RKS Literature: Evil Children Burning a Woman Wrapping Up Sausages in a Poster of Big Brother

‘Did I ever tell you old boy,’ he said, chuckling round the stem of his pipe,’ about the time those two nippers of mine set fire to the old market woman’s skirt because they saw her wrapping up sausages in a poster of B.B.? Sneaked up behind her and set fire to it with a box of matches. But keen as mustard! That’s first rate training they give them in the Spies nowadays-better than in my day, even. What d’ you think’s the latest thing they’ve served them out with? Ear trumpets for listening through keyholes! My little girl brought one home the other night-tried it out on our sitting room door,  and reckoned she could hear twice as much as with her ear to the hole.”

George Orwell, “1984”, 1949.

“Lost in Puppydom: Rory Dylan Stephen’s Puppydom”: RORY GRAPPLES WITH THE CONCEPT OF A LOST PUPPYDOM

RORY GRAPPLES WITH THE CONCEPT OF A LOST PUPPYDOM

I don’t wish to split hairs here but to be lost don’t you require to have been from somewhere? As a puppy I am in essence from nowhere?

Or is the concept of lost apply to a puppy who has such a minimal foundation in life and morals being lost in puppydom is akin to being from nowhere?

My puppydom is confusing particularly all these rules of behavior and not to flog a dead horse (bad choice of words) doing my “business” is so confusing. Being praised and “treated” and scolded the next for the same acts. I’ll work it out. Even after Bob scolds me for doing my business in the wrong place he looks me in the eye and tells me I’m smarter than that. I am not sure what that means but his tone is reassuring.

RKS Literature: Control of Society Through Falsification/Rectification (George Orwell)

“This process of continuous alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, films, sound-tracks, cartoons, photographs-to every kind of literature or documentation which might conceivably hold any political or ideological significance. Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. In this way every prediction made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain.”

George Orwell, “1984”. 1949.

“Lost in Puppydom: Rory Dylan Stephen’s Puppydom”: RORY AS A FRESH OFF THE BOAT FIREFIGHTER

RORY AS A FRESH OFF THE BOAT FIREFIGHTER

Bob and Fay’s daughter A and their grandchild J arrived at our house so J could be dropped off. Fay and J are going to the nutcracker tomorrow. Why anyone would go out to see nuts cracked is beyond me.

J loves the fireplace, so Bob lit up the fireplace for the second time since I have been in my new home. It frightened me this time with some loud pops and crackles. I was just a wee pup last time wet behind the ears, so the fire didn’t spook me then. This time it set me reeling back and frightened me and I barked up a storm after peeing on the floor in front of the fireplace. Firefighters shoot their liquid on the fire. Well, shiver me timbers I pissed in front of it and Bob and Fay were not stern with me kind of sweettalking me to calm down. I am very embarrassed. This puppydom can be intimidating.

Humans often refer to those arriving from other countries and cultures as immigrants as being Fresh off the Boat (FOB). At least they have some idea of acting within human society. I am very much FOB as I know so little about humans. I am starting from scratch so I am super duper FOB requiring the utmost patience and compassion from humans. I am no different in many respects from a newborn human but I learn much faster perhaps because my lifespan in seven times shorter than the average human’s.

RKS Literature: Children as Ungovernable Savages (George Orwell)

“With those children, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror. Another two years, and they would be watching her day and night for symptoms of unorthodoxy. Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies there were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatsoever to rebel against the discipline of the Party and everything connected with it. The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother-it was all sort of a glorious game to them.”

George Orwell, “1984”, 1949.

RKS Literature: The Clean Mindedness of the Junior Anti-Sex League (Orwell)

“She was a bold looking girl of about 27 with thick dark hair, a freckled face and swift, athletic movements. A narrow scarlet sash, emblem of the Junior Anti-Sex League, was wound several times round the waist of her overalls, just tightly enough to bring out the shapeliness of her hips. Winston had disliked her from the very first moment of seeing her. He knew the reason. It was because of the atmosphere of the hockey-fields and cold baths and community hikes and general clean mindedness which she managed to carry about with her. He disliked nearly all women, and especially the young and pretty ones, who were the most bigoted adherents to the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers out of unorthodoxy.”

George Orwell, “1984”, 1949.

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: Stag’s Hollow 2022 Renaissance Chardonnay from British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley

Hand picked and hand sorted grapes destemmed and pressed into stainless steel to settle for 24 hours then racked into a combination of French oak (24% new) and stainless steel for 9 months before bottling.

215 6 pack cases produced.

Aroma: Mango, apricot, peach, Matsu apples and toffee. The oak is well integrated into the wine preventing “oak embarrassment” prevalent with many oaked Chardonnay efforts.

Palate: Rich, elegant, smooth and clean with a moderately long and creamy satisfying finish. No annoying acidity threatening the sanctity of the wine.

Personality: High class wine am I. Superb sipping wine.

Food Match: Roast tenderloin pork with sage potatoes and parsnips. Chicken in a tarragon/wine/chicken stock/cream sauce.  Asian style popcorn. The winery makes several food pairing suggestions with my vote going to “Indian chicken curries”.

Cellarbility: Drinking beautifully now and will continue high on the satisfaction meter until 2029-year end. The winery thinks it can age into 2033.

