Gasoline Price Spike

I had not expected this recent jump in the price of gasoline which took place late last week to take this long. After the Houthis of Yemen (They call themselves the Assistants of God, as well!) got the control over Bab Al-Mandeb (the Strait of Anguish! literally in Arabic) and stopped the export of oil from Hejaz (which has been changed to Filthy, Nasty, Disgusting Saudi Arabia by the family who runs it; they renamed the country to their own surname!) the price of gasoline went up to CAN $1.80 per liter, an almost CAN ¢15 increase per litter in less than 2 weeks. I'm glad that I bought the PHEV but I'm not driving it much because of the asshole, jealous, hacks at work! Still worth driving it twice a day or more. I drive it to work and charge the battery there without having to pay! Yes. It's not being cheap. It's a small battery which runs only up to 75 km, my exact daily commute and it takes 8 hours to be fully charged! I usually go to 80 per cent and take it off or plug it in late. There hasn't been any outcry but one of the assholes who has been fossilized in the company for 14 years said something about that once (I will write about this guy later in a separate post) but I haven't seen any official complaint yet. If someone from HR asks me anything I can simply say that I haven't done anything against the company's policies which is true and if they ask me to stop charging, I simply will.

The notorious picture showing Houthis fighters celebrating shooting down a $90 million F-15 using an allegedly domestically made ground to air missiles! 

I don't know what will happen because it all depends on the negotiations between the different parties and mediators but It also have impacted my next month's trip. I'm scheduled to rent a vehicle in a European airport and drive it for a few days! With the price of gasoline nearly €2.17 per liter (CAN $3.39! and US $8.9 per Gallon!! Did I miscalculate?) it will be a little costlier than what I had planned! The thing is I planned for this trip last Dec. when there was no conflict in Iran and Yemen. 

Strait of Bab El-Mandeb or Strait of Anguish and major shipping routes in the area. The area is now under 100% control by the Houthis

Now I'm hesitant but I've got no choice but either cancel my driving (the rental car). This will add another 3 hours to my trip and a number of uncomfortable and tiring train exchanges! I have to make a decision as there's not much time left.

(Photo, top: A gas station in Calgary, Alberta showing CAN $1.85 per liter in 17.Sep., 10 days prior to this post. The prices have come down a little and reached CAN $1.80)

Flashback (39): The Evening Cowboy

I have written about Cargill Meat Solutions before but I repeat here that I worked for the company for over 4.5 years! I'm looking back now at year 2006 and see what monster I used to be! That was the year I quit and it was August, 20 year ago! Four freaking years and a half is not a short time working a hard physical job and for a 6 days a week! I don't know how I did that but it proves how strong both physically and mentally I was or perhaps that is a source contributed to my Gout problem today!
Cargill Meat Solutions, in case you don't know, has a plant outside the town of High River in southern Alberta which when I started my job there back in Jan. of 2002, was 63 km away from where I lived! The company had established a sort of subsidized bus service to facilitate the commute of the labourers who came from far away distances, mostly Calgary. I would like to go to the plant one of these days and see how it operates and see if any of the guys I knew still are there. If I do, I will have a post. 
I remember I walked every cold morning form the place I had rented to where the bus would pick me and a few other ones up at the corner of 64 Ave. and Falconridge Boulevard. I don't remember how early it was but my assumption is that was probably 05:00 or 05:30. I can't recall. I then moved to Downtown Calgary which made the commute a little bit easier but not the job.
What I remember clearly and the scene is tattooed in my brain is the tall Caucasian guy who would wear a big Cowboy hat and walked down the street every Fri. nigh, probably just to go to a nearby bar, the closest being Cowboy Taphouse. I knew this guy worked in the slaughter house.  The plant is consisted of a few departments or sections:
1) Yard. Where the animals were kept and sorted before being slaughtered.

2) Slaughter House. Where the animals got processed initially meaning their heads, their guts and other non-edible parts would be separated.

3) Production. Where the animals were cut to little pieces and went for packaging

4) Packaging section. This was the easiest part which had most of the Caucasians employed. 

