This is an autobiographical documentary featuring musician Moby who started with punk and moved to electro.
He had a miserable childhood with an alcoholic father who died when Moby was a tot. The parents were arguing incessantly. His only solace were his pets and then music as he took to playing a guitar one of his mother’s boyfriends left behind. Animals were nice but people terrifying. He nonetheless became a successful musician. Such a wretched childhood could have easily destroyed many. Film director David Lynch says about Moby, “Negativity sometimes creates pure gold within.” Moby re-enacts some of his early childhood saying, “I’m three and nothing good has happened to me.” It is not strange he ended up as an animal rights activist.
Eventually he ended up in New York and dropped acid that left him with a 16 month panic attack and at 19 the only way to stop the panic was to get drunk. He dabbled in drugs as well to the point he said he hoped one day he would never wake up from his sleep. He was so drunk he could not attend his mother’s funeral.
He finally achieved great success with his Play album and after that his albums became less popular which led to depression and more drinking and cocaine. He “bottomed out” in 2008 and stopped his drinking.
He is well spoken and the documentary shows his intelligence. Get ready for a visual spectacle.
Where is Moby now? Well he is alive and as a DJ friend of mine said he is known now more as a vegan and animal rights activist than a musician. The history of music is full of casualties. Moby narrowly missed being one of them. The film is showing at Ted Rogers Hot Doc Cinema in Toronto starting on May 27th and on the 28th at Vancity in Vancouver.
This 92-minute documentary directed by Rob Gordon Bralver is definitely worth a watch. Sort of a combination of creativity and misery. You can catch the trailer here https://vimeo.com/539756136
To help keep communities safe and protect British Columbia’s health-care system from COVID-19, the Province has authorized site-specific road checks on travel corridors between regions to help enforce the non-essential travel restrictions that were announced on April 23, 2021.
On the advice of B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO), Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, issued an Emergency Program Act order to prohibit non-essential travel between three regional zones in the province. The regional zones are:
Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (Fraser Health and Coastal Health regions);
Vancouver Island (Island Health region); and
Northern/Interior (Interior Health and Northern Health regions).
During the first weekend of the new travel restrictions, BC Ferries vehicle traffic was down more than 25% fleet-wide, and passenger traffic down more than 30%, compared to the weekend before. Resort communities and accommodation businesses have contacted the Province to note significant declines in out-of-region visitors and bookings, and BC Parks has reported more than 5,000 cancellations in the past few weeks. Building off this success in limiting non-essential travel, the province will authorize site-specific, clearly marked police road checks to further curb recreational travel.
The road checks may be put in place at any time until the order is lifted at 12:01 a.m. on May 25, 2021, (after the May long weekend). The road checks may be set up on highway corridors that connect different regions of the province to remind travellers of the order.
“These restrictions on non-essential travel are saving lives, it’s in the best interest of all British Columbians to follow them, and I know most are given the significant drop we’ve seen in out-of-region travel,” Farnworth said. “But it is also important that we get enforcement right, and consider concerns raised by the public and incorporate the feedback received from racialized communities. I want to be clear that the intent of this order is not punishment, but rather education around non-essential travel prevention to protect us all from the spread of COVID-19. My hope is that every British Columbian realizes the tremendous progress we can make if we stay close to home, and we can give the heroes in our health-care system a fighting chance at putting the current spike in cases behind us.”
When stopped at a road check restricting non-essential travel, police will only have the authority to request:
a driver’s name, address and driver’s license
any available documentation regarding driver’s name and address (for example, secondary identification that confirms a driver’s residential address if recently moved)
the purpose of the driver’s travel (documentation regarding travel is not required)
Police cannot engage in arbitrary vehicle or street checks. Site-specific enforcement measures will be informed by ongoing discussions with stakeholders on limiting the impacts to the public and racialized communities. If police have reasonable grounds to believe that a person has travelled for a non-essential purpose, they can direct the traveller to turn around and leave the region. These measures will be limited to site-specific and authorized police operations on travel corridors between regions.
