So there's this joke in the militia about how you determine who's leadership material, but for it to make sense I need to explain a few things first. This might take a moment, but I am going somewhere with this. Identifying potential NCO leadership is a tricky situation in the militia, and a major part … Continue reading Leadership(?)-First one to look
Some thoughts on Don Cherry…
So here's a thing that happened... The lead up to Remembrance Day is always a time that puts me into a contemplative mood. The Day itself is usually a stressful rush given that I'm part of the ceremonies. So I end up focussed on doing my job right, rather than taking a moment to reflect. … Continue reading Some thoughts on Don Cherry…
Women in the CAF – Uh…Swooch?
So let's establish a few things right off the bat... I'm a forty-one year old Sergeant who's last named hair style was the mullet. I used to have long hair, so I generally get the idea behind why long-haired women would care about something like Ponytail-FORGEN, but I'm not going to claim I get it … Continue reading Women in the CAF – Uh…Swooch?
Supplemental Reading – In Peace, Prepared
Andrew B. Godefroy's history 'In Peace Prepared: Innovation and Adaption in Canada's Cold War Army' traces the history of Canada's post-Second World War military. This was a remarkable decade, where Canada emerged from the War with a huge army and a wealth of experience, demobilized to almost nothing, then rebuilt within the span of a decade. All the … Continue reading Supplemental Reading – In Peace, Prepared
Residential Schools & the Sixties Scoop – Some Basic History
A Note Before We Begin: ***I realized a little while back that I was going to have to set down some of the basics about the Residential School System in Canada, and I'm kind of freaked out by the prospect. The issue here is - like I've said many times before - I'm not Indigenous. … Continue reading Residential Schools & the Sixties Scoop – Some Basic History
Hope Punks!
So a 40-ish blogger's sitting in a bar at 3pm after having survived another weekly visit to counselling when he looks out the window and sees a bunch of kids skipping school... No, this isn't the start of a joke. ...so out in the street there's a bunch of kids. Not young people, kids. Mostly … Continue reading Hope Punks!
Leadership? (Ground Level)
So it's been a couple of years since I went back to University to take this course. It was called Indigenous Art, Activism & Resistance and it was pretty far outside my comfort zone, although it was worth it in the long run. Small word of advice for those of you who feel alienated from young … Continue reading Leadership? (Ground Level)
Grip & Grin
The next several parts of Uprising deals with Douglas Bland's views on politicians and how they think/operate. As a lifelong resident of Ottawa, I'm naturally adverse to hearing criticism of the company that keeps my town afloat. This is a government town. Take your fancy high-paying, white collar, non-unionised jobs back to Montreal or Toronto … Continue reading Grip & Grin
Shame. You need it.
***The following post is a follow-on to this one in the deconstruction. My intent is to expand on some of the points I made in the post, and tie them in with some of the ideas I'd been kicking around for a Personal Philosophy post. Be warned that it deals with issues of character building in … Continue reading Shame. You need it.
What do I mean when I say ‘White’?
This one's long overdue. When I first planned out this blog my intent had been to have all of my key articles written beforehand, so that I could load them up right away as the first 5-6 posts. What I hadn't counted on was what a huge leap this blog would be in terms of … Continue reading What do I mean when I say ‘White’?
Putting Down Uprising 