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”

The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 28: Goat’s Head Special Delivery from Don Lupara?

Ginevra and I had earmarked Saturdays for an exploration of New York City. So many sites to see. My favourite was Central Park an oasis from the urban frantic New York. No matter the mood or weather we had frequent walks there. I liked the lagoon with its ducks and benches to observe the worldContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 28: Goat’s Head Special Delivery from Don Lupara?”

The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version) :Chapter 27: Getting to Know My Sweet Italian Plum: Are Matters Getting Serious? Yoko Ono and Ginerva Hit it Off

My assignment with the United Mutations in New York had concluded but I received a call from Squid asking if I was wiling to address world leaders at a United Nation’s General Assembly meeting to determine if the United Mutations should be granted observer status at the United Nations. You can imagine the preparation thatContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version) :Chapter 27: Getting to Know My Sweet Italian Plum: Are Matters Getting Serious? Yoko Ono and Ginerva Hit it Off”

The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version): Chapter 26: Getting to Know My Sweet Italian Plum Ginerva: Am I Playing with Molten Lava?

My romantic escapades have been brief and disastrous. Minah my 160-pound sweetheart ended up in psychiatric care and her brother Abdul murdered my mother. Reena was set ablaze by her evil mother-in-law and the Toad with her marriage obsession was enough to drive off any sensible young man. But heck better to have loved thatContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version): Chapter 26: Getting to Know My Sweet Italian Plum Ginerva: Am I Playing with Molten Lava?”