The goal of these road checks is education and further discouraging people from travelling for non-essential reasons. If compliance measures are deemed necessary by police, fines can be handed out. At the discretion of police, a contravention of this Emergency Program Act travel order may be subject to a $575 fine.
The RCMP will deploy a trained, dedicated team to manage and enforce road check locations, and ensure interactions are in line with the intent of the order and all existing police policy and police standards.
While the travel order puts legal limits only on travel between regional zones, the PHO’s guidance remains unchanged throughout B.C.: everyone should continue to stay within their local community – essential travel only.
For information on the latest PHO orders and guidance, non-medical issues like travel recommendations and how to manage social isolation, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/COVID-19
For more information and latest medical updates on COVID-19, follow the BC Centre for Disease Control on Twitter @CDCofBC or visit its website: http://www.bccdc.ca
MEDIA RELEASE – As would-be travellers continue to pursue refunds for cancelled flights, cruises and other travel plans due to COVID-19, Consumer Protection BC wants British Columbians to know they may have options under provincial law.
After over a year of cancelled travel plans, many consumers have had issues securing refunds from airlines and other travel suppliers.
“We know that this has been a serious issue for people, especially during a time when many are experiencing financial hardship,” says Shahid Noorani, vice-president. “Travel services are not cheap and being denied refunds during a pandemic can have a significant financial impact on consumers.”
What some BC consumers and businesses might not be aware of are the cancellation and refund rights that exist if travel plans are booked online, through email, or over the phone. These transactions, called distance sales contracts, are not booked in person and offer certain protections to consumers who don’t receive the services they paid for. If eligible consumers take the proper steps to exercise their rights, they should be provided with a full refund in the same way they paid, as outlined in the law. Consumer Protection BC has been successful in securing refunds for several consumers who have followed their process under the distance sales laws.
While some airlines have initiated a refund process for consumers to follow, not all travel suppliers have made this option available. Consumer Protection BC encourages impacted travellers to first go through the refund process of the supplier (if one is available) before exercising their cancellation and refund rights under law. Consumer Protection BC has detailed information available on their website about eligibility, what forms to use, and the steps needed to request a refund properly.
“Many consumers do not know that they are entitled to a refund under BC laws. Businesses and credit card issuers are often equally unaware of their obligations under these laws,” said Dr. Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights. “We warmly welcome the provincial regulator’s initiative to provide the public with reliable information on BC consumer protection laws.”
Recognizing that many consumers have been unsuccessful in securing refunds for travel services over the last year, Consumer Protection BC is reminding businesses of their obligations under the law. As a provincial regulator, the agency can legally issue financial penalties and order non-compliant businesses to refund impacted consumers.
“If travel suppliers are conducting business in British Columbia, they are required to abide by the laws in BC,” says Noorani. “If they choose to ignore these laws, we’re willing to take action to bring them into compliance and help get consumers their money back.”
What impacted consumers need to know
If consumers want to learn more about how to exercise their rights when it comes to travel refunds, Consumer Protection BC encourages them to visit their website for detailed information about eligibility, what forms to use, and the steps needed to request a refund properly. If eligible consumers are denied a full refund after following their process, Consumer Protection BC wants to them to submit a complaint for their review and possible investigation.
Please be aware that the laws Consumer Protection BC oversees when it comes to these transactions are very specific and not everyone will be eligible to go through the process for a refund.
About Consumer Protection BC:
Consumer Protection BC is the regulator of a variety of sectors and specific consumer transactions in the province. Our mandate is to license and inspect our regulated businesses, respond to consumer inquiries, investigate alleged violations of consumer protection laws, and to classify all general release motion pictures.
The way COVID-19 is threatening the Ontario Health care system and considering the public is subject to a dicey waiting game for first and second doses I have ruled out any significant travel not that Canadians are welcome anywhere these days. So it may be a short trip to Niagara or Prince Edward County after the second jab?
