Well, well...
So, you want to know who this jackandcokewithalime guy is, eh?
What was it? Did I offend you in a comment board, so now you want to know who I am so you can get personal on me? Or maybe you agreed with my comment (or at least found it funny), and you wanted to find out more about the person who said it?
Or, maybe you came across a link to one of my posts online (through a search or a blog directory), and you were either offended, intrigued or amused, and you want to know who I am..
Or, maybe you're here because you heard I was talking about YOU, or a friend of yours, and you came here to find out what I was saying, and to find out who I am..
Well, for whatever reason you're here, I want to officially welcome you to jackandcokewithalime! I'm happy to have you here, and I hope to see you here often!
Whether you hate me (most likely), or love me (less likely), you made the trek over, so I appreciate it.
So, "About Me", hmmm...
Well, if you're looking for my name, address or maybe a picture of me, you're going to be disappointed. Do you really think I'm that crazy??!! I realize what I'm saying in my posts & comments, and who I'm saying it about... And I'm not naive enough to think that true freedom of speech exists.. It would only be a matter of time before the targets of my ridicule came crashing down on and around me. And like every other person in this world, I already have enough problems..
This blog is suppose to be my outlet to help me get closure on the fact that even though the obvious is out there for all to see, nobody seems to be seeing it...
This is my opportunity to remind everyone of what's going on, highlight the key quotes in the news that people seem to gloss over, and ensure that they realize that the thoughts of frustration and anger that they have inside (that they wouldn't dare to say out loud), are not only felt by them. They're not just crazy.. The article DID in fact just say that. And I read it too, so rest assured that even though you won't cause drama about it, I will for sure.
If you disagree with one of my stances, tell me! Put a comment out there. Send me an email. Did I get a fact wrong? Let me know. I’ll always be the most critical person out there, but, I’ll also always give credit when credit is due. If I'm wrong, I’ll accept it and admit it, if you can prove it to me.
You will notice that my commentary always provides links to the articles that I talk about. I don't just come up with things out of the air (like the conspiracy theorists out there). My comments are always based on facts.
Now, were there any news stories out there that you wanted me to see and/or comment on? Was there an article out there that you know would light a fire under me? Let me know!
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In addition to the many politically and socially charged issues that I discuss on the regular, I also try and get in as many light and happy entries as I can. I mean, if there weren't so many things going wrong in Toronto, Canada and the world today, I wouldn't have to spend the majority of my time writing about negative topics...
I do have a super-high stack of other topics that I would love to write about, but the news is the news.. While perusing the various news sites I do everyday, there's almost always something horribly wrong that's happening, and I feel more urgency around creating awareness about those things, than I do about anything else... I may get tired of that eventually, but at the moment (and until I've become desensitized to injustice), that is my priority. And unfortunately, in the few hours that I steal everyday to work on jackandcokewithalime, I end up spending them on the negative news -running out of time to discuss the positive..
As I've mentioned in my previous posts, I do have a day job (which is more like a day, night and weekend job), so I do what I can, when I can.
As such, unlike what most of you probably think -that I'm just an angry grump who is just unhappy all the time, I am actually quite the opposite. I do admit that first thing in the morning when I read the news -and like a "slap in the face", I see some travesty that's happening; I do tend to go out there and express my anger. But like I mentioned previously, it's almost like therapy for me, as I've now said my piece and I can move on, being a happy-go-lucky guy going through the daily grind..
I'm sure many of you wonder how in one entry, I will be lashing the Government, and then in the next entry, I'm talking about something funny that happened in a TV show.. That's me dying to talk about something positive, but having to get the serious stuff out of the way first. I truly am a pretty happy and positive guy (most of the time).
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I've also spent some time evolving the look and feel of the site, which started off very, very simple, and slowly I've been trying to enhance things here and there.
I'm still debating whether having a "dark" coloured theme is the way to go. I just figure that jackandcokewithalime is a dark drink, and as such I've gone dark. I'm just curious though if the "darkness" makes it harder to read for some people, or if it just kills the entire credibility of the site... I actually tried to go with a dominantly brighter theme (like the majority of other sites out there), but it just didn't feel right... Maybe I got use to the darkness that I started with, and as such anything else seems foreign to me.. If you have any thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.
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I've included ADs on the site to try and help me with the associated costs of working on jackandcokewithalime (a man can dream, can't he??).. As a reader myself, I know that trying to charge for online entertainment is just stupid, and defeats the whole purpose... I know that as a reader, I'm willing to deal with advertising, as long as it doesn't interfere with my "viewing experience". So as a reader and now a publisher, I've tried to separate the ADs from the content as best as I can. I try to keep the ADs on the right side of the site, and everything else on the left and middle. I do have "inline ADs" between posts, but I only include them after every 3rd entry (and I really try to separate them from the posts, to avoid any confusion).
The ADs are all run through reputable companies, and I have no control over any interactions that you have with them. I don't know who clicks on anything, who buys anything, or any information about the people who do. So feel free to use them without concern about my intervention. I have enabled them to advertise based on the content on the page you are viewing, so they may truly be relevant to you (hopefully).
