Don Lupara and I left the family compound after a hearty breakfast of fruit, smoked ham and Napoli croissants loaded with Malvagia’s stupendous orange marmalade made from oranges from the family orchards in Ischia. With food like this perhaps the “Fat” in “Fat Fox” might have referred to the effects of all the tremendous NeapolitanContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version) : Chapter 32: Scampia, Naples: Down and Dirty in the Cocaine and Heroin Factory and Price Club Distribution Centre”
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS 2025 Documentary: “A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion”
“A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” is what you get in this American documentary; Bob Mackie and many others, predominately entertainers and celebrities, discussing the career of American costume designer Bob Mackie. Mackie, now 85, started sketching as a boy preferring that to athletic pursuits. When asked what he wanted to do “when youContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary: “A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion””
RKS 2025 Wine: More Token Romanians
A few Romanian wines have limped into Ontario of late. Should the Trump administration impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods flowing into the United States the Premier of Ontario has threatened to have the state liquor monopoly (Liquor Control Board of Ontario aka LCBO) refrain from selling United States wine in the province ofContinue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: More Token Romanians”
The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version): Chapter 31: My One on One with Don Lupara (the Fat Fox): Invited to Join the “Family”
I knew Don Lupara wanted a private conversation with me. Hopefully it was not to slit my throat! After dinner one night at the “family compound” Don Lupara “invited” me for a chat, just him and me! We had yet another coffee and grappa. Boy those Italians drink coffee like water and just as fast!Continue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version): Chapter 31: My One on One with Don Lupara (the Fat Fox): Invited to Join the “Family””
The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 30: Meeting Don Lupara in Naples: Better Toasted than Being Toast!
Ginevra and I flew to Naples via Frankfurt in mid November. Naples was almost warm when we arrived at 11 a.m. We were met by two burly men in the arrivals area. And wouldn’t you know one of the men was that heavily tattooed man with a scar on his face and Iroquois haircut thatContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 30: Meeting Don Lupara in Naples: Better Toasted than Being Toast!”
RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Mediha”: ISIL’s Genocidal DNA
ISIL is a genocidal force bent on the annihilation of “non- believers”. There is no middle ground for fanatics. They can’t destroy all non-believers so they pick away here and there whether that be New Orleans, Paris, Moscow and many other urban centres with easy civilian targets. On 3August2014 ISIL commenced its attack on theContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Mediha”: ISIL’s Genocidal DNA”
The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 29: All Shook Up! The Fat Fox aka Don Lupara Backs Down
I mean how would you feel receiving a severed goat’s head via Fedex! Ginevra and I were all shook up. Ginerva requested we not talk about it until our Saturday “Discover New York Day”. She had a few calls to make and set somebody straight. And when Ginerva is mad, as I saw with herContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 29: All Shook Up! The Fat Fox aka Don Lupara Backs Down”
RKS 2025 Film: “Vermiglio”: Idyllic Decomposition
Pietro (Giuseppe De Domenico) a Sicilian deserter from the Italian Army assists a local fellow deserter, Attillo, to return to the latter’s mountainous home village Vermiglio. It is 1944 and the Second World War is drawing to a close. Vermiglio appears untouched by the war with an occasional plane flying overhead being the only tangibleContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Vermiglio”: Idyllic Decomposition”
RKS 2025 Film: “Young Werther”: A Canadian Reverse Romcom Classic
Werther (Douglas Booth) a prepped out overconfident and shallow young man from the ritzy Anglo Montreal suburb of Westmount arrives in Toronto with geeky germaphobe buddy Paul (Jaouhar Ben Ayed) on a family errand. Once completed Werther will journey to Europe “to write his memoirs” but being so young what memoirs could this pompous assContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Young Werther”: A Canadian Reverse Romcom Classic”
RKS Literature: The Chinese as Inveterate Gamblers
“Over the centuries Chinese peasants have never had any control over the circumstances of their lives. Often acts of God, but more commonly acts of man, have completely disrupted any attempt to lead a rational and normal existence. Hard work seldom reaps its just rewards or even put sufficient rice into the family bowl toContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Chinese as Inveterate Gamblers”
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 