether in a crowd or whilst attempting to spend a few peaceful hours alone.  Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall has done likewise, though somewhat inaccurately.

I am concerned that the police officers' suggestions, and those of Mrs Marshall, only assist in the prevention of crimes by making disruptive social effects more of a challenge for criminally-inclined creatures.  Such suggestions do not...

Of Romantic or Classical Proportions

The Duke and Duchess of Wikipedia appear to be a very happy couple most of the time, though sometimes they argue over the content of their library.  You may be wondering whether their choice of content is of classical proportions or mostly romantic.

Some people are perfectly content not to be romantically attached to another. Love does not have to involve romance at all. There are many ways to express genuine love...

Jubilation

How delightful to be back in Adelaide!  The public welcome was wonderful.  I can quite easily use somewhat similar words to describe the atmosphere at the time of my arrival as...

Margins of Liquidity

It is most fortunate that I still have some European property, namely an exquisite apartment in the Palazzo Barbaro on the Grand Canal in Venice.  This is, of course, one of my many somewhat invisible assets, especially to my Venetian neighbours, and to the many tourists who visit the lagoon each year.  I always like...

Fiscal Intimacies

The ability to govern meetings and countries with appropriate decorum frequently requires a considerable amount of advice.  I have great pleasure, therefore, in thanking the many ladies who contacted me over the weekend regarding a personage they consider to be of dubious repute.

The chevalier in question apparently has a cavalier attitude towards female sensibilities and market sensitivities.  He likes to embrace economic booms when possible but enjoys caressing busts even more.  I have this information on good authority, including the opinion of 1,003 ladies who reside in Spain.

My meeting with the chevalier has been arranged for...

House for Sale

Information has just reached me that the house next door to my little villa has a very large FOR SALE sign next to its front porch.  My dear husband noticed a porche in the driveway earlier today.  There appears to have been a real estate agent in the vicinity.

I must return to Adelaide...

A Homemade Peace

I am very much looking forward to making my way home to Adelaide.  Creating world peace whilst away from my little villa has been mostly a business activity rather than a pleasure.

World peace is such a serious pursuit.  It cannot be truly achieved on an industrial scale.  It must be homemade.  Just like doing needlepoint, baking cakes, making jam, growing vegetables and flowers, polishing silver snuff boxes, and pouring tea, many things are better when they are conducted on a domestic scale.

The same applies to discussions, hence my preference for a parlour rather than a parliament. My own parlour is a suitably civilized place for...

Not a Moment to Spare

Oh dear.  The lack of enlightenment so far in the 21st century is rather a problem.  We ethereal beings are most distressed.  In the last hour, we have held an emergency celestial convergence.  What are we supposed to do?

The above question was the main issue on the table and in our minds.  There was no time to...

Proper Holidays

Being a business traveller is quite exhausting.  I need a proper holiday, and so do many of my colleagues and acquaintances.  Are there any riots on the streets or financial markets to prevent this occurrence?

Dr Piscopia has mentioned to me that she has not had any days off for at least two hundred years and would dearly love to spend more time learning...

Enlightened Economics for All

It is very well known, except amongst political policy makers, that enlightenment requires the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion.  Most economic policies are, unfortunately, usually based on opinion.

To base economic policies on fact requires the ability to...

New Butler Possibly Required

Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between an Australian butler and an Aussie battler.  My dear...