In addition to the ADs, I've also included a "Donation" functionality which is powered by PayPal. I'm not a charity or a not-for-profit, so it's moreso just you buying me a drink for writing an article that brought out any kind of emotion from you (whether that be happiness, anger, sadness, satisfaction, intrigue, shame, regret, guilt, love, agreement and etc.). I mean, the one thing that I hope I'm not, is bland.. And, as I'm sure many of you are thinking when you read my posts, I probably do need to have a drink! ;)
I'm not greedy.. Anyway you can help me out and support & contribute to the site, I will take it. Whether that's actually looking at an AD and clicking on it out of interest, or sending me a donation, whether it be 1 penny, 10 cents, a quarter, a dollar, or a "Million Dollars" (in Dr. Evil's ransom demanding voice), I'd be more than happy to take it. And all contributions are truly appreciated from the bottom of my wallet...er, I mean, heart.
If you can't afford to contribute, then it's all good. Just you coming here and listening to me, is support enough. Tell your friends about me. That would be a great help as well.
If you want to advertise on jackandcokewithalime, I'd be more than happy to put you in there. None of the advertising spots on the page are reserved, so it can be yours for a fair price.
As I mentioned in my first post, I would love to make this my day job, and do this full time. If you need a writer for your organization, I would love to entertain the idea of writing for you. Send me an email.
If you are an aspiring writer, and you’re looking for an outlet for your daily thoughts, let me know. Send me your stories that you would like to get published here on jackandcokewithalime, and if I feel that your entry is legit, I’ll publish it. And by the way, it doesn’t have to be in agreement with my opinions. As long as it’s credible, contains quotes and links to the stories it’s referencing, and doesn’t contain profanity or unwarranted and unjustified hate (such as racism), I will post it. Unfortunately though, you would have to be doing it for the fame, and not the money...
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Ok, so getting back to your question and the main reason for you coming to this "About Me" page.
Who is jackandcokewithalime, and what is he all about?
jackandcokewithalime is a persona representing the everyday average joe, hard working, tax paying, doing it all by himself with no help from anyone, no connections in high places, no "good old boy's club" prerequisites having, take no bullshit from anyone Torontonian, Canadian and North American.
jackandcokewithalime doesn't owe anyone anything, and isn’t affiliated or associated with anyone, and as such he is the most dangerous person out there.
Now, as for the person who is behind jackandcokewithalime, here are some personal details that I’m willing to divulge:
- I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (born and raised)
- I was born in the late 70s, and as such, I am a child of the 80s and 90s.
- I work all the time, and you can definitely call me a workaholic
- I’m a news junkie. I can’t get enough of it, and am always reading it.
- When I’m not working at my day job or on jackandcokewithalime, I’m usually at home watching TV.
- I’m a DVD junkie. I probably spend the majority of my extra cash on Movie DVDs, or on TV Show DVDs… I probably have one of the largest collections around, and have spent so much money on it, that I’m ashamed to even think about it..
- In addition to the regular TV shows I watch, I’m also usually watching a TV Show DVD, catching up on shows that are critically acclaimed so I can judge for myself.
- I use to be a Video Game junkie as well, but I find that I just don’t have the time these days. I was once #1 in the world at Unreal Tournament (for 1 week as per ngWorldStats), and went by the name Corruption[420]. I’ll still challenge anyone at Street Fighter 2, and Goldeneye (with Rockets in the Stack)…. And you will lose, every time.
- I love music, and I listen to everything. Whether it be Classic Rock, Alternative, Punk, Top 40, Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, House, Dance, Trance, Jungle, Classical, Jazz, Drum and Base, Old School or even sometimes Country, I listen to everything. I don't discriminate. I love music, all music.
- I love hockey, and was a Mario Lemieux fan ever since I can remember. Because I was a Mario fan, I was a Pittsburgh Penguins fan growing up, and as such, unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs fans that I know, I’ve experienced what it’s like to have my team win a Stanley Cup. When Mario retired, I came back to the Leafs, and I have to say, it sucks being a Leafs fan. But I am loyal, and as such, I will (unfortunately) stick with them through thick and thin.
- I am a computer dude, as my friends like to say. I've been online ever since the days of the Toronto Free Net and 14.4 Modems. I was just a kid at the time, but I was still interested.
- The first website I ever made was about 13 years ago (when I was 18), and it was a celebrity picture porn site!! What?? I was 18, and still trying to figure out how this GUI web stuff worked... I created it as a test to see if I could do it. And then I posted my collection of celebrity pics (that I downloaded from various bulletin boards in the pre-Internet Explorer days) on it. Once I created it, I pretty much forgot about it, and it wasn't until years later when a friend mentioned the site by name to me, that I realized that it was a huge hit overseas... It was taken down a long time ago unfortunately. It was hosted on homepage.com... Do you remember that one?!
You wanted to know about jackandcokewithalime, so I told you everything I could. I’m guessing you probably didn’t want to hear all of this, but hey, you get what you ask for, no?
Anyway, again, thank you for visiting me here at jackandcokewithalime! I hope we can become good friends…
--jackandcokewithalime
