Cork Away # 1: Australian Wine at The Liquor Control Board of Ontario

The Australian Winery Yalumba makes an excellent “Y Series Viognier” at a very reasonable price. This time we try an organic Shiraz available at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

It has a black cherry colour. As for aromatics black cherry, blackberry and a slice of blueberry pie. On the palate black cherry, cranberry all with a short finish. Unfortunately the acidity is a bit out of whack which doesn’t help this boring and uninspiring wine. Might match a tomato salad or a pasta with tomato sauce.

(Yalumba Organic Shiraz South Australia 2018, Yalumba, Angaston, Australia, $17.95, LCBO # 280883, 750 mL, 13.5% Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating DUD).

I have never been a fan of Robert Oatley wines but not enough to avoid them so we delve into a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River which as far as red wines go is known for its elegance and clarity and I would say produces a calmer and more sophisticated red wine.

On the nose it is loaded with blueberry but there are lesser beams of cherry and raspberry coulis. On the palate mild tannins and perfect acids which to me means you hardly notice its presence. More of that blueberry and some loganberry jam. There is a time and place for the more aggressive and bold Aussie reds and in the right mood with the right food that’s good on me mate. But this red is light on its feet and a good sipper. I might be persuaded to call this wine elegant. I’d pair it with grass feed New Zealand lamb or a kangaroo steak. And to help the Australians to keep their rabbit population down a rabbit fricassee.

(Robert Oatley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Robert Oatley Vineyards, Wilyabrup, Western Australia, $19.95, LCBO # 323741, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 90/100).

No mistaking this De Bortoli G.S. 2018 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir as a Pinot Noir on the nose with notes of raspberry and cherry in a smoky framework. Perhaps one might say a tad too much oak? But on the palate clean and pure with no oak interference. Raspberry, strawberry and cherry all very light on its feet. A Pinot Noir walking on air it would seem? Would be good with Arctic Char and wild rice or organic sweet potatoes. As it is so light and somewhat shy on its feet it is stereotypically far away from many Australian reds? Whatever your take this wine is well worth its $19.95 price tag.

(De Bortoli G.S. 2018 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, De Bortoli Wines, Bibul, New South Wales, Australia, $19.95, LCBO # 15511, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).

Schild Estate was one of the first wineries I encountered in my wine review career. It rather blew me away. Here years later a 2017 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. On the nose bursting with blackberry but some red currant and black cherry. Matured in American oak very skillfully! On the palate this is no Aussie fruit bomb but very light footed and sophisticated. Short finish. Would handle a grilled flank steak marinated in soy sauce, ginger and honey. Although the label says enjoy now or up to ten years I would consume by the end of 2021.

(Schild Estate 2017 Barossa Valley Shiraz, Schild Estate Wines, Lyndoch, South Australia, $ 19.95, LCBO # 66555, 750 mL, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).

“The COVID Cruise”: “The Nature of Things” Gives an Up Close and Personal View of the Diamond Princess Incident

David Suzuki on November 27th in his “Nature of Things” presents an episode “The COVID Cruise” which is a behind the scenes look of The Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama Japan in February with 3,700 passengers and crew on board. You may recall there was an outbreak of COVID-19 on the ship which was met with a quarantine which was not a great decision as all these people locked up in confined spaces and cabins created a petri dish for incubation. As epidemiologists say this was a “congregate setting”.

Gently narrated by Suzuki the story is primarily told through the crew and passengers. For some it was a time of fear and terror as their view was that of dozens of ambulances, police and media. The quarantine proved futile and 705 of the passengers and crew tested positive and 14 died.

Can any fault be placed on anyone? In retrospect yes but that is with the knowledge we have since gained about COVID-19. The crew toiled on delivering food and providing clean linens and in so doing became spreaders. The Japanese medicos on board crossed paths with the uninfected spreading the virus further. The evacuations appeared sloppily organized.

The crew received no training on COVID-19 as it was a new mysterious virus. However their initial reaction when the first case was confirmed was based on the Norwalk virus that has plagued cruise ships for years. So it was an enhanced cleaning protocol but that was insufficient.

