The pain in the knee has disappeared but overnight a pain in the ankle. What a pain in the ass! I am a Hop Along Cassidy and in excruciating pain. Nothing works not even the Dicoflex cream from the compounding pharmacy which I had to cease taking due to an adverse reaction being a rash and the chills. Stuck in the room and in no mood for breakfast. Sat around like a turnip and read the never-ending Anna Karenin full of thoughts at this point in the book of agrarian reform and the stupidity and decadence of the Russian aristocracy. At least Fotini saw her cousin and her husband in the bar downstairs while I watched an airplane disaster documentary then a documentary on propaganda in the Third Reich. The Nazis ran the largest travel agency in Germany. A cruise ship, the Wilhelm Gustlaff carrying some 10,000 escaping soldiers and civilians fleeing the Russian onslaught in Poland was sunk with an estimated 9,000 fatalities. The largest maritime disaster ever. Tomorrow off to Athens by airplane and not on a ship thank goodness.
RKS Poetry: Ex President Trump and Dementia
It is Rude to Mock Those with Dementia
We must not mock those suffering from dementia
I caught a clip of some comedian hawking virtual cards about the orange toad
Had a great laugh about the mocking of a twit specializing in bankruptcy and failed coups
like a kamikaze pilot taking out the enemy
then
someone told me this was not a joke
Not a Saturday Night Live skit
but a real live twit
Isn’t it time to realize
perhaps
that this man
needs some help
but suggest that and millions of followers
will begin to yelp
man it is obvious this international embarrassment is in dire need of help!
A performer in “Nightmare Alley” ?
Robert K. Stephen (a matter of opinion)
RKS Health: Emerging Role of Cannabis for the Seriously Ill: A United States Perspective
As I have certifications in mindfulness and COVID management from Canadian, American and European universities and have written on certain medical topics I receive regular webinar invitations from the MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care based in New York. MJHS conducts research and offers education and training for health professionals in palliative care. On December 14, 2022 I attended an MJHS webinar “Emerging Role of Medical Cannabis for the Seriously Ill” given by Bernard Lee, MD Director of Palliative Care Provider Practice/Hospice Access Physician MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care.
My late mother worked in palliative care in Montreal in the 1970’s and I remember her telling me of the many cancer patients smoking marijuana outside the hospital to relieve their pain and nausea from the chemo drugs they were taking. You may have surmised this was a “new use” for an illegal drug. But up to 1937 when cannabis was criminalized in the United States there were some 280 manufacturers with 2,000 different cannabis medical preparations for asthma, cough, insomnia, labour pains, migraines, throat infection, withdrawal from opium etc. in 1851 it was listed in U.S. Pharmacopeia. And for some trivia…in 1890 Queen Victoria’s personal physician prescribed cannabis for menstrual cramps.
Dr. Lee explained the first recorded medical use of cannabis was in China in 2727 B.C. In 1840 it was introduced in Europe by Dr. William O’Shaughnessy who served for the East India Trading Company. In the United States from 1937 to 1969 The Marijuana Tax Act made the possession and transfer of cannabis throughout the United States illegal excluding medical and industrial uses. In 1970 the United States Controlled Substance Act classified cannabis as having high abuse potential, no medical use and not safe to use under medical supervision. By December of 2022, 39 states and Washington D.C. have legal medical cannabis programmes and 21 states permit recreational use.
In states with medical cannabis laws there is a 24.8% lower annual mean opioid overdose mortality rate compared with states without medical cannabis laws. Cannabis remains illegal federally so even in states where cannabis is legal for medical purposes physicians can advise but prescribe.
Cannabis contains 400 chemical components and there are 120 identified phytocannabinoids (unique to cannabis) with THC and CBD the most prevalent and well studied.
THC has psychoactive effects. It can be used as analgesic (pain reducer), antispasmodic, antitremor, anti-inflammatory, and appetite stimulant. CBD is not psychoactive and can reduce the effects of THC, to control pain and inflammation and as an antioxidant.
Cannabis can be inhaled by smoking or vaping with onset anywhere from seconds to minutes with a duration of 1-3 hours while oral edibles onset is 30-90 minutes with a duration of 4 to 12 hours.
