Suicidal Night

(Warning: Kind of dark)

This is a story about a young man who has contemplated suicide for a while. He’s lost sight of what his purpose in life is. He can’t come up with a good reason to stay alive. He’s lost. He doesn’t know what the future holds, his long-time girlfriend broke up with him, and he lost his beloved pet dog.

This man woke up one day and finally decided ‘Today’s the day”. He’s said this before but he was sure this time would be for real. Later that evening, he got dressed and headed out. As he walks out, he turns around and takes one last look at the apartment building he grew up living in for most of his life. This would be the last time.

 

He took a walk through his neighbourhood. It was a bitter, cold night. He noticed a missing dog poster on a pole and it reminded him of his dog who died.

 

Walking through his neighbourhood felt weird to him. It was an emotional walk because he knew deep down that this would be the last time he would see what seemed to be normal things like street lights, stop signs, and fire hydrants. He reached the lake. This place was special to him because he used to come here with his girlfriend late at night and watch the city skyline and just talk for hours. He thought about her a lot, taking in the scenery, just like he used to with her.

He sat there for a while, watching the waves and taking in the city lights. He loved his city. He was going to miss it. But watching the skyline wasn’t the same without her by his side. He made his way back up to the street until he got to the traffic lights. He stood there for a while and just watched the lights go from red….to green….back to red again……back to green.

He continued on down the main street he’s all too familiar with. The stores, the restaurants, the bars, the streetcar tracks. He knew this road like the back of his hand. It was fairly quiet at this time of night. Well after midnight, hardly any cars or people were visible. He stood in the middle of the road, looking ahead. He thought, is this my moment? Is this it?

It wasn’t. It didn’t feel right. Not here. He wasn’t looking for attention. He didn’t want a huge crowd standing over him when it happened. “The subway.”, he thought. That’s where he needed to go. So off he went, making his way to the nearest subway station. When he got there, he took the escalator down to the platform. He didn’t feel nervous at all. He was sure, this is what needed to be done.

He thought about his life one final time. He thought about his mother. His father. Everything he’d be leaving behind. His depression was unexplainable. It was greater than anything else in his life. It consumed him entirely. The headlights of the train appeared. This was it. The train got closer.

And closer.

And closer.

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether he jumped or not. That is up for interpretation. Suicide is never the answer. But he always wondered if his depressed life was really worth living through.

By: Andrew Gunn

The Gunn Show: My thoughts on the Leafs season thus far

Hello, I’m Andrew Gunn. And this is once again, another edition of The Gunn Show blog. In this entry, I’m going to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs season thus far, through the first 28 games.

I have been a Leafs fan for what feels like my entire life. I bleed blue, and I hardly ever miss a game. And while I am a huge fan of the team and a big supporter, I can also say with confidence that this team is not easy to watch. They’re not easy to cheer for either. They have such a great history and a terrific fanbase, but lately, they have not been able to please the fans for any extended period of time. They have not been able to win consistently and it is frustrating to say the least.

This season (so far) is another good form of proof that you don’t know what you’re gonna get with this team. They’ve let the fans down numerous times so far this season, and yet still manage to regain their hope and support by stringing some wins together. They currently, as of December 10th, sit 6th in the Eastern Conference, and if the season ended today, would make the playoffs. However, as Leaf fans know all too well, the season does not end 28 games into the season and where they sit in the standings near Christmas time don’t really mean a whole lot. There are some terrific positives with this team. They have a very adequate offense, lead by the likes of Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri. They also have a stellar goaltender in Jonathan Bernier. There are lots of things to be excited about with this team. There are also some things that leave the fans with wonder. This team has flaws, there is no doubt about that. Their defense is shaky, average at best. Their ability to play with a lead, or play their way out of a deficit, lack a great deal. This team is far from perfect, and while everyone is excited about the team is playing right now, there are still questions for concern. Can this team beat the Montreal Canadiens or Boston Bruins in a 7 game playoff series? Can they play with a level of intensity that if not exceeds, at least matches the opponent? That remains to be seen. I believe if the Leafs want to not only make the playoffs, but win a round or two, they need to improve on a few things. One being defense. If I’m General Manager Dave Nonis, I’m looking to acquire a top 4 defenseman before the trade deadline rolls around. I know it’s still very early in the season but I look at teams out of a playoff picture that may have a d-man to spare. I look at Carolina d-man Andrej Sekera, Devils d-man Andy Greene, Blue Jackets’ Jack Johnson and the Stars Trevor Daley. All very good options to upgrade on defense. I also look at adding another top 6/top 9 forward, that not only brings offense but brings leadership as well. I think about Shane Doan of the Coyotes, Travis Zajac of the Devils, Eric Staal of the Hurricanes and Erik Cole of the Stars. I think if the Leafs could manage to acquire one or two of the guys I mentioned, they definitely improve their chances of being competitive. One can only hope Dave Nonis is thinking the same thing. GO LEAFS GO.

