When the wine merchant rang me offering the Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 3, I was interested. I had tried the Dry Red No. 1 and Dry Red No. 2 and liked both their offerings. The Dry Red No. 3 is much softer than I saw with the No. 1 and No. 2 and that is pretty simple as the No. 1 is a cabernet sauvignon blend, the No. 2 is a shiraz with the No. 3 a softer style.

Naturally, I checked the tasting notes and learned these were the last grapes picked. These were hand picked, so I am guessing these are older low yielding vines, they even had the first working with the feet as per traditional Portuguese style. This wine was matured in old oak barrels for 10 months before bottling so a much softer oak style with a 12.5% alcohol content.

This wine is a blend, and I must admit, I am not familiar with these varieties. So, the No. 3 is 28% Touriga Naçional, 28% Tinta Cão, 17% Tinta Amarela, 11% Tinta Roriz, 11% Alvarelhão and 5% Sousão, that is quite a mix. So I need to review Portuguese table wines, we all know their Duo Valley port blends, this is a dry style wine.

So it was a cold Friday night, the second last day of the month on the second wettest July on record. It had rained just about every day this month, I had done no running whatsoever and was feeling it, my fitness was deteriorating.

I walked in and grabbed a pint and waited for my friend to arrive. It was a cold night and I had my heavy rain jacket on, it was an open bar of sorts, there were gas heaters on. The Exchange Brewing Co had a couple of interesting drinks, my first drink was a higher malt beer, I asked for more hops so this is what I got. 

My next selection was a pilsner, this is named the Blue Chip and I thought it was pretty good. I wanted to try their lighter styles first before moving onto the heavier stout and ales. A wheat beer came next, I do like German style wheat beers ever since the Sail and Anchor opened in Fremantle in the 1980s. When I can, I drink Weihenstephan wheat beer, I like Redback wheat beer and this is what got me interested in German wheat beer. The Lemon and Lime Hefeweizen is an ok wheat beer and I would drink again.  

The Mid lager was pretty good followed by their Red Ale, these are pints and now I had already put my tablet away. I was drinking pints and they were taking effect, without notes, my night was getting hazy and Loop Hole, a pale American ale. As my friend had arrived during my second pint we really started to get going. There was some whiskey at some point, we wandered across the road to order some food to bring back and I remember the walk home was long and staggered. 

It’s been a while since I have been in Phuket, my first time in Phuket was my second overseas trip. I went there specifically to take an entry-level diving course. Now I have dived throughout South-East Asia, my first dive experiences were in Thailand and I have been back a few times since, Asia as a region is fantastic for diving.

My life changed after that two weeks, diving became a large part of my life and I have never looked back. I can’t say I have dived the world yet, my life isn’t over yet although I have dived a bit of South East Asia. My second trip to Phuket was the result of a one week Bali holiday for two people that I won through a raffle in my workplace. I wasn’t so interested in a trip for two in Bali so I went to the travel agent and changed my booking for a two week trip for one to Phuket.

Looking around European churches it is not hard to see why they are considered works of art. Where do you start? The architecture, the ceilings, ceilings, paintings or stained glass windows? What style are we looking at early Christian, Byzantine, gothic, renaissance, baroque, rococo or neoclassical.

Catholic churches spread all over Europe are architectural wonders with inspiration drawn from more than just gothic, neo-gothic, and baroque influences. I am constantly in awe of these engineering structures of excellence, I do not get sick of visiting when I am in Europe. I see so many different styles based on the time period when these churches were constructed.

So whenever I am in a city, I will visit the churches of that city, you can pretty much learn the history of the city from the churches. Europe is old, the church was the centre of the city during that period, that is why I find European churches so interesting when I visit. I do not necessarily go inside all the time, just every now and again, but I always like to wander around the outside.

I am interested in business schools, both US and international business schools. Most top tier business schools are located in the US and Europe. They may even have a campus in the Middle East or Asia or enter agreements with local universities and business schools. Like a number of the large US business schools, they have a publishing arm based on papers authored by faculty members and Chicago Business Press, now acquired by Sage.

In Europe there is Insead, IMD, IE Business School, IESE Business School, ESSEC Business School. If you no longer count the United Kingdom as Europe then there is Said Business School at Oxford university, Judge Business School at Cambridge University, London Business School, and Warwick Business School. So there is plenty of competition both internationally and domestically, Chicago Booth Business School ranks pretty highly in both US and international ratings.

So, Chicago Booth is located on Lake Michigan at the University of Chicago in the state of Illinois, Whilst US business schools are known for their specialty areas, Chicago Booth specialises in finance. I have done some finance units, I can honestly say corporate finance is my weakest area. Chicago Booth created the first Executive MBA program in the world so we know the calibre of candidate they are attracting. Chicago Booth specialises in accounting, analytical finance, business analytics, corporate finance and economics.

The Blitzkrieg tactics of the German army in World War II were designed to avoid prolonged battle instead seeking to defeat its opponents in a series of short military campaigns. German Blitzkrieg tactics were based on speed and surprise requiring the concentration of offense utilising waves of aircraft, artillery, armour and finally infantry along a narrow front.

These forces would attack weak points in enemy defensive lines driving a breach in defenses allowing armored divisions to rapidly penetrate and roam behind enemy lines causing shock and disorganisation among the enemy defenses. Blitzkrieg tactics were based on speed, coordination and maneuver; the major ability of this approach was to force large mobile forces through weak points in the enemy defensive lines causing havoc allowing pincer movements to squeeze disorientated units and damage to static lines.

