Earn What You Want on 5 Bucks a Day

Posted on: Hubpages
Some have said that “5 Bucks A Day Jr” is more a motivational book than a strategy. I’d say it is both. The motivation is that Dennis Becker not only has made the strategy work but he shares the good and the bad within the strategy. The pitfalls as well as the ‘ah ha’ moments.

He writes clearly on how to approach setting up and following this strategy involves both work and perseverance. He doesn’t try to suggest, do this and it will always work. He notes that there are, and in fact should be, times that efforts will fail. He emphasizes that the failures can be good and the faster they take place the quicker the reader can move on to what works. -- read more

Baby Steps -- Hopefully Forwarded

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
CanWest is reporting today that Poland is prepared to let Canada share two of their helicopters that they have in Afghanistan. In a speech in Ottawa this morning, their foreign minister declared that Poland is unequivocal in their support for the NATO mission. Poland has 1,200 troops in southeastern Afghanistan and eight helicopters. They serve without caveats limiting where they are deployed. The foreign minister also indicated as the Polish troops are withdrawn from Iraq more contributions may be made in Afghanistan.

I read some where else on the web today that France has over 700,000 men and women in uniform. Now I'm beginning to understand why much of the spotlight is on both them and Germany to provide troops to actually take part in establishing security instead of taking up residence in less volatile areas of the country. France needs to remember that the very countries they are leaving to struggle getting the job done were the ones who liberated them 60+ years ago. -- read more

Finally, No Memorials at the Top!

Posted on: Ides of May
Finally! For the first time since December 30th this blog doesn’t carry a memorial post at the top of the listings. That means that for the last 10 days no Canadian soldier has given his/her life in service to us. Our 2500 troops in Afghanistan have stayed safe and most importantly, we along the Highway of Heroes have not made anymore trips to the bridges. Continue to be safe guys and gals, you’re service is appreciated.

I spent yesterday at the Legion. We had our monthly brunch on which moved from brunch into an afternoon of an informal jam session in the clubroom. We had an unadvertised special featuring a hot roast beef plate for $5. The plate gave you a full dinner. Since we had to cancel the roast beef dinner on Friday evening, the meat was all cooked and we did up some potatoes and veggie to complete the plate and of coursed topped with beef gravy.-- read more

We Will Remember Him

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Corporal Etienne Gonthier – Afghanistan January 23, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

Groundhog Day Already

Posted on: Ides of May
Man, I’m not doing very good on my goal of 300 more posts on this blog by the end of the year. A month has gone by already and all that I’ve posted has been memorial posts for Canadians killed in Afghanistan. We’ve lost five Canadians since Christmas, there have been four trips to the bridge made for them.

I’m praying we get past today and tomorrow so I can finally release the last one memorial from the top of the page and not have to replace it with a new one. Like the flag at the Branch, the memorial posts stay at the top of my blog until ten days has passed since the soldier died. -- read more

Taliban Jack Wants to Bolt From Kandahar

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Jack Layton the leader of the federal NDP party has long advocated that Canadian troops should be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan and brought home. Now he's stated his willingness to have Canada raise the white flag for the first time in our history. Great warrior and military analyst that Taliban Jack is, he's decreed that no international troops can win against the Taliban in that region, it is pointless to be there and our troops need to be brought home now.

His remarks were part of a speech he recently gave at the University of Ottawa. Geeze, that is the best the university can find to speak to our young people? The text of the speech is rift with lies and misrepresentations of the mission in Afghanistan which twisted his way to the conclusion that Canada should run while the running is good. -- read more

Black Focused Schools? Let's Have Canada Focused Instead.

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
You know, I usually make it a practice to sort of note what is going on in the city of Toronto and then put it promptly out of my mind. I don't live there, I do live within 90 minutes of the city and I do avoid heading to the place. My usually reason for crossing into the boundaries of the city is to cross them on my way to my sister's place in London.

I paid scant attention to the black focus school debate. My first thought on them was that it would segregate kids, particularly immigrant kids, who should be integrating and mixing with other races and those born here in this country. It would tend to strengthen young black's view of being apart, isolated in Canadian society. Most kids, and I don't care what colour or race they are, want to belong, to be included -- yet at the same time, kids tend to cluster according to where they attend school. -- read more

Strange Harper Clone Appears Before National Media

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Some guy looking like, sounding like and claiming to be Stephen Harper appeared before the media yesterday to talk about Manley's report. What made the media, and others question, who this guy was is that what came out of this guy's mouth was a bit of humble speak which included sounding like someone who would compromise and work with at least one other party to make the mission work. -- read more

Canadians Increasingly non-Partisan

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
A recent Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey indicates that Canadians are becoming increasingly non-partisan just as it seems that there is nothing in Ottawa that is not defined by partisan bickering. Maybe it is Canadians desire to see leadership shaped by what is good for the country more than the stroking of egos that comes with partisan politics. -- read more

AFGHAN PRESS Launches

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
An independent media outlet in Afghanistan has launched, Afghan Press. The site's objective is to be a free and independent source of otherwise unreported news of what is happening in Afghanistan. The success of projects like this are part of what goes into building a democracy. -- read more

Flocke Learns to Crawl

American Aid Worker Kidnapped

Where are the Detainees?

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
After months of controversy over the status of detainees, prisoners taken by Canadian soldiers during their operations in Afghanistan, federal lawyers revealed in court on Wednesday that Canada halted transfers of detainees to the Afghans last November. The halt immediately followed the uncovering of credible evidence that a detainee had been beaten in Afghan custody. The weapons used on him were found in his cell by a Canadian officer on an inspection visit to a detainee. -- read more

We Will Remember Him

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Trooper Richard Renaud – Afghanistan January 15, 2008

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays

Leadership Approach Laid Bare

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Further to my closing comments yesterday on Harper's need to demonstrate the leadership he claims he has in order to build consensus on the mission in Afghanistan, Chantal Hebert writes an excellent column today on this very subject. Harper's management of this issue leaves a lot to be desired and if he's the leader he likes to lay claim to, he needs to learn from his mistakes, quietly eat some crow and change his communication style. -- read more