The Evening Cowboy, whose nickname resembles The Midnight Cowboy, the main character in the famous old Western starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman (which I haven't watched!) was such a nice and soft-hearted fella, always wearing a smile in comparison with some Caucasian Canadians who just hated your guts simply because you were a non-Chinese, non-(East) Indian, non-African, Non-Latino foreigner! 
I don't remember whether he quit or what but I never saw him after, perhaps, a few years but his image still is in my mind. I hope he's doing fine and is happy wherever he is because it's not easy to stay nice, kind and smiling toward others after a very hard physical work day but he managed to do that. A kind of Caucasian Canadian who can be found here in many communities in Canada while you may encounter the biggest jerks and assholes at the same time. I simply ignore the second group. 

(Photo: Voight and Hoffman in a scene of the movie Midnight Cowboy. Drop me a line about the film if you have watched it)

Stegosaurus (Dolomite) Peak Second Attemp

I really don't like it when places are named after similar places. For example I don't like it when they say the Venice of this country. Venice is a city in Italy. If this place has some resemblance, find a good name for it. I guess it's not easy but still possible. I wanted to know who has called this mountain, in the beginning of the Icefield Highway in Alberta, Dolomite Peak! First of all it is not a peak! It is a series of peaks! Secondary if this mountain has some resemblance to the Italy's Dolomite, that doesn't mean it should be named the same. That is why I like to call it Stegosaurus Mountain! 

I'm not Trump who orders left and right and renames place around the world but we all can agree that it is a legitimate and valid name change. I'm a little surprised that Google has accepted Trump's order because Google is not a government agency but perhaps I can start a petition and contact Google to make this change happen! 

I was determined this time and being a very nice and sunny September day with no rain and no wind and very mild temperature made me sure that I could reach the summit this time. I started at 09:00 while unlike the last time there were two cars parked there. When a path is not crowded but there are one or two guys it gives you the sense of security and competition but I didn't see anyone until I reached the same spot that I had reached the last time, after 3 hours! 

I'm thinking going up from the right side of these trees and reaching the center of the mountain next time I'm attempting this mountain. I know it will be hard but third time is the charm!

I tried to go up a tall rocky wall as I wanted to avoid narrow and exposed path near the big standing rock but I couldn't! I went back and took a few pictures next to the rock and was ready to go back because deep down I know I wouldn't go from the exposed area but decided to give it another try. Same result! That was when I thought that I had wasted enough time and decided to go back down while I was cursing myself! It was only a few meters down when I saw a young fells. He was coming back down from the top and told me he was the driver of one of the vehicles but there was no sign of the other driver. He took off after a short talk and disappeared in the valley! It gave me a lesson of bringing a pair of damn hiking poles. They're helpful. The main reason I dislike them is they break so quick. I remember this hike we went with Alphonse a few years ago and I used a pair. I had to threw them out after the hike/scramble but I'm going to definitely use that in my next hike this weekend, wherever it will be. I found a pair within my hiking gear a few weeks ago! I don't know if I have purchased them or someone gave them to me but I will certainly use them. 

Coming down was very painful and tiring and I don't know if it was because of my age(!) or I was tired because going up was fun and enjoyable. I perhaps wasted too much time up there deciding and trying to go beyond that dan rock and reach one of the towers. I think it was almost 17:20 that I reached the vehicle. One of the vehicles was still parked there so I'm hoping they were all right. With all these recent deaths in Alberta, you never know what might happen. Perhaps that's why I didn't want to rick that narrow path. I simply didn't want to become another statistic but know I think perhaps I shall approach the top from the middle of the mountain, next time, instead of going to the most western edge. 

The drive back was good until Canmore. I wanted to stop for a beverage but the McDonald's in the west side of the town was closed. I think they're building a new restaurant amongst a few more in the area. I then decided to try Tim Horton's which was a few meters away. What a bad mistake!

