Bad Habits Stick with you but do they Matter?

The price of food is so high these days that I have limited my meat, the most expensive food, consumption to, usually, once a week, or even longer period. Many people can't do that. Canadians certainly can't! The price is not the only reason that I cut on meat. Health reasons are another reason. Meat of any kind is strictly prohibited for the people whose their body produces excessive Uric Acid as it crystallizes at the joints and results in excruciating pain. This, as some might know, is called Gout. 

However McDonald's which claims to use 100% Canadian Beef, is not a healthy food. Yet people go there on daily bases, at all different ages. Why? The answer is very simple: It's the most affordable! What do they get? They don't care! As long as something is in their system and the stomach feels heavy, who cares what it is? Right? That's the majority of people's logic when they go to McDonald's and other fast food and restaurant-like businesses, everywhere in the world! Eating habits cannot be overlooked. If you are grown on greasy, sugary fast food, you won't feel good when someone serves you salad and poached Salmon!  

(Photo: I was at a local McDonald's for a coffee. There's no denial that their coffee is amongst the best and yes I prefer that to Starbucks, not because of the cost, because it's not as strong, and this old lady, possibly in her early 70's was there to order. I'm not even sure if I reach that age but if I do, I'm certain I won't be standing at a fast food joint counter to order!)

Who Dies Twice?!

There are many great actors and actresses across the world. Many of them become internationally famous through American movies. Many remain only nationally appreciated because they never get a chance to perform in an English language or Hollywood film. There are many non-English natives who have reached the top and there's no need to name any as all movie lovers know them but the thing I wanted to express here is what is said in Persian like a proverb or saying and it goes:

Actors and athletes die twice. What it means is that they are born like everyone else and there's a time they're famous. They're praised by everyone. Their pictures are seen in newspapers and magazines (when the paper newspapers and magazines were in full swing!), We see them on TV and hear them on radio. We might see them in public. When their years of athleticism or high performance are over, they are not seen or talked about that much and they slowly are pushed aside. New actors come in and new athletes with better records and performance go to the top of the chart. That is the time the actor or athlete dies for the first time! If they go to a supermarket or park in a shopping mall's parking lot, there're not many people to recognize them. As sad as it might seem to some, many deal with that logically. Some are not so mature and try to stay in the spotlight! They can't be blamed. They were on the top of their career, earning millions and loving the attention they received. It's not so easy to give that up! I didn't want to name anyone but one example is Throne whose picture is seen here. Why the hell a very good actress has to dress like this at the age of 50!? 

For the ones who have not seen Monster, it's a very strong and emotional movie which might not be the favorite of everyone. I still, to this date, have difficulty finishing the movie.

Throne, a native of South Africa, has some great performances. Her act in Monster was one of the most OSCAR worthy performances and she deserved that. I watched the movie when it came out and despite the fact that it's a very hard one to watch, no one can deny how magnificent she was. I didn't like The Fury Road that much. The story was poor but the performances, including Thrones, cinematography and design of the vehicles were superb. She had a small role in Prometheus and one can imagine how much she was paid to just simply say " Shit " or another longer line(!) but female actresses generally, and in Hollywood, specifically, have a limited expiry date! I hope it does not come across being rude but that's true. Many roles are not given to women past a certain age as there's always a younger actress. Many actresses past that age might feel forgotten or ignored. Going back to Throne, without targeting her or anything, she has adopted two Black kids! What does that mean? Is she trying to redeem Caucasian South Africans from what they did for years in the country?! Unbelievable! It's a gesture from Caucasian Americans. I think Madonna did something like that, years ago. These people might be good actors and singers but their brain only works for that purpose! I have nothing against Africans and Blacks, in general but why the hell would you go to an African country to help or adopt a kid while thousands of kids in the US need help!!?? Charity begins at home, you dickhead!

(Photo, top right: Throne wearing a fishnet-like cover in a photo shoot! It's not sexy. It's not elegant. It's not impressive!)

The Mentally Disturbed!