One gets the impression the crew was without decent PPE to the point some went on Facebook pleading for help. The cruise line contract with crew prohibited them from talking to the media without corporate permission.

The passengers were mostly evacuated by their governments including the Canadians on board.

2020 saw 73 cruise ship COVID infections with 3,000 people infected and nearly a hundred deaths.

I really should stop here and let you hear the passengers and crew speak. Some are highly charged with emotion or terror. Others required Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counselling.

The lessons learnt are what most of us practice today in warding off COVID-19. But again that is now and not then.

One non-medical issue that jumps out at you is the sheer stupidity and or greed of cruise lines sending out 100 cruise ships out after the Diamond Princess. The first cruise since the cruise ship industry shut down was The Sea Dream 1 on November 13 with seven people so far becoming infected.

Kudos to Suzuki for his gentle narration and lack of finger pointing. If there is any finger pointing it was from crew and passengers.

“The COVID Cruise” airs on November 27th at 9 p.m. ET and for free streaming on CBC Gem.

You can watch the trailer https://vimeo.com/475991818

Filmmakers Mike Downie (director) and David Wells (writer and producer) reveal as the world watched Wuhan the same drama was playing out on the Diamond Princess.

I never had the slightest interest in taking a cruise and now I am even less interested.

Branded Like Cattle But It is for Your Own Good!

Welcome to the trial Common Pass which will be a prerequisite for travel and touted as temporary in the face of COVID-19 just as personal income tax in many jurisdictions was implemented to finance The Great War of 1914-18.

The Commons Project is partly financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Now Rockefeller, There’s a name to associate with civil liberties!

The next step is to transform the Common Pass into a permanent tracking device or passport available to law enforcement, employers and government to track you and your personal information. And you’ll be sold down the river on this by the politico-medico elite, big business, Big Pharma and the media all in the name of the public good. Bark like a dog with a microchip in your ear. See the party line below.

CommonPass

For global travel and trade to return to pre-pandemic levels, travelers will need a secure and verifiable way to document their health status as they travel and cross borders.  Countries will need to be able to trust that a traveller’s record of a COVID PCR test or vaccination administered in another country is valid. Countries will also need the flexibility to update their health screening entry requirements as the pandemic evolves and science progresses.  Airlines, airports and other travel industry stakeholders will need the same. See the new party line developing below.


The Commons Project together with The World Economic Forum is working to initiate the CommonPass framework to address those challenges.

CommonPass is currently in trials. Click here to be notified when it is publicly available.Learn more

Medico-Political Totalitarianism Fueled by COVID?

Being mindful one might step back in a non- judgemental fashion and itemize what some see as the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

  1. Freedom of association has been eliminated
  2. Union collective agreements have been “legally” violated
  3. Politicians are “deferring” to their team of non-elected medical experts on extremely political decisions
  4. Medico experts are obsessed with statistics more than compassion
  5. The obsession with COVID-19 in the medico mind shunts aside elective surgeries and surgeries that are necessary to save lives
  6. Anyone who opposes the medico-political dogma is categorized as a yahoo or psychopath and selfish
  7. A enormous amount of propaganda disguised as “information” is being pumped into the situation
  8. The media has been co-opted into covering the “big show” to keep ratings high and fear at a maximum
  9. Fear is a means of controlling the electorate
  10. Internment camps are being planned or are already in existence
  11. The increase in wealth has propelled billionaire growth at a greater rate than at any point in history
  12. The marginalized and poor are getting poorer
  13. Mental illness is skyrocketing
  14. Small business is being destroyed while big box flourishes
  15. Populations are being subjected to medico-political briefings on a daily basis like some sort of ideological imposition
  16. There is a possible surge in the thought of mandatory vaccination if not agreed to will result in punishment for those who oppose it
  17. Family units are being shattered

Now objectively what does this amount to? It seems very unhealthy and undemocratic yet it is been sold as necessary to the health of nations. You go ahead and judge the facts.

The Unmindfulness of Outgoing President Trump

There is a great Eastern based story that is taught to many mindfulness students.

