The Blogger Archive

Marijuana: The Real Reason it’s Illegal

Written by
James Ryan
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Not to become the spoiler alert for another artist’s work, but I am currently proof-reading a graphic novel by a Toronto artist, which is completely based on a true story revolving around the prohibition. We’ve had many discussions on the subject, and interestingly enough, we’ve both found many similarities between the old alcohol prohibition...
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The Trickle-Down Effect of Management vs Leadership

Written by
James Ryan
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As I approached the barren check-out lines, I noticed that the only light that was on, was at check-out station number one. A man standing behind an alternate counter off to the side quickly noticed me as I stood there looking around, and told me that someone would be happy to help me exactly...
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What Sort of Life are you Living?

Written by
James Ryan
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Okay everyone, here’s your chance. Tell me and everyone else on here how difficult your life is. How unhappy you are in your current relationship. How much your job sucks. How your dreams aren’t coming true because you’re being discriminated against. How no one is giving you that big break because they’re jealous of...
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Breaking the Stigma of a Fight Writer

Written by
James Ryan
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After work today, I hung out for a bit at the Prince of Wales Hotel in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake (Ontario, Canada), where I happened upon an old acquaintance of mine – Peter Crabtree of Crabtree Publishing. Peter was one of the many consultants who I chose to add as a dedication in my book Desolate...
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The Evolution of a Non-Fiction Writer

Written by
James Ryan
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“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn For the past twelve months, my life as a writer has looked as follows: I spent nine months literally rewriting and formatting every single word...
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Canadian Bowl 2013 Blog: Day 3 in Regina

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . Today couldn’t have been any better. I woke up knowing that I didn’t have to be down in the hotel lobby until around 1:00 p.m. in order to catch the shuttle to the CJFL Canadian Bowl football game between the Vancouver Island Raiders (BCFC) and the Regina Thunder (PFC), but...
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Regina Street Art at Night

Written by
James Ryan
Greetings everyone! I recently had the opportunity to walk around in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan late at night, and I immediately stumbled upon a lot of really cool art work (not grafitti) that was displayed throughout the entire downtown core. I started off by just taking a couple of pictures, but the more I walked...
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Canadian Thanksgiving in Algonquin

Written by
James Ryan
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For the past several years, my fiancee and I have made our way into the great Ontario wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park. This year, we did it a bit differently. This year, we stayed with family up in a cottage near Bancroft, and then the two of us took off on our own for...
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It’s time for Plan C…

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . Don’t ask me why, but the OFC website completely crashed about two weeks ago, so I contacted the Joomla! theme developer GavickPro, who then took no less than 24-hours between each and every single communication, just so they could end up telling me that the problem was apparently with our...
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Niagara Storm JV preparing to battle Ontario’s Best

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . . “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” – Charles R. Swindoll As I stood there in the mist and the rain at tonight’s practice, it was evident that the Niagara Storm Junior Varsity players were all feeling good about themselves. They...
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Emotions run high in the Sport of Youth Football

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . I’ve been coaching just long enough to know that players, parents, and even sometimes coaches, can all let their emotions get the better of them out there on the football field, especially if they’re not careful enough to control themselves, no matter how upset or angry they might be. Unfortunately,...
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Disrespectful Behaviour will not be Tolerated

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . Good morning fans and friends. Here’s the deal… If I post something controversial (which is almost always) onto my Facebook wall, Twitter account, etc., please know that the main purpose is not to thrust my views onto others. It’s to raise awareness on topical issues, encourage independent thought, and spark...
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Up Late, thinking about the World

Written by
James Ryan
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“You have to think like a psychopath in order to catch a psychopath.” – Hugh Jnutz 4 a.m. I almost hate to admit it out loud, but much to my own personal dismay, I have a conscience. If not for this little nuisance of a sensory in my brain that insists on constantly (and...
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A Simple Way to Budget Your Money

Written by
James Ryan
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Here’s a simple budgeting solution that I learned from an old boss of mine. It’s a scoring system based on WANTS and NEEDS. So often, we buy something just because we WANT it – not necessarily because we NEED it. And be careful not to confuse the two. You’d be amazed at how little...
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Tolerance of Intolerance is Cowardice

Written by
James Ryan
“Tolerance of Intolerance is Cowardice” – Ayaan Hirsi Ali I remember many years back, I was on a ski trip with a large group of co-workers. We had all crossed the border into New York State and travelled to a resort that had a shuttle bus service which brought skiers back and fourth between...
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The Fate of Toronto Mayor and Youth Football Coach Rob Ford

Written by
James Ryan
. . . . Ford was asked what was harder—running a football team or working with city council. “These kids listen,” he said. “City council doesn’t.” Okay, I admit it. I’ve never been a big fan of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (that’s putting it mildly), and not because of any personal feeling towards the...
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Ask James Ryan: Best Lessons in Coaching

Written by
James Ryan
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Lance Waldeck asked: What is the best lesson a coach or mentor has taught you? What is the best lesson you teach while coaching and leading others? When I was first asked to teach Customer Relations at Niagara College Canada, I had no prior teaching experience, certifications, or even so much as a University...
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