I'm going to share what happened in that Tim's as this was my first experience with this franchise after a very long time. While the staff was great and the store was organized, they charged me $3.50 for a damn medium Iced Coffee(!) and that is not all. I don't know if it was the ice, the cup or the coffee itself that it tasted like burnt cooking oil. It must be that they store one of these items next to a used oil container or something. It was awful. I have communicated this issue through their website. I'm hoping that they can fix the issue but for someone like me who doesn't eat out, it's not a major issue. It's just a horrible experience after a day out in the nature.

There was some jam on Highway #1 on the way to Calgary which I think was because of an incident. I only saw an SUV with with a deployed front air bag at the left side of the road and after nearly half an hour waste of time, the traffic flew but I didn't reach home until 20:40!  

(Photo, top: The same drainage that I followed more than two years ago in Jul. and led me to the same damn dead end/exposed area! This is the path that everyone takes. Perhaps it's the time to open a new one!)

Mr. Chretien's Great Response to Americans

Jean Chretien was the Prime Minister of Canada when I first moved to this country and he faced a real challenge in 2003 when the the US decided to cross into Iraqi border from Kuwait and give Saddam Hussein, his final lesson. He decided not to join the so-called " Collision ". Many said that would affect the US-Canada relationship in a very negative way but then Canada agreed to send its troops to Afghanistan and did. That helped to heal the wounds! 

Mr. Chretien was in Gander, Newfoundland & Labrador this past Fri., the 25th anniversary of the Sep.11 attacks at age 92 and gave a wonderful and powerful speech. That was the moment I really wanted to be a Canadian. I always admired Mr. Chretien. The Liberal Party destroyed itself using a self destruction device called Justin " The Silly Joke " Trudeau " after that but that's not the point here. The point is he really gave it to Americans but professionally and amicably. His speech could be easily on either CBC website (CBC.ca) or YouTube. His one sentence is pierced in my mind: Don't consider our generosity for our weakness.

(Photo: Jean Chretien, the former Prime Minister of Canada is seen here in this undated photo with his wife Aline. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 84)

Big Spring Hill Provincial Park: What a Waste!

I decided to go and see this park at the north west side of Calgary, outside the city limits, of course and close to the town of Cochrane, this past long weekend. What a mistake! I'm not too far so I got myself on Highway #567 and turned left at a sign, toward the south before reaching that town. I find myself in a quite large parking lot after a few minutes of driving. A few vehicles were parked there despite the weather being cloudy and rainy. I parked and looked around. Not many signs. I took a green path more towards the south side of the park. O-O! I didn't go into the castle as I was not playing chess(!) it was the end of the path. Barbed wire and sign saying it was a protected area. Okay. I understand. That's how it should be or it will be ruined like Banff National Park has been. 

I then went to the other end of the park, the north side and a sign over there says you can go up a short trail to a lookout. I took that. It passes by a nice waterfall and a few small bridges and then in 5 minutes you're there! You not only have reached the lookout but also the end of the damn park! Isn't this brilliant?! A park where you can go from one end to another in less than 15 minutes!! What a waste of money and of course resource: A paved road, parking lot, bathroom facilities, signs, stairs and small foot bridges all for people to be able to walk for 15 freaking minutes! 

I don't know what these guys of the Provincial Government were thinking! I don't think they were thinking at all! My guess is they either had some budget to blow or there was a dispute between the ranchers and lot owners in the area and in order to permanently settle that they said: Hey! This land, this little piece of sh*t land belongs to none of you. We're going to blow thousands of dollars and make it a park that people are only expected to spend 15 minutes of their visiting time in it! 

There are many parks in and outside The City of Calgary, beautiful and lovely parks which I never tired of going to. This, however, is a silly joke and a stupid mistake. I will never burn fuel to get there again. What a stupid waste. 

(Photo: This entire area to those hills are a protected area and separated from the park boundary using barbed wire and signs which is the right thing to do but the government of Alberta did not have to spend thousands of dollars on the facilities of the 15-minute long park!)

Fool Proofing for a Fool

I studied a little and wrote about Fool Proofing many years ago. I posted about it back in 2004. Something happened after 22 years that made me not only to practically implement that but also write about here, not hopping that anyone does anything about these fools! 