Might as well help out the Ontario wineries by reviewing a Niagara white, red and pink. But Ontario wineries are parsimonious with their samples so there is only so much exposure I can give them.
Why not start with a Cabernet Merlot from Tawse. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Cabernet Franc is Ontario’s shining beacon. Merlot can be decent but Cabernet Sauvignon is usually close to a write off. But blend all three and what do we get?
It is quite easy to pick up the influence of each of the three grapes. There is a tad of plushness from the Merlot. The Cabernet Franc adds a good layering of cherry and smoke while the Cabernet Sauvignon ekes out a bit of blueberry. That’s on the nose.
What about the palate? Mild tannins. But there is total lack of definition or of structure on the palate. Quite frankly it is a disaster. You are wasting your money on this red. Of course, if you want to further educate yourself as to a mediocre wine this will be a good lesson for you.
(Tawse Winery Sketches 2018 Cabernet Merlot, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Tawse Winery, Vineland, Ontario, $21.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 130252, 750 mL, 12.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 73/100).
Moving on from the wreckage I will admit Riesling is one of my least favourite grapes but recently a Tawse Sparkling Riesling met with my approval. Can Lakeview Cellars replicate it with their “Serenity”?
A rather citrusy nose with some with honey and tangerine. On the palate some crispness and although not made in the Traditional Method it is neither clumsy or coarse. It has a bit of peach and citrus. The LCBO Vintages catalogue describes this as Prosecco inspired but I find it has more in common with Champagne. They say it is slightly off-dry? Great way to start a meal the clean up that palate before you dig into the main course. Impressive for a tank method sparkler. Perhaps Ontario Riesling has a possible bright future as a sparkler? It is beginning to win me over.
(Serenity Sparkling Riesling (NV), Diamond Estates Wine and Spirits, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, VQA Ontario, $19.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 19897, 12%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).
We continue our Niagara journey with a 2020 rosé from Featherstone. Heading towards the dark side of pink this is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Merlot. On the nose lots of cherry Jello, raspberry, cranberry and bubble-gum. Lots of fun but what about the taste. While its aromas suggest a potentially juvenile wine this wine is anything but with a full mouthfeel and a hint of tannins. Graphite, cherry, raspberry all with a good grip and a long finish which is not all that common for a rosé. This is about as good as a rosé as you will get not in Ontario but globally. The nose leads you to think this is a flippant lightweight but is remains lighthearted but serious and very good. 1308 cases produced.
I am searching hard for the right dish and I think this would suit octopus and potatoes or some Greek Papusatakia translated as little eggplant boots which you can easily find on the internet. Best to wait for local eggplant and tomatoes!
Drink this year and buy a case as this is also a good post gardening wine in May.
(Featherstone Rosé 2020, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Featherstone Estate Winery, Vineland, Ontario, $15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 117861, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 94/100).
Feeling the angst over the Tawse Cabernet Merlot can we give some red wine dignity back to Niagara? Stratus makes a wonderful Wildass Rosé but what about their Wildass 2018 Red which is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Overpriced for the quality. You can do better by looking to Portugal for less money and more character.
On the nose raspberry, cherry and some cherry Jello. Not intense but on the light side. As for the palate cherry, chocolate covered cherry and a hint of rhubarb. Short finish. General lack of concentration on both the palate and with its aromatics. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah generally don’t do that well in Ontario and unfortunately it shows in this wine. I would match with a simple Penne all’ Arrabbiata https://www.food.com/recipe/batalis-simple-penne-allarrabbiata-508449
(Stratus Wildass 2018 Red, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, $ 21.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 86363, 12.3%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 86/100).