By: Andrew Gunn

The Gunn Show: Blue Jays Offseason

Hello everyone. This is another edition of The Gunn Show with a blog about the Toronto Blue Jays Offseason.

I love what the Jays have done so far during the offseason. They’ve brought in some very talented players and they have certainly improved their team so far. The first big player they brought in was catcher Russell Martin. This is a great pickup. They overspent to get him and he doesn’t quite deserve the amount of money he got, but he’s a great addition to this team. He brings some much needed leadership to the clubhouse to go with very solid offensive numbers. He’s also very good behind the plate. He’s great at calling games and taking control. He’s one of the best catchers in the league when it comes to pitch framing, which is a lot more important than some people think. Pitch framing is basically receiving the ball from a pitcher in a certain way that makes the pitch look like a strike, even when sometimes it may not be. Martin is also a very good hitter, hitting for both decent power and contact. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt he’s a Canadian boy.

The other big time player they’ve acquired is third baseman Josh Donaldson. They picked him up in a trade with the Oakland Athletics that sent Canadian, fan favourite Brett Lawrie from Toronto to Oakland. Josh Donaldson is an unbelievable player. His defense at third base is spectacular. He, like Martin, also brings some great leadership to the clubhouse, which the team desperately needed more of. Donaldson is also a very good hitter. He’s received MVP votes for the last two seasons and has been able to hit the ball out of the ballpark on a consistent basis. Bringing in Donaldson and Martin were huge for GM Alex Anthopoulos and the Jays and I love the moves, however, I do believe there is more work to be done this offseason, before we can start calling this team a true threat to win. Most importantly, they need an ace pitcher. They need a guy who can anchor the starting rotation and take the ball every 5 days and go out and give a consistent effort and log innings. The rotation is very young with Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez, and with the help of veteran Mark Buehrle, they have the chance to be a very competitive team if they get a true ace starting pitcher. A few starting pitchers I’d like to see the Jays pursue include James Shields, Max Scherzer, Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann, Derek Holland and Brett Anderson.

They also need a strong bullpen. After losing Casey Janssen, Dustin McGowan and Brandon Morrow to free agency, their bullpen has become very thin and needs to be bolstered before the season starts. Pitching in general plays a huge part in a team’s success, and a very good bullpen can go a long way. Some relievers that I would like to see the Blue Jays try and acquire would be Greg Holland, Jason Motte, John Axford, Matt Lindstrom and Sergio Romo. The team also needs a starting 2nd baseman. 2nd base has been a position that’s needed to be filled basically since Aaron Hill was with Toronto in 2011. We’ve seen guys like Kelly Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis man 2nd base and while they managed, they weren’t good enough to help the team win. A few guys I have in mind that I believe the Jays should go after are Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie or Chase Utley.

Overall, the Blue Jays offseason has been pretty successful so far, but is far from complete and I hope to see Alex Anthopoulos pull off a few more moves before the season begins in April of 2015. Thanks for reading, this is The Gunn Show.

By: Andrew Gunn

The Gunn Show: This blog is based on true events.

Hey there. Andrew Gunn Here. This week I’ll be talking about my beef with movies that are “based on true events”.

As most people know, I’m a huge sports fan. The majority of people who know me, know this. However what many people don’t know is I’m also a big movie fan. I love movies from all kinds of different genres. I especially take a liking to horror movies, mystery/suspense, and thrillers. Now when I say horror movies, I don’t mean those corny, teen slasher flicks like Scream or Friday the 13th. I’m talking real, spine-tingling horrors, paranormal or psychological. Ones that give you a mindf*** like no other. I’m also intrigued by movies that are “based on true events”. I like movies like these because after I finish watching them, I always feel the “Whoa, that really happened?”.