I've spent half of my life where people in North America and Europe, and probably many other corners of the globe constantly ridicule and downgrade it but never on those years and not now, through the news, never saw the crazy things that these sick American people do! I believe there is only one reason: Lack of family. The concept of family here in North America and generally the US, is either unknown or forgotten. When people do not grow up in families, do not receive instruction and guidance by understanding and caring parents and all they care about is getting high, getting drunk or who they can blow or who would give them a good head, they end up like these many people whom we see or hear about on the news every single month: 
1) A mentally disturbed, filthy, maniac from a family of drunkards and addicted (even if they're not, they're deserved to be called because they act like them) people dressed up as Joker and killed innocent moviegoers for no reason!
2) A crazy person kills people of a different race in a grocery store. He later apologizes and is sentenced to life in prison! 
3) Crazy students shoot their classmates and kill a few. This was discussed in Michael Moore's movie, Bowling for Columbine. 
4) A creature whom I cannot describe what it could be set fires on the forest and when firefighters come, starts shooting at the them!\
The funny thing and the reason to prove my statement is a fact I quote CNN here for you: We do not understand why this happened. Who said this to CNN? The stepfather of the shooter! We all know what stepfather means here! 
These issues and similar will never end in Western society where single moms and fathers are praised and where the governments are spineless in a way that they can never put a stop to gun violence. Here is what I'd like to say to the parent-less (not literally!) people who might read this and get upset or mad (or as I would like to put it, angry!): Calm down!

(Photo: A group of firefighters in Idaho where two were killed and one was seriously injured by a pinhead who later killed himself. Idaho has been on my list for a very long time because it's close by, it has lots of hiking and photography opportunities and it's not over-crowded. I hope I can visit there one day)

More Excuses for Thrift Peak

When someone fails to reach their goal, there are usually many excuses and blames. I'm not excluded! Here's the story of how I failed to reach the summit of Thrift Peak, again, yesterday. I'm sure it will be helpful for the ones who would like to visit this extremely beautiful area of the province and even if they have no plan to go, I hope they enjoy reading this post:
I woke up at 04:00 o'clock in the morning of the 29th and headed south on Highway #2 but turned back before reaching the city outskirts due to lack of confidence! As stupid and insane it might sound and it is, that's what I did. Then I went for my jogging and spent the rest of the day doing different things. I told myself that I would have to do the summit so, again, set up the alarm clock for 04:00 and woke up at that time and headed south again. I only had a quarter of tank gasoline and instead of filling the tank shortly after leaving home, I drove all the way until my stupid and old GPS, which I had turned on to show me the nearest gas station told me to go back to Southland Dr. It would have taken at least 16 minutes! Now at this point the time must be around 04:40 and I know the GPS is full of crap so I go to 130th. Both the damn Shell and Mobil gas station are closed!! So now I'm going further north to 114th to get gasoline. Here I lose at least half an hour, if not more.
My next stop is in Okotoks for a coffee but who has coffee around 05:00? McDonald's. Despite the acceptable quality, McDonald's service is always shit! So here is another 15 minutes or so lost! On the top of that and in order to get to Longview, which is the next destination, although I had no plan to stop there, the GPS, again, took me from an unconventional(!) road and added more to my anger and anxiety! 
By the time I reached the trailhead, geared up and was ready to go, it was 08:10! four freaking hours for a trip which shall not take more than 02:30, maximum! There's no doubt that my old vehicle is a contributor to this. Considering it was a working day for many, there was only one vehicle in the parking lot. It was a beautiful day and it was about to get hot but the trail was so green and wildflowers were seen everywhere. My first setback was when I walked up a big sort of rock and then I realized that I should have walked around to get me to a ridge! That wasted at least half an hour and then continued on a ridge with a drop-down on the left. I was very tired and it was really hot. I had to stop every half an hour or so to drink water and I was trying to preserve it as I didn't have much and there was no water on the trail. Another mistake was bringing the crampons! They were unnecessary wight in the backpack. All of these could simply have been prevented, had I been at the trailhead around 06:00, instead of 08:10! 

Despite the heat the area was green and covered in beautiful flowers

I then reached the spot where I think I could see the fire lookout and it was pretty far! It was around 12:15 or so, 4 hours of hiking and I was at a point where I had to go down and then take a ridge to get myself to the main ridge that leads to the summit! I was very tired and hot and I think for someone in my position, it would have taken at least 2 hours to get to the summit! Then add another half an hour at the summit and at least 5 hours to get back to the car. It would have been 18:00 and I would have had time but the combination of high temperature, exhaustion, lack of water and lack of confidence led to me going back. Besides there was absolutely no one in a 5 km vicinity or bigger and that's always the issue when you hike in a remote area. 
This was the fourth(!) serious attempt that I was hoping to accomplish the mission but I failed again. Now whether I will be in the area or not, is another question which I will answer by saying Yes! Here's my list for a successful hike to that peak:

1) Start at the trailhead no later than 06:00. Stout and I were supposed to have a tent set up in the parking lot or somewhere to be able to start early but I lost my contact with him and I don't think this is legal. Besides lack of water and other services and the isolation are other issues.

2) Drink lots of water and other healthy liquids before the start of the hike, have as much as you can on and store a lot in the vehicle for your arrival. Water is the biggest issue in this hike. I had a Coleman water backpack which was not very helpful. Nothing against it but I think I should have sucked(!) so strongly and I didn't! So I had to open the top and drink from there.