terroir…the doors are openingterroir is finally re-opening its doors TOMORROW Tuesday, May 11th, at 4:00pm Thoughts: -we have missed all of you absolutely, positively, tremendously -our service muscle memory is damn rusty so please bare with us as we get back into game shape -our hospitality muscle memory is primed and ready for action -please say hello to our new chef, Bryce Sorem, when you are here (you will not miss him as he will be the only one in the kitchen…finding cooks is impossible presently) -give Emily Ann Wagener, our manager, a high five and a virtual hug as she has been waiting 14 months to be working on a restaurant floor again -forgive us if we break into dance with Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody… we have missed dancing in this joint Simply put, we are just happy and honored to see all of you again. #theRieslingtapsarerunningagain
“Mayhem” could be seen as a misleading name for this Okanagan winery which is a collaboration between two established wine industry siblings – Terry Meyer Stone of Anarchist Mountain Vineyards and her brother JAK Meyer of Meyer Family Vineyards, along with their respective spouses Andrew Stone and Janice Stevens. There is no anarchy or mayhem in Mayhem Wines!
Sauvignon Blanc in the Okanagan? Yes indeed. You’d be surprised if you had a full inventory of the grapes grown here!
As 2020 goes this is COVID era Sauvignon Blanc. Is there a need to quarantine yourself from it?
Fear not you poor propagandized citizens of Canada! Don’t do this. Do that. Stay at home. Don’t celebrate milestone events. Don’t hug your grandchildren let alone even seeing them other than on Facebook. Should you fear infection from this wine! Will the next emergency order compel sex on Monday afternoons? The medico-politico elite can not tell us what wine to drink…….at least for now.
My goodness who needs New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with this Mayhem version. Not to forget many wineries derive most of their revenue from on site sales that have been hampered by closure of tasting rooms. Canadian wineries need our help particularly in 2021 as we hopefully crawl out of the COVID gutter.
My first take on this Sauvignon Blanc is that it is an excellent one that can rival and beat most New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. While I am not a big fan of the grape I can pick a winner when I taste one. And it is a winner. Finally I have found a Sauvignon Blanc that I like!
Light gold if not platinum in colour. On the nose lemon, lime, mango and some rich waftings of pineapple. On the palate extremely gentle on the tannins and on the acidity. Lemon, lime, tangerine and guava with a short and clean finish.
OK does this Sauvignon Blanc have some reflection of its terroir? While I make a comparison to New Zealie SB this Okanagan version comes on strong like a good Sauvignon Blanc but it has a twist to it and that is its taste which fades from good ole SB into something different. A taste that is unique in that it rather loses its Sauvignon Blanc ancestry and takes you down a delightfully unfamiliar path and into something more sophisticated and elegant. Sorry it is a bit difficult to explain which may be a reflection of its brilliance.
The tasting sheet says the wine “is dry, clean, fresh and ready to drink”. Indeed it is but as this wine is a newbie and has travelled from British Columbia to Ontario on a truck it got a bit of a few bumps outside of Wa Wa so to recuperate from bottle shock there is no harm letting it sit for a couple of months or at least until this ****** lockdown ends and you can sit on your patio with your friends (formerly evil contaminated people to avoid).
The tasting sheet says this is good with goat cheese and flatbread at a nearby patio. Like the plethora of “emergency orders” dogging all of us I’ll obey the tasting sheet.
Three separate parcels of this wine were produced. 76% in stainless steel, 10% in new French oak barriques and 14% neutral French oak barriques. The oak enhances the wine but is it detectable? No. Skillful and respectful use of oak. No arguing with winemaker’s Ajay Chavan’s view this is one of his favourite vintages. The separate batches were blended prior to bottling.
(Mayhem 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Naramata Bench Okanagan Valley (produced under license of Meyer Family Vineyards) BC VQA, $20, 750 mL, 12.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 94/100).
