Randy | March 31, 2014
A Strange Turn of Phrase By LFM If one goes through peril and comes out alive, It seems fair to refer to one’s state as “survived”, But a curious thing is the turning of phrase That equates every death to the Ending of Days. I refer to the way a death notice is written, And […]
Randy | March 13, 2014
In my 17 years overseeing operations at Central Dispatch – the emergency communications centre that I established and operated from 1984 to 2001 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia – I had regular cause to call in to the RCMP communications centre in Halifax (call sign 416), and speak to the (mostly female) dispatchers there. I have […]
Randy | February 22, 2014
I’ve mentioned my Esteemed Friend and Fellow Fiend Jim Keating more than a few times here, and no doubt will again because he persists in provoking me. His daily updated MAAJAK World (pronounced “MAGIC World”) ezine (MAAJAK = Master At Arms James Albert Keating) has been a daily morning stopping point for me since I […]
Randy | February 5, 2014
To many a modern fencer, the “weapon” in hand is no weapon at all, but an instrument of athleticism no different and more deserving of noble regard than a tennis racquet. In discussion with one who openly brings concepts of martial artistry into fencing practice, even accomplished fencers routinely ridicule any such idea as archaic […]
Randy | February 4, 2014
It was Jim Keating who brought this wondrously bloodthirsty ditty to my attention this morning, so thanks to him I’m sharing it with you, including the lyrics so you can sing right along if so inclined. Only 18 years old (as of publication), New Zealander Lorde (AKA Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O’Connor) is hitting ALL the […]
Randy | January 23, 2014
Do what thy manhood bids thee do, From none but self expect applause; He noblest lives and noblest dies Who makes and keeps his self-made laws. ~ Sir Richard Francis Burton ~ If you’ve never heard of Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890), then you have been denied exposure to one of the greatest minds in […]
Randy | January 17, 2014
I wrote this for fun one night last week, while sitting in bed talking to Mrs. LFM during the nightly ritual of feeding the SFM before we all go down for the duration. I read it to her, and at her insistence, present it here. Swaddling is an age old practice dating far back before […]
Randy | January 14, 2014
Mrs. LFM and I are fans of the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Halifax and have enjoyed their food and drink many times. On one visit a while back, an item on the menu caught my eye that apparently came served with their celebrated “shillelagh sauce”. Now I couldn’t let that pass me by, so […]
Randy | January 12, 2014
Once Wendell Phillips and a young friend were sitting by the fire. It was a memorable evening. Recollections had flushed the cheeks of the veteran campaigner. Memories of former heroic days had loosened his tongue. He had completely lost himself in the thrilling recital of the past. The young visitor sat enthralled. At last, when […]
Randy | December 27, 2013
“First off, to assume someone is actually happy is obscenely offensive. Secondly, to speculate that a person is on holiday is equivalent to slapping them in the face.” ~ Sharon Coyle, Canadian Association Alliance Back on the eleventh of this month, CBC radio show This is That interviewed Sharon Coyle (photo and quote above), of […]