This story starts with ABSA, The Alberta Boilers Safety Association, a provincial organization which watches over the manufacturing, assembling and installation of pressure vessels to make sure they are safe by complying to the applicable standards. ABSA deploys Authorized Inspectors to the facilities and sites which deal with pressure vessels to perform inspections and reviews regularly and charges them a good chuck of dough! I had to deal with four Authorized Inspectors since I have started this new position and one is funnier than the other: 

1) Caucasian fella who always was very friendly. Always smiling and chatty. I've written about my encounter with him regarding my trip to Japan. He got axed for lack of work ethics and being sloppy! He later contacted the team leader of ours who was kicked out later(!) and said that he wanted to start an Inspection Company. Never heard of him since.

2) An Indian Punjabi guy. This guy was a bit of nutcase. A narcissist like most of the Indians are and a sort of person who thought he knew everything and never was ashamed of abusing his power. Common within eastern culture, in general and Indian sub-continent culture, in particular! He got into heated argument with two of female employees of the company and got banned! This moron, was sent back to the company months after the incident because ABSA didn't have anyone else and this time he approached me and asked me to fix something on one of the products. When I asked him which one it was he said he did not remember exactly what serial number it was and got busy with one of his own people who works for the company! What a fool! 

3) Another Caucasian fella who seemed to be more mature, understanding and knowledgeable at first. But not completely as it appears later! This guy says things that either forgets or don't care about them, later! If there're issues within the products that he finds, he never officially sends a message. He always hands a small piece of paper, usually a Sticky Note or says it, although I think they note it down as they have a sort of log-book which they update it after every visit.

One of my interactions with this numbnuts was the concept of recycling which I never even bothered to mention it to him, like any other things that he had an issue with and fixed it myself! The company has provided both a trash bin and a recycling bin in every room, including the room the so-called Authorized Inspectors use. I realized that this idiot throws the papers that he does not want into the trash bin while there's a blue bin (recycle bin) just next to it. The concept of recycling is ignored by millions and millions in Canada and all over the world. They just simply don't care but there's a bin, why don't you use it? What I did was just switched the spots that these two bins had been placed and got the recycle bin closer to the desk if the so-called A. I. I didn't work! Then I removed the trash bin and placed it at the other end of the room because I knew this guy was so lazy that he would not walk to the other side to throw something in the bin. I then just placed the blue bin so close to him that he wouldn't even have to move. All he has to do now is to extent his arm and get rid of the piece! That's how you fool proof a task!

(Photo: A very simple and basic example of fool proofing, mistake proofing or its Japanese term, Poke Yoke)

The Caps on the Fence

I've been to Highway #22 several times and by that I mean the south part of it where it takes you to Crowsnest Pass and the US border and I realized, every time that on one of the ranches on the right side of the highway, the west side, baseball caps are placed on the top of almost every and each fence post. I never knew what that meant and there was never anyone to ask.

I did a little search and I found out what this means, today! I was supposed to go to north, this weekend for some hike but the weather has been cloudy and rainy in almost every part of the Province of Alberta, from south in Coutts to north in Edmonton. So I'm writing this now with the hope that I can get out around noon to get a few things done, not that anyone cares.

The story is about a 90-year-old rancher near Longview who had been to Yukon Territory and had seen caps on the fences and decided to do the same thing in his ranch. He nailed, perhaps, nearly hundred caps to his fence posts. There's a full interview with the gentleman who originally is from Calgary and according to him was born in 1930 in CBC back in 2020. Now 6 years later I hope he is sound and well despite the fact that these caps mean nothing but a way of spare the time and create curiosity within the travelers who drive by! 

