The Cop on the Block

| March 4, 2015

For many years now, it has been with furrowed brow that I have observed the world as it applies to the work of professional law enforcement. My troubled mind comes from having had the extreme privilege of a career that has led me to know and work with a satisfying sample of cops – some […]

It’s Results that Count

| February 22, 2015

The involvement of Canada’s military services in the open warfare that has flourished since the events of 11 September 2001 has led to an unsurprising and historically inevitable outcome: Healthy people are dispatched on the mission. Some come back fine, some die before the end of their tour, while still others come back broken. Wars […]

Friend or Faux?

| February 16, 2015

“Humans, like metals, are malleable, and you can deform a sheet of metal with hammer-blows and then tap it out flat again. But any metallurgist will assure you that the whole sheet has changed, and only melting it down and rolling it again will undo it.” ~ Freedom & Necessity, Steven Brust & Emma Bull […]

Whither I Wentest?

| February 7, 2015

It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that I’ve been more than a little sparse in my utterances of late. Let me tell you a little about that. We of the LFM Clan are a healthy and robust lot, descended from a bunch of tough nuts. When we catch a cold or flu, we take the […]

One From Two

| January 31, 2015

Archaeological evidence suggests that we Humans of today owe our success as a species to the forging long ago of a wondrously strategic alliance – comradeship with the ancestors of that most noble thing called the Dog. Alas, the benefit of that linkage has not served our four legged counterpart so well, but that is […]

Leaders and Leadership – Chapter the Second: A Historical Study in Leadership

| January 8, 2015

In his 9 December 2014 article, How Ernest Shackleton can help world address climate change, Paul Kennedy wrote: A hundred years ago, Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton failed — in absolutely spectacular fashion. But some believe the way he turned failure into a historic triumph is inspiration for world leaders dealing with the crisis of climate […]

Leaders and Leadership – Chapter the First

| January 3, 2015

The expulsion of evils, from being occasional, tends to become periodic. It comes to be thought desirable to have a general riddance of evil spirits at fixed times, usually once a year, in order that the people may make a fresh start in life, freed from all the malignant influences which have been long accumulating […]

A Long Winter’s Night 2014 – Day 7: Cool Vintage Gift Ideas

| December 27, 2014

Here’s my poem of the day to set the tone. In case I wasn’t clear enough, and to save you from any concern that your mind went there because you’re a pervert, it is about masturbation. Nocturnal Emissions By LFM Winter sun, horizon meets, Bitter winds drive snows and sleets, Dying fire no longer heats, Drives […]

A Long Winter’s Night 2014 – Day 5: Rememberings

| December 25, 2014

For me, being 3 years old, I remember receiving the one thing I truly wanted. And I remember my favorite chocolate cake in the middle of a table covered with a poinsettia tablecloth. And I remember my handsome father finally being home with us. I think of this brown pony Christmas, and it was perfect. […]

Support Your Local Master At Arms!

| December 14, 2014

Those of you who, like me, usually start the day with a visit to Master At Arms James A. Keating‘s Ezine MAAJAK World will have noticed that the last update was a week ago today. Knowing Jim lives in the mountains where power, internet access, telephone, and even traversable roads can be an iffy proposition […]