Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS Literature: What to Expect at the Italian Frontier (James Baldwin)

“And then, abruptly one is at the Italian frontier. They seem extremely surprised, but, on the whole, delighted that you decided to drop by. Between extravagant offers of extravagant dinners, and impassioned questions as to what drove you from your part of the world, they are perfectly willing to glance at your passport and stampContinue reading “RKS Literature: What to Expect at the Italian Frontier (James Baldwin)”

RKS Literature: What to Expect at Swiss Customs (James Baldwin)

“Within seconds, the time it takes to cross a small backyard (French customs), one has left this outpost, the last witness to this indisputably dour and extraordinarily interesting people and one is facing the apple faced Swiss. Their quarters are impeccable, as are their uniforms. The Swiss do not smoke their cigarettes but leave themContinue reading “RKS Literature: What to Expect at Swiss Customs (James Baldwin)”

RKS 2025 Wine: From Portugal’s Dão Comes Cota 700 From Magnum Wines

I had the pleasure of visiting Magnum wines in Portugal a few years ago. A very commercial winery in comparison to most of the other Dão wineries I visited. I remember well the commercial Christmas cases and displays. So nontraditional for most of Portugal at the time. Good quality wines at different price points correspondingContinue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: From Portugal’s Dão Comes Cota 700 From Magnum Wines”

RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Post Surgical Mindfulness

Being certified in mindfulness from both the University of Toronto and the University of Leiden I might venture to say I have both a North American and European perspective of mindfulness. Being frank there are some flaky elements to mindfulness but some concepts should (or could) be applied to your hernia adventure. There is moreContinue reading “RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Post Surgical Mindfulness”

RKS Literature: What to Expect at the French Frontier (James Baldwin)

“The man at the frontier has cigarette ashes all up and down his uniform, and a cigarette is established between his lips. He has not the remotest interest in the voyager, or his passport. Sometimes he forces himself to squint at both. Sometimes he looks at the baggage, sometimes not. Sometimes he stamps the passport;Continue reading “RKS Literature: What to Expect at the French Frontier (James Baldwin)”

RKS Literature: The Brutally Manufactured Lola San-Marquand (James Baldwin)

“I never knew her to dress in any other way. She must have had hundreds of black dresses and scarves-though-in fact, a black and impetuous toque sometimes did duty for the scarf, This, however, was mainly on opening nights. She impressed me-she impresses me still-as one of the most curious, most loving, devious, ruthless, andContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Brutally Manufactured Lola San-Marquand (James Baldwin)”

RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Devolution of Pain Into Annoyance as a Pain Management Tool

Imagine on day 28 after your hernia procedure the pain remains unwavering. It is on the low level of let’s say 4 or 5 out of ten. You have given up on your over-the-counter pain meds as how much more can your body tolerate and at a certain point they don’t seem to annihilate orContinue reading “RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Devolution of Pain Into Annoyance as a Pain Management Tool”

RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Recovery from Inguinal Hernia Surgery: The Terror of Anticipated Pain and Opioid Pain Relief

Dr. Google/ChatGPT explain the over-the-counter pain relief medications and the big guns like opioids the latter instilling, perhaps rightly so, terror of opioids. I am sure you have your personal perceptions of the evils of opioids. On a scale of 1-10 my view is I’ll take post hospital when my pain scale is a 12/10.Continue reading “RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: Recovery from Inguinal Hernia Surgery: The Terror of Anticipated Pain and Opioid Pain Relief”

RKS Literature: White Police: Black Men (James Baldwin)

“Because I’m black and they paid to beat on black asses. But, with a kid your size, they just might get into trouble. So they let us go. They knew you weren’t nothing but a kid. They knew it. But they didn’t care. All black people are shit to them. You remember that. You blackContinue reading “RKS Literature: White Police: Black Men (James Baldwin)”

RKS 2025 Wine: A Graciano from Spain’s Navarra Appellation

Graciano is a spicy aromatic, intensely flavoured grape and is less tannic than Tempranillo and tends to oxidize easily. It is not capable of ageing for any extended period. It prefers cool clay-chalk soils and mild damp climates and dislikes drought and intense summer heat. We try an Agramont Graciano from the Navarra appellation inContinue reading “RKS 2025 Wine: A Graciano from Spain’s Navarra Appellation”