I was reading the story of the Battle of Omdurman in a Military History magazine on my flight yesterday. A traditional colonial slaughter:

At the Battle of Omdurman (2 September 1898), an army commanded by the British General Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad. It was a demonstration of the superiority of a highly disciplined European-led army equipped with modern rifles and artillery over tribesmen with older weapons (note: spears, arrows, swords) and marked the success of British efforts to re-conquer the Sudan. However, it was not until the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat, a year later, that the final Mahdist forces were defeated.

At the end of the article, the author provided the following insights into the battle, he called these “Lessons”:

• If armed with spears, don’t charge machine guns. In fact, infantry should never charge machine guns, a lesson Kitchener should have communicated to troops in France in 1914.
• Career-wise, it never hurts to bring a journalist like Churchill  to write the story up.
• Artillery, machine guns and gun boats are superb things to have on your side when fighting masses of poorly armed tribesmen.
• Bring a gun to a sword fight.
• Bring artillery to every fight.

Good advice all round.

This weekend saw a number of ‘protesters’ in Toronto for the G20. Riots broke out, windows were broken, cars fired. As the Toronto Star put it:

On Saturday afternoon, as TV stations played and replayed images of anarchists torching a police car at the iconic intersection of King and Bay Sts., the mayor noted he had spent the week trumpeting Toronto’s story to international journalists — a financially stable, diverse and vibrant city.

“Does today send signals about Toronto that I wish weren’t sent?” Miller said. “Yes, absolutely, but the underlying facts about are city are still there.”

As it was going on Saturday night my son asked me:

‘What are they protesting?"’

I did a web search. We watched the news. We could find nothing. So I responded ‘I don’t know’.

So these ‘protestors’ did not get a message out. Why? Because they are a bunch of hooligans, who will justify their destructive actions on their anarchist, anti-government approach where the ‘cause justifies the means’. But in the end, nothing was accomplished – they sent no message of value.

The only message that I took away from the whole thing is that we should lock them all up, that they are simply hooligans who do not respect others and that hopefully no Police were hurt while apprehending them.

Besides, this is Canada. We don’t do that kind of thing here.

So much for the ‘cause’ …. common thugs.

Update: Check out 25 amazing photos of the event here.

I have been enjoying Esquire magazine lately. Very well written and a great cross section of articles. The article How a Man Ages .. or Should is the chronology of the transitions that we ‘men’ should go through as we age, made me laugh and think. A few highlights.

Age 26

Having whatever everyone else is having. → Having a usual — Scotch neat, a gin martini, a manhattan, whatever. Know thy drink, know thyself.

For me, it is Gin & Tonic. Preferably Hendric’s, with a slice of cucumber.

Age 27

Renting a tux. → Owning a tux.

I have to say I am on the fence about this one. Black Tie isn’t really Black Tie anymore. Most events that are ‘formal’ leave a lot of room for interpretation. I didn’t buy a tux until last year, and did fine. But I have to admit, it was way overdue. So on this one, I would say it is more of a 35 requirement (unless you live in England, where they are simply mad for Black Tie).

Age 30

Boot and rally. → Call it a night.

I have to agree on this one. The all nighter has not been in my blood for a very, very long time … around this age actually and the arrival of children. Who wants to be the Dad with the headache in the morning?

Age 33

Using quotes from Porky’s, Meatballs, Office Space, and Old School in conversation. → Using quotes from assorted wise men. Faulkner is good. Churchill is better.

I prefer to do both. Name that quote, “I was a one man wolf pack’. For the record, I own a few Churchill quote books.

Age 40

Knowing your fantasy-football ranking. → Knowing your cholesterol levels. And your blood pressure. Start getting annual checkups, and ask for the works, and listen to your doctor. Listen.

So true. Things start to break when you cross 40 …. I am a 3. A little less bacon, sad but true.

Age 43

Saving money whenever you can. → Realizing that some things in life — flying first class, a good watch, good liquor — are always worth the money.

Absolutely. It isn’t about quantity, it is about quality.

Age 44

Playing sports that leave your knee/shoulder/wrist aching for days. → Making exercise a top priority. If you’re not getting stronger, you’re getting weaker.

This one hit me around 36. I was sitting in my office and experiencing lower back pain and I realized, ‘what the heck? you are way to young for this. Change it’.  As an Orthopaedic Surgeon said to me last week, ‘I don’t operate on overweight 90 year olds.’ ‘Why? too risky?’ I asked. ‘No’, he responded ‘they don’t exist’.

And last … Age 58 and on …

Doing, watching, and listening to things because you’re supposed to. → Doing, watching, and listening to whatever you want.

Life is good. Lots of adventure left ….

One component of a lot of travel is that you catch all the movies. I had passed the movie Invictus several times before deciding to watch it. I am glad I did. The story of Nelson Mandela and the evolution of South Africa is both a sad and inspiring story. From IMDB:

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

The word Invictus is from Latin, meaning unvanquished. The movie centers around the poem Invictus by English poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) that Nelson Mandela kept close for inspiration during his years of captivity:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The author’s life makes the inspiration clear:

At the age of 12, Henley fell victim to tuberculosis of the bone. A few years later, the disease progressed to his foot, and physicians announced that the only way to save his life was to amputate directly below the knee. It was amputated when he was 25. In 1867, he successfully passed the Oxford local examination as a senior student. In 1875, he wrote the "Invictus" poem from a hospital bed. Despite his disability, he survived with one foot intact and led an active life until his death at the age of 53.

I have a few friends from South Africa. While it is recovering, it is still a sad story. A beautiful land, with much hope and opportunity, ravaged and struggling after many, many years with many tough years ahead, like so many African nations.

We live blessed lives.