Bargain Basement Bordeaux

The Bordeaux region of France produces some of the most expensive wines in the world but there are many “value priced” Bordeaux’s. And you just may find a gem. So let’s try a couple.

The first is a $12.95 Château Les Sablonnets. In colour it is a very dark red almost purple. On the nose very lush notes of blackberry, black cherry with a twist of black licorice. The lushness indicates a high percentage of Merlot. The intensity and color is courtesy of the Malbec.  There is also some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

On the palate there is no doubt this is full bodied wine. The tannins are light and dusty. There are notes of cassis, blackberry, black cherry with a bit of chalkiness and dark cholate. As our weather here in Southern Ontario starts chilling down a bit you might appreciate the full-bodied nature of the wine. It has a short finish. I would pair with Turkish Swiss Chard or roast lamb. Here is a recipe for the Swiss Chard https://www.saveur.com/skillet-braised-swiss-chard-recipe/. Only the freshest local Swiss Chard will do.

Is this a gem. I think not but it is highly drinkable. Drink before the end of 2021.

(Chateau Les Sablonnets 2019, AOP Bordeaux, JMVB, Sauvterre-de-Guyene, France, $12.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 18780, 750 mL, 14%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

We move to a $15.95 2017 Chateau de Ribebon hoping for a Bordeaux low priced miracle. It is garnet in colour and a bit earthy on the nose. Loads of blueberry, black cherry in a slightly smoky framework. On the palate light tannins with an uplift of smoke, ripe cherry and dark chocolate. Short finish. I think this might improve with a couple of years in the bottle. I think the blueberry is a result of Cabernet Sauvignon and the smoke and chocolate a result of Cabernet Franc in the blend which unfortunately is not described on the label. With a bit of research, I see in addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc there is some Merlot but I can’t pick much of it out.

How can I sum this wine up? At moments it is intriguing and quirky. It is of good quality and well made but will it take you to the moon? I think not. But it will be a worthy match for most grilled meats and spicy poultry including beer can chicken which s politically incorrect it seems. Give me a break. James Suckling gives it a 90 which historically indicates I would give it an 88. However give me a moment while I score it. It gets an 89. I seem to be caught on the treadmill of 89-point wines. Is the result of globalization of production methods and travelling winemakers?

(Château de Ribebon 2017, AC Bordeaux Supérieur, Alain Aubert Propietaire, Saint Mange de Castillon, France, $15.95, 750 mL, 13.5%, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 12281, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

“The Influencer”: Desperation, Greed, Loneliness and Radicalism Feeds off Capitalism

Meet Abbie Rose. She is a top “social influencer” meaning a person who uses their personality or good looks to be a travelling salesperson for any Tom Dick and Harry entity wanting to peddle their goods on social media. They are a slippery group focusing on imagery for the short attention span of those social media lapper uppers. Sell, sell and sell and the more hits, likes and views your personage earns or often buys the higher income your image pulls in.

Yes I have seen them all over Europe some with a make-up crew and photographers to be that perfect image holding a purse or wearing a dress of a sponsor. The more views and likes the more goods the social influencer sells. A form of crude capitalism adapting to modern social media. Who cares about a view past the influencer into the ocean or canyon behind them as the backdrop exists to sell, sell and sell more. The influencers I have seen have a self-satisfied vacant look on their face. They rather emphasize the twit in Twitter.

And Abbie Rose (Kasia Szarek) must be one of cinema’s absolutely obnoxious characters not in a mean way but rather in a stupid, artificial, greedy and pompous way. She has escaped an irrelevant college degree that destined her to a life of serving tables and living in a crappy apartment. Instead she has clawed her way near the top of the social influencer pyramid. So one may admire her ambition but not its goals. She also knows what she wants and skillfully negotiates to get it. In this case it’s a social influencer contract with a large cosmetic company Nutrocon known to ravage the Amazonian rain forest for palm oil to be used in cosmetic products, turning a blind eye to sexual harassment in its workforce and to test its products on animals.

4 hackers working for # 1 break into Abbie’s home and force her to make a seemingly innocuous video offering a free box of Nutrocon cosmetics to the first 50 responders. The hackers are mostly a group of bumblers more social outcasts than social activists looking for a payout for their own projects.

They are successful in their devious project driving down the share price of Nutrocon making Number 1! wealthy with her huge put on the stock. Abbie obtains success when she least expects it. We also learn that she is vulnerable and perhaps not such a twit we thought she was. You might call this a satirical comedy but it slams home the vacuous consumerism and obsession with image. Let’s say the Kardashian clan won’t be laughing at this film.