There’s only one problem. Many of these movies that claim to be based on true events or based on a true story, often exaggerate heavily and fabricate the movie so much that the whole plot is fictitious with the exception of the main character’s name or the location in which the movie took place.

A very good example is a movie I just watched recently called “Deliver Us From Evil” starring Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Joel McHale and Olivia Munn. This movie, (without ruining it for you), centers around NYPD Sergeant Ralph Sarchie (played by Bana), who finds himself wrapped around a criminal investigation which takes a twisted, paranormal turn. He and his partner (played by McHale), encounter evil unimaginable, and look to the help of a young priest (played by Ramirez) to help them with the investigation. Many of the scenes and plot points were in fact chilling, and while I didn’t find the movie itself to be amazing, I was intrigued by the fact it was based on true events. After having finished the movie, I decided to look up the real story behind Deliver Us From Evil and the real Ralph Sarchie, as I often do after watching a movie of this particular subject. What I found out disappointed me greatly. What we know is, there really is an NYPD Sargeant Ralph Sarchie. He does in fact have a family like in the film, and he does encounter paranormal activity. However, almost every bit of information given in the movie did not really happen to the real Sarchie, and fabricated by the director to “make the movie work”. The only true things about this movie are the names of the characters, and the location of where it took place. This really disappointed me, as it immediately took alot of the intrigue away from this movie. And it’s not just this movie that has done such a thing. This happens frequently. A movie will come out with the tagline “based on actual events” or “inspired by a true story”, which really is just a marketing tactic to bring more people into the theatre to see it. Many of these movies are extremely exaggerated and it drives me crazy.

The most screwed up part about it is? I always fall for it, time after time. I will not deny, when I see a movie come out which claims to be based on a true story, especially if it’s a horror or thriller theme, I’ll be immediately intrigued to go see it. It never fails. I guess it’s a love-hate relationship with these movies. I fall in love with the potential, and have my heart broken by the outcome.

So the next time you’re watching tv, and you see a trailer for a new horror movie coming out that claims to be “based on true events”, you can count on me falling for it once again. I hope you don’t make the same mistake.

I’m Andrew Gunn, and that’s my beef with “based on true events” movies.

The Gunn Show: Hot Pepper Challenge

The Gunn Show. Blog by Andrew Gunn.

What is love? Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more.

Love is such a strong word. Why does it get thrown around more than a baseball on a Saturday afternoon? We’ve all been there. We’ve all seen or heard a couple use the “L” word way too soon in their relationship. You ever hear those people who say “I love you” like a week after being together? Absolutely ridiculous. No, you don’t love each other. You practically just met. Why is it that people are so quick to throw around that love word?

Love is a very unique feeling. It takes a lot to love someone. Love, in my opinion, is the feeling you have when you can’t stop thinking about this person, 25 hours a day. It’s the feeling you get in your stomach everytime you hear his/her voice or see his/her face. It’s knowing that you would do literally anything for this person, and would go a million miles out of their way just to make them happy. Overall, it’s a feeling that’s pretty indescribable. I think a lot of people confuse “strong feelings” and “care a lot” with love. You may care a lot about the person you’re seeing, you may have incredibly strong feelings toward this person, but to say you love them, is a stretch, especially if you’ve been together for less than 6 months. You really have to know somebody in order to love them, and I don’t think 6 months is nearly enough to really get to know someone, in and out. It bothers me when I see new couples who say “I love you babe” every 5 minutes. Do you REALLY love them? Hmmmm, I highly doubt it. I just wish people would think twice about dropping the L word like it’s nothing. I think that is why the divorce rate is so high quite frankly. People jump into relationships too quickly, they advance it further than it is, they don’t let it marinate and carry momentum, they drop the L bomb too soon, they get hitched WAY too soon and before you know it, you’re married to someone who you THOUGHT you knew and loved. There are so many divorces because there are too many people out there who jump into marriage too soon. If more people took a step back, truly assessed their relationship with their partner and took it nice and slow, there will be less divorces and more happy couples, I guarantee it.

In closing, all I gotta say is, if you’re in a relationship, PLEASE, think about it hard before you decide to drop the L word on your partner, because it’s a word that gets thrown around way too often and is often unwarranted. What do you think? Are you guilty of saying “I love you” too soon in  relationship? If not, do you agree with me in that it gets said too often?

 

By: Andrew Gunn

What’s the big deal with pranking?