Price: $36.87 CDN.

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine Rating: 93/100. Gismondi on Wines 90.

(Stag’s Hollow 2022 Renaissance Chardonnay Herrera Vineyard, Similkameen Valley BC VQA, Stag’s Hollow Winery, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, 750 mL, 12.6%).

“Lost in Puppydom: Rory Dylan Stephen’s Puppydom”: POTTY TRAINING: THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT

POTTY TRAINING: THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT

Not to make an overarching analogy to Jim Mackay’s phrase for ABC’s Wide World of Sports “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat” but I would have to apply that phrase to my potty training.

When I do my “business” outside everyone is dancing with extreme delight with smiles and hugs and sweet talk for me. “Good Boy Rory!!!!”

When it is inside stern words and glaring stares. Don’t I have the right as a puppy to relieve myself when nature calls? This would only apply when I am outside it seems. I am slowly processing that idea but that takes some time. Puppy’s brains are small you see. Do human babies continually soil themselves? Give puppies a break!

Isn’t life with dogs one of compromise? Why can’t I pee and poop outside sometimes then inside. Call it a puppy compromise. I can do my business inside but I receive a blast of displeasure which manifests itself as guilt for me and sometimes for Bob and Fay guilt for their chastising. I’d rather not have to play on this emotional see saw so believe me world I am trying. I want the thrill and not the agony. Bob and Fay too!  

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine: A Moraine 2022 Cabernet Franc/Merlot from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley

A token British Columbia wine has trickled on to the shelves of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). So much noise has been expended in Canada concerning the removal of barriers to interprovincial trade in the face of Trumpian tariffs, but I can’t see a flood of British Columbia wines occupying the LCBO shelves to take the place of all the space of “banned” American wines. I suspect a scarcity of Ontario wines on the retail shelves in British Columbia. Tit for tat.

Aroma: Massive black fruit. Blackberry, cassis, plum, black cherry and dark chocolate.

Palate: Tsunami of black fruit swells all around and to and fro on the palate. Some choco influence. Tannins are noticeable lending a bit of chalkiness on the long finish tinged with a burn of sorts. A whopping 15.6% alcohol.

Personality: Wanna a real red! Not for the faint of heart drinkers of any Ontario Cabernet Merlot blends.

Food Match: The label proclaims, “sensational paired with steak frites, grilled mushrooms or lamb”. I would add Pasta Milanese made with San Marzano tomatoes to give extra richness to the sauce.

Cellarbility: This youngster will gracefully age into 2030.

Price: $40 CDN.

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Wine Rating: 93/100. Natalie MacLean 90.

(Moraine 2022 Cabernet Merlot, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley BC VQA, Moraine Winery, Penticton, British Columbia, 750 mL, 15.6%).

“Lost in Puppydom: Rory Dylan Stephen’s Puppydom”: I MEET MY GODFATHER MR G a Ca Ca Caaa CAT PERSON: COMMENTS ON OBESE WELSH CORGIS

I MEET MY GODFATHER MR G a Ca Ca Caaa CAT PERSON: COMMENTS ON OBESE WELSH CORGIS

Last Saturday Fay and Bob invited my godfather Mr G over for dinner and upon entering the house I gave him a very warm welcome. When my tail wags at 100 kms an hour rest assured that is the seal of approval from a West Highland Terrier. Some smart ass “canine experts” pontificate (thinking we are a rattlesnake) the rapid tail movement hypnotizes our prey so they are jelly when we finish them off. No doubt the musing of some Brit academic with his/her head up the ass offering smirky comments on Scottish canine royalty. Talk about Brits, isn’t it telling those wanker English monarchs are cuddling overweight Welsh Corgis so bloated they can’t even run! I dare any of you readers to find an overweight Westie! We are willing to fight slow witted Welsh Corgis at anytime assuming they can pull themselves away from the telly watching Coronation Street while stuffing their gullet with dainties at High Tea. They are fat wankers with ABSURD freakish ears! Too much Welsh coal dust has created some problems for that breed.

A friendly man Mr G is and despite smelling of cat his heart secretly gushes admiration for West Highland Terriers. I can smell it! He muses fondly about his cats B and N but in his heart he’s rather have me! Bob and Mr G debate who is going to be the boss when I encounter his two cats.

Mr G brought me huge squeaky animal as a fitting “tribute” to a West Highland Terrier. I understand this means if anyone fucks with me, assuming I can’t “dispose” of the problem Mr G as godfather has assumed a moral obligation to “protect” me. Mess with me and you might find a severed horse head in your bed courtesy of Mr G! He is an awesome dude, and I promise in return I will be a gentleman with his cats. I knew a few cats as a wee pup in the kennel and they weren’t bad sorts!

Comments from Dylan the Westie from the Land Beyond

From Rory’s comments above you might judge him as somewhat arrogant and ignorant. I have interacted with Mr G’s cats and while off standish we happily mingled and permitted me to eat their cat food and drink from their water bowl. No way I’d ever be hospitable enough to relieve myself in their “litter box” though.

Can you take his comments so very seriously when he is not a potty-trained Westie!

In reflection though, my first encounters with Mr G had me ferociously barking at him so as for manners toward Mr G I am a bit embarrassed. Rory had a great degree of diplomacy! A class act despite his puppydom.