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News From the Home Office.

A blog by Brian Wolfe in General

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B. Wolfe's discussions on collecting.

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The Perfect Darth Vader Voice.

The Perfect Darth Vader Voice After a year of retirement and after more landscaping projects completed than any one person of any age could expect to be done in one summer I am ready for a rest. I’m looking forward to the first frost and then the first heavy snowfall. With my snow blower back from the maintenance shop and binoculars in hand I await that first snowflake’s appearance like a cat ready to pounce on an unsuspecting mouse, or a WWII British Costal Defense Watcher scanning the ski

September 30, 2014

6

What Women Don't Know (About Men)

What Women Don’t Understand (about Men) Originally I was going to write a blog titled “What I know About Women”; forty five minutes passed and the screen was just as vacant as my sixth-coffee-caffeine-induced-comatose stare. It was at this time that I realized I had exhausted the full extent of my knowledge in that field of research. True, a title such as “What I Know About Women” followed by a blank page would not only be quite humorous but at the same time sadly accurate. Lesser men woul

September 1, 2014

4

The Great and Unavoidable War

The Great and Unavoidable War On the eve of the beginning of the First World War we are blessed, or cursed depending on your point of view, with many new and old documentaries dealing with the Great War. Of course originally it was referred to as the “Great War” because we had not yet realized that we enjoyed the carnage so much that we started to number them. Finally after years of waiting and countless boring and pointless Olympics, FIFA, NFL, NHL, baseball, basket ball games etc. wasting

July 27, 2014

16

Collecting the Periphery - Part 4

Collecting the Periphery – Part 4 In February 2012 I started on a series of blogs dealing with the collecting of items that didn’t really fall within the usual collecting parameters of military yet where on the fringe, or periphery, of that field. Originally I thought to begin with The London County Council (LCC) School Attendance Medals. I will admit that this was the only topic that came to mind that fit the category for which I was aiming and therefore was intended to be somewhat of a “one

July 7, 2014

6

At the Crossroads - again!

At the Crossroads Again! For the vast majority of collectors collecting is a passion, an obsession; some would even call it a sickness, however, those are the people whose opinions are completely unworthy of consideration. They are like vegans at a BBQ telling me that if I knew where that steak came from I would not eat it. First of all Ive been a butcher in one of my varied past work experiences so I know where meat comes from and second I tell them that I see myself as a non-practising vege

June 4, 2014

10

GMIC's 10th Anniversary!

GMIC’s Tenth Anniversary Eight years ago my friend in India, and fellow GMIC member, Samir, strongly suggested that I look into this forum with the intention of possibly joining. It hardly seems like eight years have passed by since I joined, but the numbers don’t lie; eight years and not one regret. True there have been times when I have found myself biting my lip for want of making a curt reply to someone’s remarks but calmer emotions took over and I refrained from adding fuel to the fire.

May 2, 2014

2

I Have No Remorse.

Femoraliaphobia I might be famous as the one person to start a phobia all by myself and I have deemed it to be Femoraliaphobia. For years one of my many obsessions which includes a need to check the weather forecast, always knowing what time it is and the need to have everything in neat rows has been to create drawers in everything I build in the shop. This coming year I plan to build another kitchen table, this time longer than the eight foot one we presently have, at least a twelve footer

April 1, 2014

8

Quoth The Raven.

Quoth the Raven Nevermore. There are times as I sit in my study, usually later in the evening, I feel a bit like the narrator in Poe’s “The Raven” Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. ''Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door- Only this, and nothing more.' The except

February 10, 2014

6

The Shill's Revenge

The Shill’s Revenge A few days ago, over in the Japan Section, a discussion was started regarding the use of “shills”. If you have never visited the Japan Section you should do so, it is quite interesting and quickly becoming the place to go for researching Japanese medals and decorations. A “shill”, in case you didn’t know, is a person who is employed by an auctioneer to drive up the bids so that the item sells for more than it normally would have. Years ago and before the internet I us

January 18, 2014

4

New Year's Resolutions?

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS? “This coming year I resolve to eat healthier, exercise and take better care of myself in general”, was the mantra of those “grazing” on all sorts of delicacies at the buffet table. It always amazes me how people are able to balance a plate in one hand all the while holding their Long Island Tea or Bloody Mary in the other and still manage to fill their plate to overflowing without allowing even one shrimp escape its fate. I especially like the lady who says that she nev

December 29, 2013

3

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol Well, here we are almost Christmas and I still haven’t gotten out to purchase any gifts and to be honest it may not happen this year at all. Ok, you’re probably thinking that my wife is correct in calling me “her cold hearted bastard”. But wait, don’t light the torches, gather up the pitchforks and lead the pheasants on a march to the castle quite yet. Yes, I know I said pheasants; it was just my way of messing with the images of a Frankenstein movie dancing in your heads.