The side effects of THC are transient and nonlethal and may cause increased appetite, red eyes, dry mouth dilated pupils, dizziness, distorted perception, increased heart rate and anxiety. It may lead to “Green Outs” i.e. panic attacks, severe paranoia and fear, hallucinations and severe dizziness. Side effects can be managed by reassurance, hydration, CBD, hot baths and benzodiazepine.
Dr. Lee reviewed 7 of his clinical cases most of which showed the beneficial effects of cannabis unless his dosage recommendations were not adhered to. A common thread amongst the elderly was the potential for green outs due to the fear of cannabis. One case involved a retired Drug Enforcement Agency agent who spent his career hunting down cannabis dealers and smugglers. His wife “snuck in” cannabis for his ailment and eventually told him she was giving him cannabis. It started to cause him to question his years spent as a DEA agent as being useless! One patient was near death with cancer. After a year of taking THC and CBD he was in complete remission. In two years this patient was completely robust. One patient badly afflicted by arthritis and taking medications including opioids with cannabis managed to cold turkey off opioids.
The case studies show each condition and patient may need different and ongoing cannabis strategies.
Dr. Lee expressed concern about having elderly patients increasing the risk of falls if too much THC is taken. Cannabis has worked well for his patients suffering from insomnia but a slower and longer acting oral route is advised so the effects last throughout the night. The best benefits of cannabis seem to be with an equal ratio of THC to CBD. Over the counter CBD ranges from cheap to very expensive. Extracting CBD from cannabis plants is very expensive in order to remove contaminants so cheap CBD should be viewed with suspicion yet high priced CBD is no guarantee of purity. Higher quality controls exist for medical cannabis.
Note that medical and recreational cannabis is legal in Canada but access to it requires a medical evaluation and a prescription from a physician.
In the webinars I have attended there is a desperation element that drives the use of medical cannabis. Frequently it is a situation where no other drug is effective.
This article is not medical advice. Should you wish to become a medical cannabis user in Canada you will have to go through an evaluation by a physician. Self medication through use of recreational cannabis without medical supervision may not be effective. An experienced cannabis physician is your best bet to get the dosage of THC and CBD component that is effective. Tax credits are available to Canadian taxpayers for medical cannabis purchases in Canada
In closing Dr. Lee provided the following quote, “Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care….It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.” DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young, Ruling in the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition September 6, 1988.
RKS Wines: What Wine to Bring for that Holiday Dinner You Have Been Invited to?
Assume you have been invited out for a holiday dinner to a family member or friend’s house. It is customary to bring some libations unless you are an ill-mannered lout.
Remember that your host has gone to a great deal of expense and effort in preparing the dinner.
So what do you bring?
- Don’t just grab a bottle you see on the shelf at your retailer
- You might want to ask your host about what wine would suit the dishes assuming of course your host knows appropriate food and wine pairings
- You may want to ask your host what the menu is so you can march into your retailer and ask them what they recommend
- It is not about what wine your host likes but rather what food is being served and what wine suits that food. Your host loves Cabernet Sauvignon but if you are having turkey Cabernet Sauvignon should remain at home!
- You can’t go wrong with a bottle of champagne or crémant
- Don’t forget dessert and wine! Perhaps a bottle of Tawny Port or Late Bottle Vintage Port if there is chocolate involved
- If you bring a bottle of wine that does not suit any of the dishes served don’t expect that it will be served unless of course your host is not wine savvy and would serve anything! As one of my wine educators said years ago at Christmas any wine works as guests will be pickled by the time food is served. Amusing but a gross inaccuracy but in certain situations it might be true unless you are going to a Proud Boys buffet dinner.
The holiday season can be stressful so perhaps this article has stressed you out even more. It was intended to reduce your stress but think about the stress your hosts are under! Surely this stress is better than staying at home and eating Chinese food and watching the Fireplace Channel!