Director Meghan Weinstein is an L.A. based Canadian filmmaker who grew up in Vancouver and San Francisco. Her films capture the absurd and often hilarious complexities of human connection, while featuring carefully casted ensembles and eye-catching imagery. She loves collaborating with actors to create quirky, out of the box characters.

The film is distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures and released on September 14th on DVD and VOD platforms including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu and through local cable and satellite producers.

Catch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eChy46c_Lf8

“Saving Paradise” Paternalistic Capitalism vs. Ruthless Venture Capitalists

“Saving Paradise” is a simplistic attempt to explain the raping of the United States by venture capitalists and offer encouragement that the hedge fund and investment bankers can be defeated by American values and spirit. Fantasy?

Having lived through the insatiable corporate greed of an American bank that proudly celebrated to its analysts thousands of job losses to India, China, Canada, Dublin, Poland and Germany the rape of America is no fiction. Strangely it was at one point off shoring was heralded as risk reduction and encouraged by American regulators. Economic theory and humanism at odds!

So the film “Saving Paradise” is a bit of fantasy retaliation to reality. A pencil factory in Paradise Pennsylvania is facing bankruptcy after the death of its owner. It has a huge debt to a local bank and a very short time to repay. Don Peterson is a bit of a fuddly duddy paternalistic capitalist that actually cares about his workers. Does Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson show any of the same decency or is their flirtation with space and their ego more important.

Don Peterson dies and he is highly leveraged to the tune of $10,000,000 quite a sum for a pencil manufacturer in small-town Paradise Pennsylvania.

Michael is the son of the deceased owner and he works for a ruthless investment banker that buys out struggling American companies, pumps them with cash, cleans up their balance sheet and then sells them off to the highest bidder most often China.

Michael returns home to Paradise to take control of the pencil factory and he manages to rally the employees to his side despite he is seen as a New York pariah. He has the help of his teenage love Charlie who is CFO of the pencil factory.

The film suffers initially from a stiff stereotyping of investment bankers and a pencil factory small town workforce to the point they are comical to one who has worked in the world of finance but to those who have not perhaps it is a necessary act of simplicity.

Then get ready for a battle royale with the man with a ruthless streak becoming humanized by his motley crew of workers and his rekindled romance for Charlie.

Michael has a big skeleton in his closet which sems to have little to do with the plot.

Well the little guy wins this battle and that little guy has usually been wiped out by the greed of venture capitalist and the American consumer who wants the cheap Walmart goods perhaps without realizing how this has hammered domestic manufacturing.

Don Peterson and his caring ways end up saving Peterson Pencil.

This is no great movie but a lesson on the lecherous and ignorant destruction of domestic manufacturing in the United States for those who do not already know the lesson. But is the lesson simply too late?

Although the acting is less than stellar William Moseley as Michael and Johanna Braddy as Charlie keep the film from being a meltdown.

The 102-minute film was directed by Jay Silverman and opened in select theatres on September 3 and on On Demand. You can see the trailer here https://vert-ent.app.box.com/s/82em15an80rcuta0iw5ycvjtxeevnyxu/file/841675175072

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog”: How is Reggie Going to Be Famous?

Bob has been on the phone and on Zoom meetings with Pilkington his agent. It is a no brainer. I am going to be featured in a Disney animated film and the money is unbelievable. Bob knows the financial details and all I know is he keeps saying that we are rich. The best part is that I don’t have to be on set and away from Dillie the Westie, Fay and Bob and I get to stay in Toronto. But there are promotional stops Disney had negotiated with us. Of course the more we promote the wider the distribution and the more money we make. Bob had instructed Pilkington to arrange a “Reggie cut” of the revenue. .05% of net revenues from the film will be directed towards two Egyptian canine rescue organizations. Bob thinks of everything!

One of our stops on the promotional tour will be in Cairo which makes me very frightened yet excited. I have a nightmare I will be lost in Cairo and end up as a street dog. But I will be with Bob who will protect me and hold me tight. Bob and Pilkington negotiated a torrid 14-day blitz for PR purposes with our own private jet. London, Paris, Berlin, Athens, Cairo, Saudi Arabia, United States (Chicago, New York, Boston and Los Angeles) and Stockholm to start. .Dillie the Westie, Fay and two bodyguards will be with me!

I am thankful some of the money from the animated film will go to help street dogs rescued in Cairo. Bob has added two million dollars to establish “Reggie’s Rescue Society” in Cairo and another two million dollars to establish a “Reggie’s Rescue Society” in Toronto. Bob has also ensured on the promotional tour we stay in hotels near parks so Dillie and I can go on walks.