3) Food has never been a problem for me during hiking but perhaps if I had something fresh and easy to digest and absorb, it would have changed my mood because sometimes it's emotional. I had a handful of Almonds and a few Dates from last year(!) still in the backpack. I finish 3/4 of that.

4) Don't haul unnecessary weight. It will be a problem when you start feeling tired. 

I have to see when will be the first opportunity to try this peak again. 

(Photo, top: On a beautiful sunny day the fire lookout could be seen from the beginning of the hike, after, probably 30 minutes or so. Here in this picture it barely can be seen on the third peak from right)

Another American Propaganda

No one can deny American technology. They are on the top of many fields but high technology is not the only factor to consider when it comes to military conflicts. I think Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan are good examples showing that American technology was overcome by other factors. During the Vietnam War, China and the former Soviet Union continuously supplied the North Vietnamese Army with everything they needed. Pressure from the American society to end the war and unbelievable cost, eventually led to introduction of " Make the War, Vietnamese " or " The Vietnamization of the War " Concept by Richard Nixon. That meant if there was a conflict between different Vietnamese, it shall be resolved between themselves. The North Vietnamese entered Saigon, which has been changed to Ho Chi Min City now(!) and the Americans and their allies got the hell out of there. The result was nothing but American casualties, extreme cost and humiliation. Not to mention the South Vietnamese freeloaders who now were a burden to the American society, in other terms, the tax payers! 

Taliban is showing the captures or perhaps it should be said abandoned American vehicles in a parade 

The story was different in Iraq. The Americans overlooked the fact that the country was under the control of Iran. At least the majority of it! The Quds Force and the militia caused heavy casualties to the Americans until 2011 when Obama ordered the withdrawal of the forces but it was not until the first term of Trump that Iran felt a blow when General Qasem Soleimnai was assassinated. 

The third story is even worse! This time the humiliation was enormous! The US left nearly $7 Billion worth of equipment behind when they suddenly left the country but the biggest humiliation goes to the filthy rats of the Afghan National Army! The army collapsed like a porcelain plate on the kitchen counter(!), without even being touched. I don't believe there're nastier and more disgusting soldiers in the entire world than Afghans! 

Then when Trump was campaigning he introduced himself as the Peace President and he said that he would end the Russia-Ukraine War in the matter of 24 hours or some nonsense like that! But then he praised Israel for attacking Iran and gave a 2-week notice but attacked in two days! 

The attacks, despite the facts that caught Iranians by surprise, has not been as effective as Trump claims! Yes the B-2s flew all the way from the US to Iran, which is amazing and they bombed their target without any of them being shot or even detected in the first place, and yes no Iranian plane took off to scare them off but the result was another American propaganda and lie. So the Peace President no only has put an end to the Russia-Ukraine War but also started a war with Iran and encouraged Israel to continue their war with Hamas which now has been turned to war against the civilians! He has picked up a war with Canada, China and the European Union and no one knows where the hell this is going. Good job Americans selecting the 47th! 

(Photo, top: The map shows how the US B-2s and the escort planes flew to Iran from an airbase in MO. I admire Americans for how they played this game because for the previous one month or so there was so much talk about Diego Garcia Base in Indian Ocean and everyone, probably including Iranians, thought that if there would be an attacked, it would start from that base. The American trick was nice and worked)

Same Filthy Animal, Different Look!

The last time I voted in the Federal election was in 2015. That was the year that Canada started its steep decline by handing over to the nasty assholes of the freaking Liberal Party. I was surprised at the time but I think I know what happened. This time I, of course, didn't vote but was baffled by the results! It was bittersweet. The asshole who was leading the NDP, stepped down but Mark " Crap " ney was selected as the Prime Minister! 
It's like we haven't had enough of the asshole Justin T. and now he's replaced with an older version! This piece of dung has taken the footsteps of the younger asshole. Not that it's a surprise. The surprise is the animals who voted for him! Look at what he just announced last week:
The country is struggling with so many problems and he announces a $4 Billion aid to Ukraine! In a country that people are not duped by craps such as Marijuana, alcohol, gambling, Facelessbook and other shit that only have been introduced to keep you busy so you don't know what's going on around you and the Government and its lobbyists can do whatever they have planned to do to make their bank accounts bigger, people would stand against such a pile of shit. Not in Canada, as you can see.

(Photo: This cartoon is created by Bruce MacKinnon. I wanted to be clear, first. This shows an asshole takes over another asshole. The question is who is bigger. I think there's not much difference between these two but Crapney has proved he's such a Baboon)