RKS Wine: Some CAVA Please to Start Your Feast This Christmas or New Year’s Eve
If you have a multi course dinner awaiting you this upcoming holiday season there is an adage that your palate should be cleaned up and fresh so you can appreciate your festive dinner. This is where a Brut or Extra Brut sparkling wine can be of use as its acidic composition scours the palate of detritus. And if you like your bubbly there is no reason it can’t be continued throughout your meal.
A CAVA from Spain fits the bill in terms of purpose and its reasonable cost and since CAVAs are made in the traditional method as Champagnes are you are drinking “quasi-Champagne” at budget prices.
Why not a Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva? On the nose a very CAVAish blast of lime and lemon with a gentle wafting of freshly baked bread and baked pears. On the palate that acidity scours out what ever snacks you have been nibbling on particularly any cheeses which can distort the taste of the wine served with your meal. Again an old adage states buy wine on bread and sell on cheese.
The Campo Viejo CAVA does its job and you are ready to go. Yes wine can have a utilitarian function!
(Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva, (bottled for) Pernod Ricard Winemakers, San Sebastian, Spain, $17.95, 750 mL, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 25911, 11.5%)
“The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous”: Chapter 18: Mind Numbing Law School at the University of Cote St. Luc: Learning the Tricks of the Trade
Back home in Bombay my relatives were chattering non-stop about my next step in life. It was MEDICINE, LAW, ACCOUNTING and COMPLIANCE! I could have lived a life of idle luxury with my wealth but the voice of my late father incessantly advised improve yourself and society by your actions. I could not see how my idleness would do either.
Having nothing much better to do I applied to the University of Cote St. Luc Law School in Montreal in their 4-year National Programme which would result in obtaining an LLB (common law degree) and BCL (civil law degree). I was accepted.
So it was 4 more years in Montreal this time instead of the Presidential Suite at the 4 Season’s Hotel in Montreal it was an “executive room” at the Cavendish Congress Centre Hotel in a Montreal suburb Cote St. Luc. This necessitated a 20-minute bus ride to the campus. Food was much more basic in my new digs. I ate many a meal at the Ben Ash Restaurant in the nearby Cavendish Mall. I developed a fondness for Cote St. Luc Bagel Bakery blueberry Danishes and pickled eggs at the Robert Burns Tavern.
Day one at law school witnessed a friendly and encouraging talk by one of the professors who said look to your left and right and amongst the three of you only one will graduate. So supportive and nurturing. What devils had I got myself caught up with? The professors liked to demean students although a lot could be said about students demeaning professors. That professor with his fly open. The hot shot professor who flew in from Quebec City to give lectures on “Being an Effective Tool for Megacorp Profitability”. For his exam he overloaded students with so many questions no one finished that exam causing a bit of mass trauma. He later joked about it saying this is the stress you will have to live with in practice so get used to it. Nice man.
Being an “artsy fartsy” graduate it was difficult initially to be treated like a receptacle for judicial decisions. Were they good or bad? That was not important. The trick was to reduce all judgements into four sentences and memorize all those sentences and spew them out. The critical mind was not necessary or appreciated.
The competitive atmosphere fostered the aims and ambitions of the cutthroats. Many of the most successful students had limited intellectual ability. They were excellent regurgitators. One shocking incident involved 4 students. I saw these students give a wad of cash to some faculty employee who passed along a large brown envelope in return for the cash. It no doubt was meant to be secretive but word soon circulated about a bribery to obtain advance copies of several final exams. These students were award winning model students! I wonder why! One was eventually arrested for homicide and one other became the Minister of Justice of Quebec.
So after 4 years I did indeed graduate so it was off to indentured servitude called articling.
RKS Spirits: Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch: Memory Lane and Scotch Schizophrenia
Glenfiddich in the scotch world is a tried, true and tested name. The scotch was matured in Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks. Glenfiddich has been family owned and run for five generations and counting quite like the Symington’s Port dynasty in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
As memory serves me I recall early experiences with spirits aboard a now defunct charter airline based in Kennedy Airport in New York called Overseas National Airways. There were quite often southern church groups flying on my flights and they would be hollering at the stewardesses (as they were then referred to), “Hey Honey another 7 and 7!” I figured out that this was 7 Up and Seagram’s 7 Rye Whisky. Rest assured in the 1970’s on these charter flights it was the hard stuff and beer (unfortunately predominately Budweiser).