I have no desire to be famous other than imagining when they speak about “Lady and the Tramp” they will also mention “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog”. And money will go to help dogs tossed out onto the street in Cairo.

Disney has lined up voices for the animated film about me. My voice will be that of Canadian Rick Mercer. Fay’s voice will be Jennifer Aniston. Bob’s voice will be that of Spanish Shakespearean actor Eduardo San Juan Breña and Dillie’s voice will be that of Ewan McGregor for the right Scottish ancestry of Dillie the brave and proud Scottish West Highland Terrier.

Despite all this excitement Bob and Fay keep a low profile. The Canadian media hasn’t much of an idea about this Disney film so we lead a quiet life like nothing has changed. I appreciate the simple things in life that are unheard of for street dogs in Cairo…..love, clean water and that tasty chicken kibble. But the adventure that awaits us fascinates me but I hear Anwar in my dreams saying be careful my little one, Does he know something from the world beyond?

“23 Walks”: British Geezer Romance on Film!

“23 Walks” is a rare refreshing romantic film. You see so many romance films focus on the young as if only the young can fall in love. You might say there is streak of ageism in the romantic genre so much so that a younger viewer of “23 Walks” may flatly say we aren’t interested in watching a romance film with 70-year-old geezers. Well, if that’s the case good-bye.

“23 Walks” presents us with a slow and rocky romance between 70’s types Dave and Fern. They meet by chance walking their dogs. Dave has a German Shepherd Tillie and Fern a Yorkshire Terrier called Henry. They completely open up to each other after the 23rd walk but there is much occurring between the 23 walks. Lots of cups of tea and chats.

There is sadness, jealousy, pain, loneliness, suffering, withholding of facts, forgiveness, compassion and secrets. So to say this is a hollow formalistic romance movie is giving is short shrift. Could it be that falling in love is far more complicated in your 70’s than it is in your twenties? It seems so and the road to love is paved with landmines that occasionally explode and cause hurt.

In this case can Fern and Dave take it all the way once the secrets are out of the way? Although the road is rocky I suppose you can guess the ending which is not without requiring some intellectual effort on the part of the viewer.

Dave Johns as Dave and Alison Steadman as Fern give honest and steady performances., Tillie played by Sheila and Henry played by Dennis add a bit of both comedy and tragedy and are the reasons for Dave and Fern meeting and falling in love.

Very enchanting views of some of London’s parks.

Dog owners and lovers get your Kleenex ready!

The film starts off in such a way as to lead to a conclusion of a simplistic plot but its 142 minutes gives it time to develop into a more nuanced film. The film was written and directed by Paul Morrison and Vertical Entertainment will release it in select theatres and On Demand on September 17,2021.

You can see the trailer here https://vert-ent.app.box.com/s/kdlptd95mwwipyfzwxp459ldb5ho3rk6

“Mutantism on the March” : Chapter 96 : Aliens Fighting Nationalism in Quebec

So it came to pass that Frizzy, Squid and Montenez, all aliens, were deep in the nationalistic swindle Jiber (aka Hecklevesque) was propagating. They all convened at a new restaurant called Eno’s Place owned by yet another alien Eno Ergot. Squid was the first to arrive hungrily eyeing a plate of Kalamata olives. Once Montenez and Frizzy arrived a cold pitcher of Martinis followed.

Frizzy was well versed in the exploits of Squid and asked Squid about the strategy he had used to drive the Americans out of Colombia. All Zortixians found it difficult to fathom the barbarity of humankind. However there was still shit on the Zortixian’s history books with the antics of Jiber Sr. and his blackbooters that had exiled Montenez’s father and murdered thousands. Frizzy made it quite clear the Zortixians were aware of Squid’s struggle in Quebec and supported him. Too bad it was not a case of simply taking out Hecklevesque as the backlash would be far worse than Hecklevesque tripping over his political shoes.

Eno arrived after securing supplies for the restaurant and introduced himself as a former evil Zorollian who had originally planned to meet up with Jiber and conquer the galaxy but had reformed after realizing just how decent humankind could be. He was surprised to learn that Frizzy was the Minister of the Interior of Zortixia and rightfully could have zapped him on the spot for his failed attack on the Zortixian missile base years ago. He shocked them further by telling them he was the nephew of Redbeard and his attack on Zortixia was under the orders of Redbeard. Frizzy replied, “That the only reason you weren’t blasted to pieces as you entered the Zortixian atmosphere was that the air controllers were on strike. Your uncle’s attack orders were an attempt to wipe you out! There was no missile base that you were attacking but rather a mental hospital with aliens from different planets masquerading as doctors. In reality they were in the process of converting mental patients throughout Zortixia into an attacking zombie army. You foiled their devious plot. You are a hero in this story.”