With large formations cut off from communication and logistics, pressure was then placed on individual units behind the main line. German air power prevented the enemy from adequately resupplying or redeploying forces unable to send reinforcements to seal breaches in the front. Troops would then encircle opposing troops to force surrender or face annihilation.

What I enjoy about military strategy and business strategy is the tactics are somewhat similar in nature. I am not going to be invading Poland or France, the tactics are modified to business situations that require coordination, maneuver and multiple waves of attack to breach weak points in a business. After all, the tactics were born out of the necessity to prevent the loss of resources so prevalent in static lines.

The static line may be good or service a competing business offers and holding a position of market dominance, to launch a frontal attack on that business would result in a loss of financial resources. A prolonged price war may be viewed as similar to the trench warfare of WWI damaging all businesses involved and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, a series of products may be introduced into a market with some products used as loss leaders to gain a market penetration without taking the whole corporation on instead isolating certain products. 

Profits are limited on certain lines only; as such, the market leader may drop prices on competing products to counter such moves but a rational business manager wouldn’t drop prices across the board on all lines. Instead, the rational manager may allow the offensive business to gain market share on certain lines that are less profitable.

The larger business might then attempt to squeeze margins on this particular product using their market dominance to attempt to shut down this business. The offensive business is then targeting a more profitable line after attacking margins on a number of lines with the market leader less likely to engage in a price war on highly profitable lines instead giving up some market share but maintaining profit margins.

I have copped plenty of workplace abuse where I work, this has come from petty people who do not perform to any level. This level of workplace gossip is counter-productive to both team and personal performance, a toxic workplace is a miserable place for everyone – they drive the pain.

That being said, I enjoy baiting the angry and miserable bastards who spend every free moment talking about me and trying to run me down. They haven’t worked out that I care little for their stupid opinions, I don’t. So, they still like to pedal their toxic vile, their lives are miserable, they don’t have much going for them, so this is their chance to feel better about themselves.

So where do we go from here? Well, I could bait them some more, that is actually fun. Mostly I ignore them, I know who they are and what they are saying, but I never respond, so that is my standard move. I do like to see the miserable faces, the look of resignation in their sunken eyes, their slow and uninspired movement, the hate that has consumed their rotten lives, their utter sadness. I don’t need to stir them up, they do it to themselves.

The cricket season has begun and I look to Mitch Marsh, smashing bloke and the guy who sparked the Ashes revival. Mitch carried this form back to Australia and rescued Australia throughout the summer. Needless to say, Marsh won the Allan Border medal and gave an absolutely mesmerising acceptance speech – Mitch is genuinely funny.

So let’s look at Mitch’s scores against Pakistan. Mitch scored 63*, 90, 41, 96, 50*. So that is 340 runs over 5 innings for an average of 113.33 that included 4 fifties. So with those not out scores, he was looking to add to the runs and maybe even a century. However, based on his current form he was not likely to progress past the 100 run mark, I expected him to get into the 90s based on that form. Mitch is also a pretty decent switch fast bowler who can get up in the mid 140s in speed, he is a genuine all-rounder.

Superior strategy, superior tactics, highly organised implementation skills and the ability to out maneuver a management team that has installed crony appointments at every level of the organisation. We can probably throw in high-level contingency management skills, highly structured decision-making, planning skills, and the ability to problem-solve. If this is what I am accused of – I’ll take it.

I will come under scrutiny again, now that all hell has broken loose, the crony club is reeling and the finger pointing begins. This will be a witch hunt, I would suggest absolutely nothing is surer, they will be after me, but let them try. I am ok with that, they have nothing, they will not find anything and as hard as they try, they just keep embarrassing themselves.   

So, although they still try, they still can’t link the reporting of misappropriation of government funds to me. Not that they should, the emphasis should be on identifying wrongdoing to prevent the humiliation of being exposed. Instead of trying to expose the leaks, make sure there is no basis for leaks, you cannot report misappropriation if there is no misappropriation. 

So what are the likely scenarios?

1. I identify misappropriation of government funds, then induce others to report wrongdoing.
2. I am superior in strategy, tactics and tacit level skills to them.
3. I am a master of covering my tracks.
4. I just didn’t do it.

All possible scenarios are humiliating to middle and upper management, they are exposed. They have been entrusted with the efficient use of state government resources and funds. This is public money, there is an obligation to utilise government resources in the most efficient manner possible. They are entrusted as management to meet the social obligation that the role they are paid to perform is free from bias, patronage, nepotism and favouritism.

The Seiko SWR053 is a cheap Cartier Tank knock-off, I was looking for a Longines Dolce Vita for my partner when I came across the SWR083, I did not like the bracelet so much and then learned of the SWR053, so I searched further. I thought the SWR053 better suited her sense of style.

The Essentials Collection is an elegant design with its rectangular case and leather strap. Seiko is not known for either their bracelet or strap quality, so it will be up to her to upgrade to her tastes. The rectangular case is an elegant style for evening wear, for me, I would not think this would be a daily wear to the office.

The classic Roman numerals on a white background were pioneered by Cartier and form the backbone of their identity.The Cabochon crown is unusual, a semi-precious stone that is borrowed from the Cartier catalogue. The Cartier Tank is a sapphire, but in this price range, I am guessing quartz or jasper, I know what they are trying to do but for me it does not come off.