Having this memory on an Air Canada flight this September from Athens to Toronto I ordered a Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch over many rocks as its duration is extended and changes its character as the ice slowly melts. It makes the time pass. I took a walk up the aisle to investigate what passengers in steerage were drinking. Mostly warm beer as airlines, except for Lufthansa, do not understand what a cold beer is. If any spirits were being consumed in the aisle I walked down I didn’t see any scotch. I did see some rum and cokes and the ever-popular Bailey’s Irish Cream. No shouts of “7 and 7 Honey !” The point being scotch was not in heavy demand. Of all the people I know only one appreciates scotch. Wine rules the day but of note in the past few years there has been an attempt by some spirit producers to market the fact that Millennials are now enjoying spirits although based on my observations in Europe the young folk are happily imbibing cocktails. Patio crazed Millennials here in Canada seem thirsty for craft beer, a step up from Bud.
Is scotch a drink for fuddly old men? If so what a shame. Many single malt scotches are complex and multi layered spirits and several blended scotches are not far behind. Single malt scotches are a product of one distillery and aged for a minimum of three years in oak. Blended scotches can be whiskies from more than one distillery.
Good blended scotch and single malt scotch can be served neat , with water or on the rocks. Over the rocks might be the best way to see a schizophrenic side to scotch. As the ice melts and the volume of water increases the scotch takes on different personalities. So with the Glenfiddich why not try it in the three different serving styles.
Glenfiddich 12 Neat
Aromas of apricot, peach, tangerine and butterscotch. On the palate a glowing warm burn coats the mouth with a long finish where the short flames settle down into embers gently warming the palate. So Glenfiddich 12 as far as aromatics go is intriguing as a wine can be. On the palate a certain spiciness pervades with notes of Seville orange marmalade, honey and sticky toffee with a gentle woodiness folded up nicely in the glow of the aftertaste.
Glenfiddich 12 Over the Rocks
Ice used should be from filtered or spring water. Chemicals in tap water such as chlorine and fluoride will distort the taste of the scotch. The ice will chill down the scotch and give it a different character. Best to avoid the term “dilution” and perhaps say it alters the taste profile. Large cubes will slow down the volume of melted water. What water does is tone down the intensity of the spirit. The Glenfiddich 12’s aroma does alter with ice as suddenly ginger wafts up to the nose and the woodiness retreats as water tends to supress ethanol molecules and the flavours extracted from wooden barrels. On the palate the alcohol burn is almost eliminated with the scotch becoming a far gentler creature. The length of the finish decreases. I like my martinis shaken vigorously and never stirred. I like my scotch with ice. You can adjust your consumption speed as the ice melts.
Glenfiddich 12 with Water
Water added is a constant addition to the glass unlike ice that increases water volume as it melts. It is remarkable how a few drops of water mellow the scotch aromatically and from a flavour perspective. The warm glowing burn retreats substantially.
However you consume your scotch Glenfiddich 12 is a high quality scotch. Why not give yourself a treat and buy a bottle and give it a taste, neat, over ice or with a few drops of water. You may surprise yourself as to what serving style you prefer. In fact you may discover a style that wins you over Glenfiddich 12! You may decide you have been missing something very special for all these years.
(Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, $69.95 Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 12385, 750 mL)
RKS Film: “Last of the Right Whales”: Despair and Hope
“Last of the Right Whales” is a documentary about the perils North Atlantic right whales face and what is being done to save them from extinction. It is bound to enthrall viewers yet cause some emotional trauma. The drone photography is nothing but spectacular and sickening when watching right whales entangled in fishing ropes or hacked by propellers thrashing about in distress.
“Last of the Right Whales” will have its world broadcast premiere to kick off the 62nd season of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s The Nature of Things on 6January2023 at 21:00 hours on CBC television and at CBC Gem. If you can’t access those the documentary has participated in 16 film festivals and 28 coastal tour events and will be further circulating around the globe.
You will learn about how boat traffic and fishing gear is threatening these curious, intelligent and peaceful mammoths. You may find their suffering extremely difficult to watch perhaps unbearable for many watching a fishing gear entangled right whale thrashing wildly.