December 14, 2013

5

Visiting the Neighbours

Visiting the Neighbours From time to time family can get on one’s nerves and you just need a change of pace. Somewhere to go that, with luck, proves to you that things at home are not all that bad; that or at least, your own family is not all that dysfunctional after all. I believe the same is true with forums. After a while one starts to read posts and think, “Oh, grow up for God’s sake”, “Stop wasting my time” or “You have to be kidding me!” We all have our “buttons”, people and posts th

November 23, 2013

2

Remembrance Day - A PPOV

Remembrance Day, a PPOV As November 11 and Remembrance Day approaches many people start to think, for the first time in a year, of the sacrifices so many have and are making for their nations. For those of us in the collecting field there is no need to be reminded of this as I believe we are more than a little aware of what has been given up so that we may enjoy our freedom. For the sake of this blog I am not talking about those who have or are serving and may be members here, as they are in t

October 30, 2013

0

Shedding Light on the Crime

Shedding Light on the Crime; not a bedtime story. Abysmal was the only word to describe this moonless overcast autumn night. The neighbourhood had been forgotten by society, polite society that is. The street lights were old and outdated. New lights found in the up-scale areas would never see this neighbourhood, not even when they were felt to be out of style. The lights would be sold to smaller municipalities; never to be installed here. Many of the lights were out, shot out by pellet

November 30, 2012

2

An Adventure? Are you out of your mind? Part two

An Adventure? Are you out of your mind? Part Two. As stated in the last installment Linda, my wife and best friend, and I had paid our admission to the Christie’s Antique Show and were at last on our way to the happy (antiques) hunting grounds. Once we crossed the causeway the area opened up to reveal the affects the night long rains had on the dealers. The wide rows were blocked with large vans and trailers because many dealers had waited until morning to start to set up their booths. Norma

October 8, 2012

1

An Adventure? Are you out of your mind? Part 1

An Adventure? Are you out of your mind? Part One. Summer was just about over, a summer plagued with drought conditions here in this part of Ontario, Canada, with crops being devastated and shallow well drying up. For us at the Grand River Conservation Authority it was equally serious. Fire bans angered the campers, even though it was as much for their protection as anything else. The cottagers who lease their lots from us around two reservoirs were more than a little edgy as the “lakes” re

September 16, 2012

2

Collecting more but enjoying it less?

Collecting More but Enjoying It Less? Up before dawn and after a stop at Tim Horton’s coffee shop back on the road for an hour’s drive. Arriving at the “Tim’s” located in the town or city of your destination, after all, Canadian’s plan their trips in accordance to the location of a handy Tim’s. Fresh coffee in hand you pull into the show’s parking lot and at this early hour there is almost an unlimited choice of parking spaces. Dawn has broke and you find yourself in line, hot coffee in han

July 20, 2012

11

Are you kidding, no really, are you kidding?

Are you kidding, no really are you kidding? Last Saturday one of the largest, if not the largest, outdoor antiques fairs was held near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It has been a few years since we were able to attend and most of the dealers have been the same for many years so it was like a family reunion with some that we’ve dealt with over the years. One of the first things an antiques dealer will tell you is not to refinish antiques as their value is lost once you do this. You will hear t

May 27, 2012

12

Collecting the Periphery Part 3

Collecting the Periphery Part 3 When collecting medals that are not directly military in nature it would be easy to overlook the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter or in English, Cross of Honour of the German Mother. I say this as it seems to me that anything associated with the Third Reich automatically conjures up military associations. This was a state decoration and civil order of merit awarded to mothers for exceptional merit to Germany. This decoration was awarded from 1939 until 1945

March 30, 2012

2

Collecting the Periphery Part 2

Collecting the Periphery Part 2 Have you ever started a project only to realize that perhaps to do it justice you probably shouldn’t have started it in the first place? This is not exactly what has happened to my plan to discuss collecting medals outside of the usual parameters of military and Mervin has pointed out, and rightly so, that this was a huge undertaking. The vast array of non-military medals is daunting to say the least. Therefore this will not be a treatise or my opus magnum

March 6, 2012

1

Collecting the Periphery Part One

Collecting the Periphery Part One Most of what we see here on the GMIC and on other military focused forums is mainstream and by that I am referring to the collecting of medals. Medals for campaigns, long service, good conduct and “been there and got the T shirt” fill online auction pages and the catalogues of dealers around the world. Interestingly there are many areas of civilian medals that seem to have gone unnoticed by the collecting world in general. Police medals and equipment will no

February 18, 2012

1

This message may save your life.

Option A or Option B What you are about to read you may find disturbing or even offensive. If you do then you need to grow up. The permanency of life is an illusion and you cannot afford to delude yourself to thinking you are immortal. Therefore, if you have elected to read on, you have been duly warned and I will make no apologies if you find your delicate feelings have been hurt. Jim [not his real name] was 6 foot 2 inches tall, a big guy but not such as you would say was overweight at all.

January 31, 2012

13

The Perfect Sick Day

The Perfect “Sick Day” Don’t you really dislike those dedicated types who will come to work sick? After all, who needs to pick up whatever “bug” they have just because they lack the common decency to stay home. Well, I am one of those miserable sods. In all fairness, this time of the year, I have almost no human contact as my days are spent outside “in the field” (as we say). So unless I pass this cold on to a raccoon or deer no one suffers but me. Friday morning rolled around and I tak

January 15, 2012

2

As 2011 Wound Down and So Did I

2011 Wound Down and So Did I It seemed that as the year wound down I did as well and I am more than a little happy that a brand new year will start in less than a week. One might ask why the turning of a page on a calendar would make any difference. Good question and the answer is that most of the things that ate up my time are on a cycle concerning my “day job”. The other reasons varied from health to having more ambition than energy. My duties at the Conservation Authority are concentrated

December 27, 2011

1

Ghost of Collecting Past - A Christmas Carol?

Ghost of Collecting Past – A Christmas Carol? In case you were expecting a story based on a Dickensian Novel I fear that I must disappoint you straight away. This becomes self-evident within the first sentence, yet somehow I was not dissuaded. The alarm clock/radio went off well before dawn as usual but today my ears were assaulted by a Christmas carol butchered by one of the new generation of so-called talented artists. Silent Night was never meant to be converted and offered up in Rap form

November 30, 2011

4

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