A man is on a hunting expedition and the party enters into enemy territory. The man is shot by an arrow in the ankle. In great pain he reacts with anger criticizing himself for being so stupid. Why was he recklessly out in the open? Why was he wearing bright clothing that made him so visible? Why did the party so negligently stumble into enemy territory? How much more stupid could a person be.

These reactions have no useful purpose and a proper and calm response would be to attend to his injury which is painful. The reactions only intensify the pain and frustrate the rest of the hunting party. The better view would be to respond to the situation by taking steps to deal with the wound.

Outgoing President Trump clearly has lost his presidential election and is reacting in an unhelpful way by lashing out with rage and fury alleging fraud, corruption and portraying himself as a victim of the media, corrupt democrats and even Big Pharma. His reactions are causing his polarized vitriol to further divide a nation that requires healing. A rational response would be to concede defeat and cooperate with incoming President elect Biden to possibly save more American lives and offer assistance to the victims of COVID.

Is it any surprise outgoing President Trump is one of the most unmindful presidents in American history?

Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port: A Slice of Mincemeat Pie Please

As we are now in a lockdown in Toronto and Peel is going out and buying a mincemeat pie for Christmas from my favourite pie shop going to get me arrested and sentenced to hard labour by the Ontario COVID Imperial Tribunal? Of course I make a bold assumption that while big box stores like Costco are open to the public my local retail pie shop has survived another lockdown. It seems quite evident the Ford government favours multinational (i.e. American) big box stores permitting them to remain open but closes the door to the public for small businesses here in Toronto. Perhaps he wishes I contribute to the obscene wealth of Jeff Bezos Amazon Man as opposed to supporting local small businesses?

Sorry but a taste of this Tawny has my mind riveted to how good it would be with a mincemeat tart or slice of mincemeat pie. As my family members are prohibited from joining my wife and I for Christmas dinner as they do not live in our household the Premier on Ontario’s logic, or that which is dictated to him by his unelected “health team” perhaps a fish burger from big box McDonald’s or a chunk of greasy chicken from Popeyes is better for my safety and health? It is amazing how COVID has augmented the wealth of billionaires in record amounts while food banks are the second hottest business in town. Do I smell conspiracy theory here?

The Burmester Tawny has a brick orange colour. On the nose marmalade, tangerine, almonds and honey. On the palate Amaretto orange cookies, burnt caramel and apricot jam tinged by a spicy framework and a very long finish. It is long enough to contemplate that as far as COVID politics go the fish stinks from the head down. I’d sell my soul for a slice of mincemeat pie with a wee dram of this Port but the way things are progressing the COVID Imperial Tribunal in Ontario may allot me very graciously the right to leave my home for a McDonald’s apple turnover. What incredible delightful luxury. (Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port , Sogevinus Fine Wines, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, $29.95, 750 mL, LCBO # 223958, 20%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 93/100)

“The Goddess of Fortune”: Love as the Great Forgiver

“The Goddess of Fortune” is described partly in genre as an “LGBT Film”. The more references I see to this being a genre the more frustrated I get. The more a community defines itself as such the less it becomes human. It can be made subject to an analogy of late In the current American politics of hate where the term “black lives matter” has roared into the forefront and god help people who profess what is more important is “all lives matter”.

“The Goddess of Fortune” has its two main characters as gay man but it is so well done their homosexuality becomes irrelevant to me. It is just a married couple facing a crumbling of their marriage brought back together and into love again by two small children. Why try and ruin a wonderful story by trying to define the film as in the LGBT genre.

Let me try and recap the story without giving it away but first note it is a Warner Brothers Italia film and as such this is perhaps why the gayness of the men was not emphasized as the mainstream viewer could be categorized as anti-gay, intolerant of gays, accepting of gays or a gay prider. So water down the gay part and try as make as many camps at ease as possible? Unlike many of the LGBT films I have reviewed there are no steamy and “intimate” gay scenes. Is Warner Bothers Italia just about the same as Warner Brothers Hollywood?

