Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 4: Sword Dance

| October 4, 2024

Tonight’s Dark Sentiment grew out of two inspirations. This oft quoted witticism: “Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.” ~ Celtic Proverb And the other, the life of Scottish soldier, prize fighter, Swordmaster, brothel keeper, notorious duellist, and all around self-made sonofabitch, Donald McBane (1664 – 12 April 1732), author of The […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 3: Saddle Up

| October 3, 2024

“Understanding and being able to recognize and avoid logical fallacies is helpful in everything you do, whether it’s an argument, not being fooled by advertisements or politicians, choosing a good teacher who teaches from a solid foundation, or recognizing whether what you are being taught is what you need to learn.” ~ Maestro Adam Crown, […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 2: Authority

| October 2, 2024

There are those who live their lives, and would judge all others, by standards excremental (to paraphrase the Esteemed and Right Honourable Master At Arms James A. Keating). Their mettle never tested, forever self-excused by the acts of others, their only measure of strength is relative to how far an audience can be drawn to […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 1: No Apologies

| October 1, 2024

Welcome back to our fireside, goode and weary Pilgrim, and this 15th Season of Dark Sentiments. Here, by the grim and unflinching Watchstone, we can take our ease, speak freely, and match observations with the utterances of those who would proclaim laws to have it otherwise. We don’t cater to weakness here, nor do we […]

This Vegetative State

| July 28, 2024

This Vegetative State By LFM A plant may heal, a plant may kill, ‘Tis neither good nor evil. And left alone in sweet repose Will rarely cause upheaval. Each has its Way along its course As Nature would decree it, And any good or evil there Takes human eyes to see it. Bent one way […]

In Ferro Veritas — Know Your Place

| June 30, 2024

I would like you to read the following passage, consider if it is something that could be said of you, and if not then whether you need to broaden your horizons by paying more attention: Some of the greatest Teachers I’ve ever had lived under rotting logs, swarmed me out of a half buried and […]

In Ferro Veritas — And Don’t You Forget It

| June 23, 2024

For those of you who don’t recognize the Latin phrase in today’s title, I will point you to my explanatory article A Bit About In Ferro Veritas which was published here more than a decade ago as part of a series that you can peruse by clicking here. Let that stand as an introduction to […]

Linear Thinking

| April 20, 2024

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” ~ C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters The road in this poem is certainly not the safest one described above. It’s rather steep, hard and potholed, all turnings sudden or otherwise are denied as […]

Weihnachtsjäger School of Charm — Let’s Talk About Manners

| January 21, 2024

Previously from Weihnachtsjäger School of Charm: Introductory Pontification Getting Your Head Right Today’s Lesson Timely Advice is Never Too Late By LFM Your use to the World comes from skills that you have, And the things that you know how to do. Some come by Nature, while others are learned, Adding Value to all that […]

Weihnachtsjäger School of Charm — Getting Your Head Right

| January 7, 2024

Previously from Weihnachtsjäger Charm School: Introductory Pontification Today’s Lesson “Think of your death now. It is at arm’s length. It may tap you any moment, so really you have no time for crappy thoughts and moods. None of us have time for that. The only thing that counts is action, acting instead of talking. “Our […]