The attentive reader will recall my passing reference to David Swick of last month. He is time and again amazing me with what one reporter can do with a thrice weekly column. His column today in the Halifax Daily News is local reporting at its best. A political blow hard opens his yap trap and finds his foot inserted in it.

Left: J'aime beaucoups votre combover, mon petit buddy separatist.

Reminded me of my buddy Mark, now of BBC Radio news in London - when he is not being sent to Moscow or Iraq - and the time I found him around 1990 in the Dal Law School library during his own Daily News days looking up everyone who had worked in law firms with John Buchanan (shown above speaking to Rene Levesque after eating an onion) and other NS notable toadies. Part of that work went into the work that encouraged the Senate to come looking for Johnny B.

Good reporters left to do their jobs are one of the most important elements for a viable free country. Sadly, there are clearly too few for our needs.