(Photo: Property fence on Highway #22 in Alberta, south of Longview)

A Seven-hour Hike in Bob Creek

I've lost the number of times that I've been to Bob Creek to reach Thrift Peak! It must have been 6 or 7, including yesterday's trip. I set my clock for 05:15 because the times that I had set it for 03:30 or even 04:30, it was extremely difficult to get out of the bed and then continue to the trailhead! There were a couple of times that I left the city and then drove back after an hour or more driving! Crazy and stupid!
This time was not easy as well but I got myself out of the bed and left around 05:35 and headed south to Highway #22. The beauty of Alberta is undisputable. I had to make a stop every time I found something interesting to take a picture and of course I stopped for a cup of coffee, this time in Okotoks. I then started the hike at exactly 09:18. It means from the time I left home, to the moment that I geared up and headed up the trail it took almost 03:45 hours, which should not take more than 02:15, normally! 
The weather was nice at the beginning and there was no one in the area, as it's usually is the case but I noticed something different this time: Cows! Lots and lots of them everywhere! There're many ranches nearby but I had never seen the cattle on the trail and scattered everywhere. That caused some problem because they stand and stare at you and sometime jump and run erratically! 

People mostly don't see the beauty of the small things around

The clouds moved in after more than 2 hours that I was on the trail and then, again, I realized that I had gone the wrong! I had gone up a very tall cliff which it appeared that I had to go around it but I think the problem was with this path that I was following, saved in my handheld GPS. I took a few pictures from there and this in fact was as far as I had gone last year! So basically no progress in a year. I thought perhaps if I simply followed the trail, instead of following the GPS track, it might take me to the damn lookout but the rain started and I was, again tired, so I headed down.
More cows were on the trail and generally in the area when I got down. The funny part was when I was trying to sneak pass a calf and its mom(!), it looks like that the calf was interested in me(!) because it started following me. The mom who was protecting the baby started coming toward me! This was no good! At the moment I thought to myself: People are afraid of Bears and Cougars in the mountains, I have to be worried about cattle! I, fortunately, was close to a inclined area with lots of tree. I just ran down. There was no way that the cow could reach me! It would have hit the trees or rolled the hill! There were more cattle on the way which i had to go around them. At one point a whole herd started running! It was quite a scene! 
The rain stopped and the sun helped me to have a drier boots and pants! It had happened from crossing the stream and going to the wet areas to avoid the damn staring cows! I reached the vehicle at almost 16:20, after 7 freaking hours. That how long it should have taken to reach the summit, had I followed the right path! May be another time! 
I stopped at Longview Jerky Shop on my way back and bought a small package despite the fact that I eat meat (any kind) not more than once a week. I will share with Mom and Brother as I want them to try it. I did it just to support a local business and that's what we all have to do when we go to this small towns. Overall it was a very joyful day and despite the fact that I did not reach the summit, I enjoyed it very much. 

(Photo, top: this small herd of cattle was still standing in the middle of the trail and staring at me, making sure I am no harm! I had to go to the threes to avoid them and appear in behind. They still looked very uncomfortable!)

The Multiple Used Car Guy

There's a huge market for used cars here in North America. I had to hear all sorts of nonsense from people, every time I wanted to buy a car and I always ignored it:

1) You save in Insurance.

2) Your car loses its value so fast that it makes your head spin.

3) You can change your car every year, if you buy used.

And many other stupid meaningless nonsense! 

I don't have anything against the people who cannot afford a new car or the used cart dealerships. I bought a used car once in my life and I had it for 6-7 months. I'm doing better now and I haven't purchased a used car since and will never buy one. In fact the last car I bought last year was a brand new 2025 and I paid cash and I will buy another brand new car soon and I will pay cash for it as well! No interest but that fits my life style. I don't have other major costs that many do. 
What these people don't understand is that everyone has a different lifestyle. I give you an example of this nasty disgusting animal who works for the same company as I do: This pile of stinking horse manure was bragging about his cars and his house! How he has, I think, two or three, one worse than the other and how he " fixed" his house that now it's " cooler " in summer! I wasn't listening but I heard he was bragging about that to someone else in the breakroom. By the way these are the people who have no friend, no relative, no sibling, no reliable and no lovable partner and have to find a free ear to chow it off at work, about what they do in their daily pathetic lives!! He got stuck on Q. E. II, near Red Deer last year and had to call a tow truck (!) and then last week had to come to work taking a bus and then on foot, a few days ago! Why? The answer is simple:  All those junk that he drag here and there, broke down!
The other fact about this people is the amount of complaining that they provide to you! They complain about the cost of living and how expensive their kids are and so on! no one put a gun to your heads, you numb nuts! Are you familiar with this product called condom or some might call it prophylactic rubber?! How about Morning After™ ? This disgusting animal, did the same! As soon as conversation started he asked me how many kids I had. I was going to tell him to shove his question up his wife's rectum but you know you cannot do that in workplaces! So I gave him the right answer. I then tried to avoid him and I was quite successful. It was him who would approach me to shoot the shit, as all these losers whom I explained them above, do! That was when I realized he was walking to the bus stop and became very happy! Get your life in line and stop complaining! 