While many of the healthier and mobile vets were carrying out their raid on the Mugless Mental Hospital the less mobile vets confined to hospitals staged loud and angry protests demanding better care and more funding from the Canadian government. The hardest hit by protests was The Queen Fairy Hospital for Veterans. Windows were smashed, toilet intentionally clogged and flushed numerous times creating floods, fires set and banners hung from windows. Television crews were on the scene prior to the police so there was no way this story could be supressed. The strongest and more vocal patients were heavily sedated and forcibly dragged back to their rooms. While the Queen Fairy “riots” were in progress over 700 patients escaped from the Mugless Mental Hospital in an armada of buses to Squid’s home in the bowels of Mount Royal. Upon arrival there was coffee, brandy and souvlakis donated by a prominent restaurateur Kostas Clambakis and supporter of the United Mutations. All three of his children were blind. Cots had been set up for the night. The protestors bivouacking with Squid were adamant about protesting outside Revenue Canada headquarters in downtown Montreal.
The next day Montreal awoke to near mass panic learning that 700 “loonies” had escaped from the Mugless. Would anyone be safe? There was speculation there was a connection between the Mugless raid and the Queen Fairy protests as both hospitals had banners hanging from windows reading “MUTANT POWER NOW”.
The attackers had planned these raids perfectly and in fact the only patients left behind at the Mugless Mental Hospital were murderers, pedophiles, violent offenders and rapists. The local police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had no leads as to the whereabouts of the 700 Mugless escapees. The Canadian Army brought anti-terrorism squads to determine where the Mugless patients had gone. Their theory was this was a Palestinian plot or a Cuban attempt to destabilize Canada. They had not a shred of evidence to support these theories. Citizens were ordered to “quarantine” at home and lock all doors and windows. Ringleader vets at the Queen Fairy were interrogated to no avail. One frustrated detective slugged a former General in the Canadian army that had been decorated for bravery after charging and wiping out a Chinese machine gun nest in the Korean War after the General called him a “Pig”. A wild melee ensued injuring two policemen.
The Queen Fairy Hospital for Veterans was surrounded by tanks and heavily armed soldiers. These veterans who had served their country with courage and valour were furious and even the sedatives were ineffective to deal with such rage. They chanted from their windows demanding better care and increased government funding. Since these veterans had already proven their loyalty by having their lungs burnt out by poison gas or limbs amputated all connection to foreign plots was discounted. And the population of Montreal was very conscious of being manipulated by the provincial and federal governments. You might even say support by the “normals” for the mutants was starting to grow. Oh the power to be gained by government mismanagement.
Squid had a good chuckle over the Birdbrain letter. Obviously, she felt more comfortable baking muffins for members of the Women’s Revival Movement for Temperance than analyzing reality. It was clear to Squid that mutantism ignorance was rampant and still the so called “normals” wanted to dictate the rules of the game for mutants. This widespread ignorance made the construction of Expo 67 World Fair possible. Only the wealthy could afford to visit it. Millions of Quebecker’s tax money had been squandered for rich tourists and hotel owners, restaurant owners and contractors not to mention an army of opportunists. The vast sum of taxpayer’s dollars certainly could have been better spent to ameliorate the conditions of mutants who were sitting in cold-water flats eating stale bread and beans.
The petit bourgeoisie of Montreal were relishing the future profits they would cash in on. The criminal behind this was Montreal mayor Jean Droolpoop considered like some saviour of capitalism as Montreal was in its death throes against Toronto. Droolpoop had a reputation of breaking up crime syndicates and playing the media darling of tough guy. So tough that the Roman Catholic church was controlling the numbers game in Montreal. Expo 67 was an invitation for corruption. And Droolpoop had handed out huge construction contracts to build Expo 67. It was Droolpoop that took credit for construction of Montreal’s subway system that served large retailers. Not only that Droolpoop had expropriated Lower Westmount in Montreal to make way for expressways leading into Montreal causing dislocation of thousands of mutants. This was a low-income suburb and its disappearance pleased suburbanites and contractors but lead to a mass exodus of lower income residents. In the midst of clanking gold coins seniors, low-income residents and mutants were displaced and forgotten. They had no political power so what did it matter?