Ergot was dumbfounded at the pure evil of his uncle and his crew, all staff at the restaurant, were shaken about how they had been set-up to die!  Ergot then dropped a bombshell telling the group by telling them he knew where and who Jiber was. He had assumed the identity of Rene Hecklevesque.

Squid was not overly surprised having a queasy and suspicious feeling about this Hecklevesque as both the styles of Jiber and Hecklevesque were similar especially the use of subtle deception. Frizzy grabbed his attaché case and pulled out a top-secret file on Jiber and compared a picture of Jiber to that of Hecklevesque. There was no doubt that Hecklevesque and the Jiber were the same! The fox was here in Montreal and ready for the taking! He could return home the conquering hero and become premayor and the leader of Zortixia! Squid and Montenez were more cautious and abducting Hecklevesque and returning him to Zortixia could only cause a nationalistic furor. The situation was very delicate. The last thing needed was to create a martyr and possible bloodshed. It was best to defeat him on earth and then return him to Zortixia when he was broken and out of the spotlight. It was essential no news of this reach Zortixia. This was not the time to settle scores.

“Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog” : Reggie Has a Screen Test With ABC and Bob Meets With Big House Publishers

Bob, Fay and I head to New York City to meet with ABC studio executives and Bob will check in with Big House Publishers about publishing his “Reggie” book. ABC has sent us first class tickets and I sit in a seat between Fay and Bob instead of under the seat as Bob is using his canine service papers that Disney provided him with so I don’t have to sit under the seat!  I like those Disney people! ABC has also put us up in the Ritz Carlton Central Park South which is great because I can go for walks in Central Park and as we have the top suite in the hotel we can always head down to the Club Room where they let dogs come in. There are flowers, dog treats, all sorts of delicious snacks in our room. We unpack and Bob and Fay who have been in New York many times before tell me get ready for a very special walk in Central Park. We meet many dogs and their owners and some old ladies have their equally old dogs in baby strollers which I find very funny. We walk up to Strawberry Fields which I remember seeing in a BBC documentary about a famous musician John Lennon. This is a huge park and there is even a lake with ducks in it but I like the golf course near us in the winter and early spring more as I can go off leash. Dillie the Westie would have loved it here. We have already seen four Westies on our walk. Dillie is with Bob and Fay’s son Drew in Toronto.

On the way home Fay runs into a lady called Kelly and her husband Marc in Central Park with their little dog and we wag our tails and get along with each other. Kelley has a television show on some channel called “Kelly and Ryan” that Fay watches. Fay explains that we are in discussions with Disney, ABC and Big House Publishers about me. Kelly asks Fay if I would like to be on her show they are producing and gives her a card with her number on it and wants to know how things go with my movie career!

We get home to the hotel and the doorman gives us a big smile and knows my name and says hello! At the Ritz Carlton they call guests ladies and gentlemen of the Ritz but for dogs they have no such title so the doorman calls me “cool pooch”.

In the room there is a chilled bottle of that wine that goes pop when you open the bottle like on New Year’s Eve. A dinner of chopped roasted chicken, carrots and rice is awaiting me with Ioli spring water from Greece.

For Bob and Fay’s dinner they are meeting Bob’s sister Babs who lives 20 minutes away and we are going to a small French restaurant called Les Deux Amis and since they have a patio I can sit outside with them. So many people pass by and what a strange smell the city has! There are so many taxis and the whole city seems to be eating out at a restaurant! So much activity! I am not a downtown dog so this is very new to me. Bob has a Bucky Burger with fries and I get a little of each and it is yummy. Babs has an omelette and Fay the Onion Soup. I have a little nap under the table until it is time to go. We take a taxi back to the hotel and a special bed with the Ritz Carlton logo is ready for me. There is a note for me from the manager welcoming me Reginald as a distinguished guest and saying if here is anything I want just phone him. Bob has a good chuckle after he reads the note and says we should go to bed as we all have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.

Breakfast is brought in at 9 a.m. by men with white gloves. Bob has asked for simple chicken kibble for me and it is called “free range and organic” and it is very delicious but a bit rich. On the taxi ride to ABC I admit I farted a few times not being used to this different food. My tummy is a bit off today.

