When I say "Not a Newspaper Columnist" I'm not referring to the guy in this photo though he may not be a columnist anymore. He used to be the Calgary Sun's Page 6 columnist. Jim Davies [1]is his name.
When I lived in Calgary in the 1980s I met him and if he's still alive today, I'm sure still is)a very nice guy. He went out of his way to help me giving me advice in regards to writing. Since reading his Page 6 columns religiously(the best Page 6 columnist out of all the Sun papers as far as I'm concerned--and yes I admit I'm biased saying that), I always wanted to be a columnist as Mr. Davies was. Occasionally he'd focus on one topic but I liked besides being helpful, and a genuine good guy, in his columns he'd talk about different things. All unrelated to each other. So since there's no way I'll be able to catch up writing everything I want in a separate post, I decided from time to time I will do just that. As Mr. Davies used to. Write on different things in one column(okay this isn't a newspaper but pretend it is--just humour me will you? And pretend this is a newspaper column):
TTC GETTING RID OF TICKETS: The people making decisions at the top of TTC(Toronto Transit Commission)sure aren't smart. Due to a rise in counterfeit tickets [2]the TTC has decided later this year passengers will only be able to pay a fare with cash or tokens. What? You mean the TTC has never received a counterfeit token or a counterfeit bill? Yeah right!
CELEBRITY GOSSIP--NOT FROM ME: At work one day while picking up a magazine off the floor to put back in the proper spot in the magazine rack, one of the mags opened to a page that caught my attention. They asked people to email them if they saw or experienced something in regards to celebrities. They want celebrity gossip [3]. I've come across some contacts(celebrities) and we became I would say very good friends. If I was one of those idiots(blabbing celebrity gossip) I would call or email the publication but I won't. And there are some things I've found and been told in confidence, that would boost my career as a writer. But what I found I keep the secret(or secrets)to my grave(not even my friends or family will ever be told this). Unlike such magazines I've got more class than that.
TAXI DRIVER ON CELLPHONE: Awhile back while at the Oakville GO Station I had to call a cab. I called Oakville Taxi. The cab driver had one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on the cellphone, talking to someone the entire time, and it was a 20-minute ride. I don't care if it would've been just a 2-minute ride that is rude, that is unprofessional. So Oakville Taxi due to that incident you've lost a customer for life. You really need to teach your drivers manners!
HILARY NOT RUNNING, THANK GOD!: When Hilary Clinton was running for the presidency I thought she was a smart woman and deserved to win. Due to her whining about a MSNBC reporter who got suspended after he wondered if Hilary's "pimping out" Chelsea [4]showed me she's not smart at all by overreacting to such a comment. So I'm glad she dropped out of the U.S. Presidential race. John McCain? I really don't know much about him but to me seems as if he has no personality, and though I'm a Canadian citizen and can't vote in the U.S. election I sure hope Barack Obama wins. However I am wondering how Obama's win is going to affect the U.S./Canada relations? For the better I hope.
COLLECTION AGENCY LAW NEEDED: There's so much to say about the underhandedness of collection agencies and I'm saving all that for some other time. But what I would like to talk about is when a collection agency sends you a bill. They don't tell you how much you paid. Why not? You see, when you get a bill from the phone company, cable company, or credit card company your statement tells you how much you owe and how much you paid(the last payment received). Not so with collection agencies. All they tell you is how much you owe refusing to include in their bill how much you paid them. It's long overdue for the appropriate level of government to implement and enforce a law, that when a collection agency sends you a bill, just like others, a collection agency should include how much you owe AND how much you paid to date. What's taking the government so long to do something about this? If it was a raise for the government(politicians)it would've been taken care of in one parliamentary session.
HYPOCRITES: The Hamilton, Ontario gay pride festival banned the Canadian military from performing in their parade [5]. Guess they found something offensive in what the military said? So I see, it's not okay to ban gays from anything but it's okay for gays to ban the military and others. Can you say HYPOCRITES?
MADE FOR EACH OTHER: So Pamela Anderson is getting married to Tommy Lee. For the zillionth time. Proof to me she has gone crazy! They both certainly deserve each other.
AND THIS IS A LOVING MOTHER?: A mother of three children starved an autistic child to death. Her daughter died at the age of 23. The woman got 9-years in prison. No doubt our so-called "justice system" will let her out on good behaviour. Since there's no death penalty in Canada she should've received a life sentence. Not "life" meaning maybe 20-years locked up but life meaning until the day she dies in prison and then hopefully rots in hell for what she did!
TOO YOUNG WHEN IT SUITS ME: To all the females I know who keep saying they are "too young" for me, that's fine. When I win the lottery jackpot and I will one day I'm sure, don't come running to me for a handout. To those of you who do come to me I will definitely remind you, by saying "I'd love to help you out girl but you know what? The more I think about it, you said you were too young for me so you're still too young for me. Had your chance and blew it baby!" As for the ones who joined me and chatted at the coffee shop no problem, anything you want I'll give you whenever I get that big lotto win. And that's a promise!!!
WHY NO CURE FOR ANY DISEASE?" Excuse my skepticism but after so many, many years of supposed research why hasn't there been even one cure found? [6] For cancer, leukemia, diabetes, AIDS and the list goes on. I just find it hard to believe there's not one cure to any of these and many more millions of diseases. I'm sure the scientists researching are doing the best with what they have. I don't blame them. I blame and question those above them. "Give money for(any disease you can think of)" and 20, 40 and 100 years later(?)no cure? Don't know about you but I find that very fishy. Certainly there should have been a cure to at least one of the diseases. If there isn't start asking why? Where's your money really going? What are we not being told about the research? Hmmm?????
BE A JERK: In her Toronto Star advice column Ellie Tesher [7]replied to one man who said that all the jerks are getting the girls. She said "If a jerk's getting the girls, try something new." Yep! I say try being a jerk and they'll want you. It'll help. Trust me on this. I know many nice guys who had no luck with women but the minute they started pretending they were jerks they got any female they liked. Just more proof that nice guys truly finish last!
THIS IS HOW FAMILIES ARE MADE: If the Toronto Sun is a "family newspaper" as much as the editors and publishers of the paper keep repeating, then why often is the SUNShine Girl [8]pictured with her hands on her bikini bottoms(or what-have-you)with one hand pulling down part of the clothing showing us more? Hey as a guy I'm not complaining! In Europe it may be okay, but not in Canada. If the Sun wants to continue showing us pictures where the woman is about to show her entire crotch area without clothing, no problem. All I ask then is for the editors and publishers to quit lying to the readers you're a family newspaper. That you're certainly not!
And I've got lots more to say but am feeling too lazy. So that's it for now.