Droolpoop had trumpets of self glorification blowing. He was in the process of “constructing a great world class city” for the benefit of those never identified. Droolpoop was miffed when bouquets of flowers were not sent his way. Mutants were not about to participate in political bootlicking being prepared to challenge pompous bastards and cash grabbing toadies where they could be found. Idiot princes and court jesters had no rightful place in the world when they preyed on the innocent.
Bertie Foonbean, the reject from the Greek Gods, suggested an ingenious plan to harass prophet Droolpoop. In many Montreal mental institutions there had been severe cutbacks to divert funds for Expo 67. The big Expo 67 had to be paid for somehow. The Montreal mutants, directed by Foonbean, planned a mass breakout of “patients” from the Mugless Mental Hospital. It was hoped that the Dora Birdbrains and their tax-deductible husbands would see that the mutants had the power to control their existence and destiny even if for a short moment. The mutants were to defy their jailers…..society. The victims of the scandalous behaviour of the Montreal municipal politicians were to be in the frontlines of the attack.
Late one-night groups of war veterans dressed in souvenir commando outfits besieged the Mugless Mental Hospital on the slopes of Mount Royal while inside operatives, not blanked out by CIA LSD experiments on the inmates, overpowered the security guards and orderlies. The vets were pumped up thinking they were supporting the liberation of their comrades. They had fought in wars over “freedom” yet after the wars they had witnessed the actions of those most vocal in support of the war count their profits from munitions manufacturing and large government contracts ignoring the victims they had created on “both sides”. These vets hoped their raid would focus national attention to the plight of veterans forgotten for 364 days of the year and left to create brooms and keychains for automobiles.
A perennial invite on the shelves of The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is the Esporão label from the Alentejo Appellation in Portugal. The label says a “blend of a traditional Alentejo varieties”. Not exactly helpful nor expected from a Portuguese producer.
On the aromatics we get a solid an intense wave of blackberry, black cherry, cooked rhubarb with some toasty vanilla. Moderate tannins and strong presence of black fruits tamed by the oak. Moderate finish. I think this is more of a foodie wine and I think it would go with Beef or Mushroom Wellington. I just finished making a Port reduction sauce to top the Mushroom Wellington with. All in all it took three hours of prep time so I would say save for a rainy day Sunday.
I think this wine will improve in the bottle up to 2026. A dry wine for sure but there is but a little twist of sweetness on the finish.
You can find equally good wines from the Alentejo for less than the price of this wine but sometimes you might not have the time to experiment. This wine is an easy choice and an introduction to the great potential of Alentejo.
(Esporão Tinto Reserva 2017, DOC Alentejo, Esporão, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal, $26.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 606590, 750 mL, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 92/100).
We end up in the Douro with a Quadrus 2019 white with a label that simply says this is a blend of indigenous grapes. Isn’t that helpful! The LCBO Vintages Catalogue advises us the blend is Viosinho, Rabigato (which I am familiar with) and Côdega de Larinho. Light golden coloured. On the nose aromas of peach, tangerine and guava. On the palate tangerine, sweet white Texas grapefruit and subtle minerality from the schist soils. Beautiful integration of oak giving the wine character without oakiness. Moderate finish. Grilled chicken with piri piri sauce please. A good sipper too!
Drink before 2025.
(Quadrus Vinho Branco Douro 2019, DOC Douro, Miravino, Porto, Portugal, $19.75, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 667162, 750 mL, 12.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 92/100).
Like a hound dog they sniff out” reality” that is fed to them by the politico-medico elite run and run for vaccination jabs like the saviour of humanity mindless blobs anti-vaxxers ignored or contrarian views never given any time to contest given your advertising revenue depends on Big Pharma you filthy lowlife deceiver
The Fifth Estate is aligned with Big Pharma Oxi and fentanyl until it is time to run for cover Better story line for the front line heroes You are not on my side but prefer to protect the source of your advertisement revenue with the integrity of cow manure
terroir…the doors are opening
terroir is finally re-opening its doors
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 