Like the Disney people the ABC “team” is in a boardroom and Fay and I am escorted for my screentest which is a piece of cake! When I return to the boardroom the ABC executives explain what they have in mind. They already know about my screentest results and they are ready to explain “the deal” as they call it.

The television series will be called “Reggie Rules”. There are two gay men in their mid thirties who live in New York and have been partying for years. They feel their life is empty until Reggie approaches them at a restaurant patio and jumps up on one of their laps and wins their heart. The men are called Tony and Akbar who is of Egyptian descent. 14 episodes are planned and I will be the silent star who will be cute, rambunctious yet very lovable. I change the outlook on life for Tony and Akbar. The money is in the range of $100,000 an episode but there is potential that it will be picked up outside of the United States and the money will increase. ABC says it will put a summary of the deal together and send it to our hotel. Bob notes that in the series some comic relief is provided by the man we met in Hollywood called Larry David who is very suspicious of everything Tony and Akbar do. Bob tells the executives he would like Dillie the Westie to be in the series as David’s dog.  Subject to a screen test they agree.

And then it happened as the runs hit me like a volcano and I make a horrible and stinking mess on a very expensive oriental carpet! Bob and Fay turn bright red but as one executive says “We’ve seen it all before!” A cleaning crew arrives and all is gone! Bob thanks the executives and off we go. But I let another fiery mess fly in the elevator and we hustle out of the building. Bob says with a laugh that I have left a good impression. We see a well-dressed man and an angry one at that trying to wipe my little mistake off his alligator shoes. We pick up our pace.

Fay takes me to Central Park for a walk and to settle my stomach while Bob heads off to Big House Publishers and tells us the results. They love Bob’s book but want him to create a series of very simplistic children’s book and then one geared for adults. He will be paid for every book sold and if he reaches certain best sellers lists there will be a cash bonus. There are possible cartoon and movie spinoffs Bob will be paid for.

When we return to the Ritz Carlton Fay and Bob talk about the options. There are pros and cons to each but they decide give it a few days and we should all wait to hear what Bob’s agent Pilkington has to say.

Bob and Fay order room service with a 1982 Chateau Latour as after all Bob says ABC is paying for it! I am back to my regular chicken kibble and my tummy is back to normal. We pack up for our plane ride home tomorrow. I have had a very exciting time but I miss my own bed, Dillie the Westie and a very green Toronto. It will be good to be back in my territory!

Poetry Corner: “My Life as a Hooker and Election Time in Canada”

“My Life as a Hooker and Election Time in Canada”

Playing golf this year as a righty strangely I am hooking the ball to the left
I query out loud why I am hooking?
Well that draws a few guffaws about hookers
and has caused me to think about the upcoming Canadian federal election
where politicians are obviously not hookers
but they are bribing us to enter the door marked by a red light just like in Amsterdam
giving away the body and flesh of a bankrupt Canada
through billion dollar promises
that are never delivered on
you ordinarily pay a hooker
but this time the hooker politicians are trying to pay you to visit their deceptive dream

Robert K. Stephen

Poetry Corner : “Poetry in the Time of COVID”

Poetry in the Time of COVID

So what is the role of a poet during COVID?
no different than the role of a poet when there is no COVID
it is a role of a bullfighter
jab the reader with lances
not to kill and maim
but to challenge and make the reader think
and get the bull angry
to charge yet again
in different words the role is to make you think
challenge a placid mind to jump beyond the palaver of government propaganda
I can make you love or hate the late Idi Amin of Uganda
or ooh and ah to a Panda bear
from concentration camp China
or drop lines like Burka babes shopping at COSTCO
that cause you to think I am
a lunatic on the run
but if I have raised your ire
you have stopped to think
which might be better than being steamrollered by political stink
you can then stand and sing the national anthem at  a sporting event
and forget the poet pleading with you to THINK !

Robert K. Stephen

Poetry Break: “We’ve got your back”

“We’ve Got Your Back”

Remember those politicos saying during COVID that we’ve got your back?
Now it seems with vaccine passports if you don’t get an inadequately tested vaccine
as ordered by the politico medico elite
the rulers are no longer polite
don’t do as we recommend you’ll be sliced out of society like some malignant growth
you no longer have our back
you have a knife in our back
oh yes it is the practical solution
so forget a bit of political pollution
dare to criticize the obedient masses supported by a weak kneed media
you are deemed conveniently an anti vaxxer
and they’ll kick your asses

Robert K. Stephen