The movie begins with a joyous marriage scene of Arturo (Stefano Accorsi) and Alessandro (Edoardo Leo) with a happy assemblage of friends both gay, trans and straight. Near the end Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca) arrives with her two young children Martina and Sandro. Alessandro and Annamaria were once lovers until Alessandro defected from heterosexuality to homosexuality and fell in love with Arturo. Could it be that the young boy Sandro is Alessandro’s son?

Well Annamaria states she is in town not only to attend the wedding but to undergo some tests for the severe migraines she has been suffering from and have Alessandro and Arturo mind her children for three days. Arturo and Alessandro really fall in love with the two children. They are natural parents, protective, loving and nurturing. Well the migraines are something far more serious and poor Annamaria succumbs but not before appointing Alessandro as their legal guardian.

Well as it turns out Arturo falls ill and Alessandro receives a call from a “friend” of Arturo saying he should come and retrieve Arturo.Well the friend of Arturo has been more than a “friend” for two years and Arturo and Alessandro are on the edge of breaking up. They hope to leave Martina and Sando to Annamaria’s baroness mother in Palermo so off they go from Rome to Palermo on a long ferry ride.

We discover that the baroness is a mean old bird who abused Annamaria as a child so Alessandro and Arturo can’t simply bear to leave the children with a mean bitch so off they head back to Rome but before they board the ferry they all take a dip in the ocean  in a very tender scene participating in a trick Annamaria told her children about the Goddess of Fortune, a statute at a museum where Annamaria worked. The trick to keeping a person with you forever is to close your eyes after staring at that person stealing their image in your heart and that person will be with you forever. Well it is not the trick that worked or maybe it was. But the tragic death of Annamaria has restored love between Arturo and Alessandro and created even more love and compassion between the two men and the children and the children most likely have cemented that love forever so perhaps there is some trick of fate involved.

A sensitive film directed by renowned Ferzan Ozpetek in Italian and with English subtitles. An excellent soundtrack and if you spoke Italian you might need a Kleenex if you could understand the lyrics.

The film opened in Canada and the United States on November 17th and you can access by clicking this link https://www.bgpics.com/movies/the-goddess-of-fortune/

“First We Eat”: A Lighthearted Film Takes on More Serious Overtones

The Canadian documentary “First We Eat” takes a rather amusing and lighthearted perspective on the challenges of eating locally particularly in Canada’s Yukon.

It was precipitated by a landslide that covered the only road into Dawson City. Grocery shelves were emptied in 48 hours. This caused Suzanne Croker to embark on a one- year project to only eat local. Her husband and three children were reluctant but, in the end, supportive. By day three Suzanne is exhausted and near tears. Making your own salt from plants and getting your drinking water from trees and making birch syrup is not an easy task. In fact, it is just about a full time job.

Crocker realized the family would not make it unless they obtained help from a group of hard nosed but supportive hunters and gatherers and the viewer is on a journey discovering a community of producers including dairy farmers, livestock producers and most interestingly Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in natives  who have been living off the land for thousands of years although the younger generation has to “go back to school” and be trained on hunting and gathering. And such respect and veneration they have for the fish and animals they kill and where nothing is wasted. Suzanne notes her vegetarianism is on hold as the only source of protein was from fish and meat.

Crocker’s family accomplished Crocker’s goal an amazing feat where 97% of food is transported into Dawson City. There are moments of family agony and retching and gagging over terrible tasting food. Yet there is the triumph of making birch syrup, homemade yogurt, butter, cheese and moose beef and kidney pie amongst many other dishes. Soap berries or pig blood and milk smoothies anyone?

Crocker notes when you rely on outside sources for all your food you are in trouble. Crocker strongly believes in establishing a relationship with all the producers of her food to the point she knows where everything came from on the family’s plates.

As Crocker says, “Some of the challenges we faced are very much specific to the North, but the theme of food dependence is global. A community that depends on its food coming from elsewhere is extremely vulnerable. And I like to say that the North is the canary in the coalmine of food security.”