It is always easy to tear into the fisherman but credit the documentary for letting one of them speak about the issue and explain that fisherman are part of the problem but they may also be part of the solution. Some attempts are being made to reduce the use of ropes by commercial fishermen. Speed limits have been imposed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to avoid collisions with whales
You will hear from conservationists, scientists, veterinarians, fishermen, writers and citizen scientists working on the problem in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Bay of Fundy, The Gulf of Mexico and Cape Cod.
There are a few uncomfortable moments and emotional ones but as one scientist says we can’t rely on the government alone. The solution is with all of us and understanding the problem is a start for many viewers.
If only the documentary could advise viewers how they can be part of the solution.
Director and producer is Nadine Pequeneza.
RKS Wine: Red Wines with Roast Turkey?
Yes, you can pair red wine with roast turkey with or without cranberry sauce being on the side. While a white wine might shrivel with cranberry sauce anywhere near it a red wine just might co-exist with cranberry sauce better than a white wine would. But full-bodied red wines such as a Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon might be an ill-advised match as they would overwhelm both white and dark meat and the vegetables. Go with a light red such as a Gamay or a Pinot Noir. If you select a Pinot Noir you might do better with a more entry level one with a bit of traction to it. I am sorry but elegance and roast turkey are not bedfellows.
So I am thinking a 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula Pinot Noir from Cave Spring might be a perfect match at $22 at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. It has aromas of cherry, strawberry, beet juice and milk chocolate. It does have some tannins to it perhaps more indicative of an entry level Pinot Noir. The fruit on the palate is discrete so it will not overpower the meat nor the vegetables. This Pinot Noir is substantially superior to those Ontario Pinot Noirs in its price range. It is well made, modest with just enough tannins to perfectly match your turkey and all the trimmings.
American readers have a choice of many Oregonian Pinot Noirs while European readers may happily settle for a mid market Burgundy.
(Cave Spring 2020 Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Cave Spring Vineyard, Jordon, Ontario, $21.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 417642 750 mL, 13.5%)
“The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous” : Chapter 17: A Big Shot with a Bachelor of Arts: What Next?
I breezed through my Bachelor of Arts programme at McGill University so the question was what is next? When I was in the midst of my political science studies I noted the hordes of political science students slavishly busting their butts day and night in search of high grades to enable entrance into the hugely competitive law school admissions stream. Poor buggers I used to think. What came to me naturally they struggled with like a matter of life and death. Political science was the Golden Brick Road to law school these intellectually starved waifs thought.
Well as a rich bastard I could have lived a life of luxury anywhere in the world but I had these visions of my father Paneer who pulled himself up from poverty to establish a huge commercial enterprise albeit it was founded on dealing hashish to Indian monks and tourists.
I applied to McGill Law School and was accepted with my high marks and Indian ancestry that led to an advantage those law school administrators could exploit internationally. I rejected my acceptance to their dismay and delight of those ragged band of political science students who dreamt of what I rejected.
My choice was to work for a year in Montreal and write a novel. So I accepted a position as a casting assistant for the Connie Blue Talent Agency in Montreal to place, as I was told, leading talent in the emerging Canadian movie industry.
Connie was a throaty chain-smoking lesbian and Joc her “fronting husband” (another homosexual) ran the agency which was a two-bit supplier of underwear models for discount chain Zellers and Woolworths. I think their poufy dog really ran the agency while they were fornicating with “friends” in the backrooms of the agency. There was their lead talent an anorexic Russian who had the talent and body but was “overburdened” by cocaine. So it was a fruitless job for me. One day in my best Parisian French I dealt with a client and that French I used was mocked by Connie. I said, “Fuck Off you shit” and walked out the door.
So I focused on my novel for 6 months writing around the clock on a 1935 typewriter and it was called “Pirates of the Aegean”. It was filched from me into a stolen nowhere novel by the theif and picked up by Hollywood. The criminal pirate was the thief who stole my novel. He never was seen after his vacation to Bombay. My friends saw to that.
So what was next?
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 