Randy | December 26, 2013
Nova Scotians complaining about the state of the province’s roads in the wake of Sunday’s winter storm should be careful how much they grumble. An old law still on the province’s books can order “all physically fit male persons” between 16 and 60 years of age to shovel out highways made impassable by snow. At […]
Randy | December 22, 2013
Written words are visual guides to the making of sounds that, when uttered aloud, convey meaning. An example is the word “label”. A label can be a physical object that, when applied to another object, conveys important information about it. What it’s made of, how to use it, how long it may be kept, and […]
Randy | December 21, 2013
Winter begins today, and those of us who understand the joys of travelling dark forest trails can walk slower tonight, for there is more darkness to enjoy. As I recall, the last time we all gathered here for A Long Winter’s Night, we were staring down the barrel of yet another ending of the world. […]
Randy | December 18, 2013
“‘In ferro veritas” means “in the sword is truth,’ or, more loosely translated, ‘studying the sword will smack you face-first into a lot of truths you’re not going to like.’” ~ Adam Adrian Crown, The Swordmaster’s Grimoire Every now and then, I experience the sheer delight of learning that someone whose work I respect and […]
Randy | December 11, 2013
Going Postal By LFM I killed a man the other day, He’d just himself to blame. First my patience emptied Then my pistol did the same. Disposing of his carcass Was an easy thing to do. So simple that you’ll wonder why It never came to you. I bubble wrapped and boxed him up And […]
Randy | December 6, 2013
Today’s title comes from something once said to me by my all time favourite plumber; Wilson Richards of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: “I don’t get why people want a canopy over their bed. I have a can o’ pee under mine.” As an only slightly related aside, there’s also this from the Helm Forge blog on […]
Randy | December 1, 2013
This poem was inspired by actual events. Persons involved may be known to the author. Great Pith an’ Moment By LFM (Click here to listen to the LFM himself reciting Great Pith An’ Moment!) To change a bairn’s wee bottom is Nae horrid thing to do, For nae deathly thing awaits ye In amongst the […]
Randy | October 27, 2013
On the heels of yesterdays Dark Sentiment that spoke of magickal invisibility rings and the weakness of Man in favour of evil doing in the face of certain – or at least perceived – anonymity, today I present something a bit more uplifting. A School History of England was written by C.R.L.Fletcher and Rudyard Kipling, […]
Randy | October 24, 2013
Let’s begin today’s Dark Sentiment with a word from Agony, courtesy of the inimitable Katy Towell. A bit of shameless self-promotion on the part of Agony, I agree. We all know that human suffering, as rivetingly horrible as it may be to those experiencing it, and as flavour enhancing as it may be to bystanders […]
Randy | October 16, 2013
“During the second half of the nineteenth century, death was the ultimate act of nature—beyond human control and ever present. The death rate of infants were so high that babies were often not given names until they were one year old, and the death of infants were often unrecorded. The ubiquity of death, due in […]