I try to eat local and it does take some effort  but the produce I eat is fresher and not doused with preservatives and chemicals but if the pandemic spirals out of control I will not have to depend on grocery stores to the extent most people do. Never take for granted your food supply and give thanks to those who produce it and transport it to you.

In a way there is some similarity to a Canadian documentary I saw (the name of which escapes me) of a couple wanting to make a point that much of the food produced simply rots away as garbage so they lived off food from restaurant and grocery store dumpsters for a year.

Crocker is an acclaimed film maker and “First We Eat” is very well produced conveying an important message. It won the 2020 Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Hot Docs Festival. It has been playing throughout Canada including Cinema Parc in Montreal other virtual theatres are described here https://blueicedocs.com/stream/31/first-we-eat/.

Congratulations Crockers! You did it! Watch this trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LmBY915KNQ Oh by the way Suzanne no longer requires blood pressure medication.

Canada embarrasses itself almost to the point of kidnapping: The Meng Wanzhou Abduction

It’s been almost two years that Meng Wanzhou has been held in a rather luxurious house arrest in British Columbia. Yes Canada did not have much of a choice in the matter due to its extradition treaty with the United States. But the extradition trial has dragged on in an interminable fashion to the point of embarrassment for Canada. Wanzhou, CFO of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, is in fact a prisoner of the Canadian government. Each day drags by with delay after delay. Each day is another day away from her family. What on earth is taking so long or can political blame be flamed by finger pointing for this delay.

Then to complicate matters in an apparent retaliation the Chinese government arrested two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor for espionage two days after Wanzhou was arrested. At least Wanzhou is receiving a trial.

Perhaps it is up to Joe Biden, if there is no coup launched against him by President Trump, to cool things down by “letting go” of Wanzhou in exchange for China freeing the Canadians. Unless something is done soon tensions over Chinese treatment of Uighur Muslims and the use of their 5G Network are going to boil over. Until then the hostage taking by both sides will continue. And by the way both Canada and the United States have nothing to be proud of concerning the treatment of their aboriginal populations.

“There are No Lions in Tel Aviv”: A Story of Passion, Greed and Downfall: Toronto Jewish Film Festival

There was once a Rabbi Dr. Mordecai Schornstein who arrived in Palestine in 1935 from Copenhagen. Not wishing to remain a rabbi he transformed his love of animals into a pet shop then donated all his animals to establish a zoo in Tel Aviv. The deal was the Zoo gets the animals and he would be director of the zoo for life. There was intense lobbying to the municipality to get the land to open the zoo but a team of activists prevailed and the zoo finally opened and it was a smash hit and in a way was an achievement for the soon to be Israel.

By today’s standards the conditions for the animals were very poor but the staff was very respectful and loving of the animals. His family members remember him as a hard person to live with and it was as if he related to animals better than he did to humans.

Squabbles with his administration intensified as did the value of the real estate the zoo was occupying. Relations between the Zoo Association and Schornstein deteriorated until his paycheques became irregular and to buy lunch he took three lira from the Zoo till to buy himself lunch which was a criminal offence for which he appeared in court and was fined a token five lira with the judge admitting he was ashamed of the decision but the law was the law. Schornstein left the Zoo and became a founder of a bird sanctuary. What happened with the huge sums received by the Zoo administration from the real estate developers? What happened to those billions? Schornstein died a pauper and in 1980 the animals were transferred to a Safari Park.

As a commentator said the zoo taught many how bad a zoo can be but it also told many how greedy many people can be.

A fascinating story recounted through the many visitors to the zoo most of whom are in their twilight years. Great newsclips as well give it an authentic historical feel. In a way a bittersweet story. An important step in the bolstering of a Hebrew culture but was it in the right direction?

To buy a ticket  https://tjff.secure.force.com/ticket/#/events/a0S0b00000FGm06EAD

To read more about the film and to see a trailer https://tjff.com/films/there-are-no-lions-in-tel-aviv/

The 63-minute film directed by Duki Dror will be playing November 23-24 in Hebrew with English subtitles. It was the winner of the Festival’s David A. Stein Memorial Award.