Russia-a wealthy country with a highly educated population, a country that had peacefully gotten rid of serfdom and was on a path of rapid, successful industrial development-was handed over to the Bolsheviks without a real struggle. The Russian intelligentsia, the nation’s brain, underestimated the danger and allowed a great country which had been drawn intoContinue reading “RKS Literature: Ignorant, Greedy and Brutal Bolsheviks (Vladimir Rott)”
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS 2025 Film: “A Soil A Culture A River A People”: Ignoring the Director’s Statement or at Least Some of It
“A Soil A Culture A River A People” is in the abstract museum-art galley genre. I watched this 15-minute short three times arriving at three different interpretations of its purpose. Perplexing, challenging and fun! As a film critic I receive films to review from production companies or public relations firms attaching a viewing link forContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “A Soil A Culture A River A People”: Ignoring the Director’s Statement or at Least Some of It”
RKS 2025 Wine: Spanish Hécula Monastrell
What the heck try some Hécula Monastrell from the Yecla region of Spain! It’s organic! Monastrell is the Spanish name for Mourvèdre. The grapes were grown at an altitude of 750 m in limestone soil. It has resided 6 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. Aroma: Raspberry galore. Black cherry and plum.Continue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: Spanish Hécula Monastrell”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: “Are We Done Now”: A Panoply of Emotions
In the swirl of COVID Pamela Givers (Gabrielle Miller) as a registered clinical counsellor soothes and probes the emotions of emotionally afflicted clients. Pamela is mask and hand sanitizer obsessed so she is hardly COVID neutral and she is not without emotional problems herself. A client of Pamela, film producer Dev Greene (Ben Immanuel) approachesContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film: “Are We Done Now”: A Panoply of Emotions”
RKS Literature: Avoidance of Catastrophic Thinking (Yukio Mishima)
“He believed that only a vulgar mentality was willing to acknowledge the possibility of catastrophe. He felt that taking naps was much more beneficial than confronting catastrophe. However precipitous the future might seem, he learned from the game of kemari that the ball must always come down. There was no call for consternation. Grief andContinue reading “RKS Literature: Avoidance of Catastrophic Thinking (Yukio Mishima)”
RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “The Age of Water”: Drinking to Death and Toasting Economic Short-Term Prosperity
In the Mexican state of Guanajuato, the town of La Cantera has a serious water quality problem. Independent professional testing and verifications have determined its drinking water drawn from the town’s well has a high degree of radioactivity associated with volcanic rocks leading to the formation of radon gas surfacing below from the groundwater whereContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “The Age of Water”: Drinking to Death and Toasting Economic Short-Term Prosperity”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Is There Any Pizzazz in Magnotta’s Limited Edition PZaZZ?
Magnotta Wines presents us with an Ontario VQA red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is non-vintage with the winery website stating the wine is from “a combination of two outstanding vintages of premium red blends of which 50% is from appassimento wines.” What were the outstanding vintage years? The websiteContinue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Is There Any Pizzazz in Magnotta’s Limited Edition PZaZZ?”
RKS Literature: Meditation and Returning Back to the Garden (Yukio Mishima)
“Even though he was plunged in meditation from morning to night, he was loath to direct his immense emotional reserves toward a single conclusion. Meditation had a great deal in common with kemari, the traditional sport of the Ayakuras. No matter how high one kicked the ball, it would obviously come back to earth againContinue reading “RKS Literature: Meditation and Returning Back to the Garden (Yukio Mishima)”
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: & Evermore Chardonnay: Can an Ontario “Budget” Chardonnay Deliver?
If one pauses momentarily in a wave of Canadian patriotism accentuated by Trumpian carnival barking annexation of Canada aggression and decides to buy Canadian wine one may discover Canadian wines can be pricier than many Chilean, Spanish, Argentinian and Portuguese wines. Chardonnay is no exception so with interest we try a $16 & Evermore 2023Continue reading “RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: & Evermore Chardonnay: Can an Ontario “Budget” Chardonnay Deliver?”
RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “In Hell With IVO”: A Most Interesting Bulgarian!
I was last in 1973 Bulgaria as a whippersnapper with shoulder length hair. There were very few adventuresome tourists in that part of the Iron Curtain at the time. As I was walking the streets of Sofia drinking some green carbonated beverage of unknown composition three Dutch young folk stopped me and asked how IContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “In Hell With IVO”: A Most Interesting Bulgarian!”
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 