Hi, I’m Andrew……….and I’m a practical joker.

 

Ever since I was young, I loved to pull pranks and cause mischief. While my pranking and mischievous ways have faded a little bit as I’ve gotten older, the enjoyment has always been there.

 

Back in 7th and 8th grade, my friends and I would go out and just wreak havoc in the neighbourhood. That would include egging houses and cars, throwing water balloons at cars, belting random strangers with snowballs in the winter time, everything you could imagine, we did it. This would also translate to my high school years. And while that would be totally inappropriate at the age I’m at now, I can’t help but reminisce about those times and feel the urge to do it again. Now I realize many of the things I’ve done back then were completely childish and immature, but with that being said, I feel that pranking and playing practical jokes shouldn’t be labelled as childish and negative. Let’s be real here, we’ve all played pranks or caused mischief in our lives, and let’s face it, it was fun! It’s a joy to do these things because it makes us laugh and we shouldn’t feel bad or uncomfortable about pulling pranks at any age.

While I am a big advocate of pranks and practical jokes, I do feel there is a time and a place. For instance in college, I don’t see much of a place for it, therefore I personally have never tried anything risky. I’d like to make a decent impression on the faculty here. I also believe pranking in the workplace is not the greatest idea, however it depends on the atmosphere and personality of your co-workers and your employers. I also feel there should be some standard rules in order to make the pranks “tasteful”. Those rules include:

– Never pull a prank that could cause PERMANENT physical, mental or emotional harm to another person

– Never do something that could damage someone’s property permanently. i.e. breaking windows, doors, etc.

– Never pull pranks that involve alcohol or drugs

– Don’t pull a prank that you wouldn’t want to be done to you

 

Regarding the last rule, I feel it’s flexible. For example, no one would ever want their house to be egged, but with that said, if your house is egged it’s not the end of the world. It’s just a taxing mess to clean.

So once again, I’ll raise the question. What is the big deal with pranking? I don’t care how old someone is, if they’re having fun and they’re not hurting anyone, then who cares if it’s “childish” or “immature”. You only live once, so do the things that make you happy and provide enjoyment and fun for you. Do it as much as you can. That’s all I have to say on this matter for now.

Peace out!

 

Andrew Gunn

My Frustrations with the Toronto Blue Jays

Hello. I am Andrew Gunn, Radio Broadcasting student at Humber College. Just a little bit about me, I’m 19 years old, born and raised in Toronto. I love making people laugh and I am a HUGE sports fan. I live and breathe sports and could talk about it for literally hours and hours on end. My first blog post of the year will be about my frustrations with the Toronto Blue Jays this season and how the season has gone.

Coming into this season, the Blue Jays expectations were lowered after a very disappointing season in 2013. Prior to that season, the team made several moves in order to improve the team. They spent a lot of money on free agents and through trades, but they didn’t live up to the hype as they finished in last place in their division, stunning virtually everyone. With expectations not as high, the Jays had an easier mindset going in to the 2014 season. There was a little less pressure to perform and there certainly wasn’t as much hype as the 2013 season brought. They got off to a slow start in April, not playing horribly but not playing outstanding either. Then May came along, where the Jays won 21 games in the month and were well ahead in first place. The fans were given new hope and expectations started getting higher. The attendance at the games began to increase and the Jays looked like they were well on their way to their first playoff berth since 1993. Then the trade deadline approached on July 31st. Jays fans, including myself, were expecting the team to make a trade or two to improve the team and solidify their spot in the playoffs. But the deadline passed…….and the Jays did nothing. I was a little upset that the team didn’t add a piece or two to help them out. I didn’t expect them to trade away their young prospects but I thought they would at least make some sort of significant move. After the deadline passed, the Jays began to fall off, day after day dropping down in the standings. It soon fell completely apart in mid-August and that’s where I really got frustrated. Why must the Jays always do this to the passionate fans like myself? They give us hope that they can be a winning team and then just when we think they’ll be going to the playoffs, they completely collapse and it hits us like a bullet to the chest. This team has been awful at scouting and developing good players and they are always reluctant to spend money, and when they do decide to spend money, they don’t spend it as wisely as they could be. It just frustrates me that this team hasn’t won in so long and the fact they aren’t willing to make that one little extra move to get them over the hump is ridiculous. That’s my little Blue Jays rant of the day. Peace out.