(Photo: A backyard junk yard! This is the Brave's backyard! I used to live here back in 2002 and it was a nice backyard with three and even a picnic bench. This dumb asshole has turned it to a junk yard! The building you see is what that has been replaced the beautiful backyard and now is full of items, mostly tools which are rotting and I think two old cars which have no faith better than the tools! The cars you see are all rusting and dying in sun, rain, wind and snow and mostly have no value. In fact he has to pay someone to come and take them away one day or whoever inherits the house would have to do so. The house itself has been turned to Indian Punjabi asylum house which is the subject of a different post, maybe later!)

The Game

If I didn't know Michael Douglas was born in N. J., I'd probably think he was from San Francisco, considering his obsession with that city! Basic Instinct, Streets of San Francisco (which I haven't watched, of course!) and the last film I've seen: The Game, all take place in that northern California city. The city which used to be glorious once. All I've read about it in the past few years is that it has lost all his glory and filled with poverty, homelessness and gang violence. Nevertheless that's not the subject of this post and regardless of all these negative thing I hear, I'm going there next year, if everything goes as planned. Or anywhere nearby because this time my intention is to approach Boundary Peak from California side.
The Game is an interesting movie and somehow unrealistic! It is a movie so it does not have to be real, someone would day. I believe unless they make science fiction, the story should fit with the audience easily. I don't want to spoil the movies for the ones who haven't watched it (although the likelihood of anyone accessing it and enjoying, isn't very high) but I think the other Fincher's movie, Se7en could be considered more realistic than The Game but The Game is a very entertaining movie and more importantly unpredictable until the end and that is very important for me, as movie goer and a Movie Buff, as well! 
The Game is a sort of movie which takes you along. This had not happened to me for a very long time. So despite the fact that I was dead tired, I glued myself to the seat and watched it to the end. I hope you enjoy this 1997 movie as well. 

(Photo: Douglas in the scene that the " game " actually is about to start!)

An Scaring Tactic

My work is a combination of office and shop. I go to the shop after my breakfast everyday. That's my routine. I felt a tense atmosphere this morning. Our supervisor who always says hi, didn't even look at me and then our manager came and had a somber look in his face and called us all to a meeting at 09:00!

There he was one of the top managers. He announced that the supervisor had been asked to leave and added that he could not give more details! 

I was not very surprised because I know behind the scenes these two had conflicts and disagreements. However, I had never seen something like that before. I have seen people being canned but there has never been a meeting to discuss that! The funny thing is some people defended him but I just don't know why! Just to have your voice heard?! You know the guy is gone and he is not going to be called back. Unless you want to be the next, you would not say a thing to support him. Not that in front of the judge! The other funny thing is that our manager said that was not his decision! That was one of the reasons why one of the guys with long term employment history was pissed off. 

I was both happy and sad at the same time. The guy was generally nice to me and mostly helpful but there were times that he was a jerk. While I was sad that he was gone as we had a good relationship, I was happy he was gone because he at times did not act like a supervisor that he must have been.

As per the meeting, the only thing that I can imagine is that the guy wanted to send a message. He wanted to say that no one is immune if they disobey the company's rules. That is what I think. 

(Photo: I have to talk to the guy to see if he was given any reason why he was booted out or not. This is the second person being fired in the past 8 months)

Driving Miss Daisy (37 Years Later)

Driving Miss Daisy is probably one of the most famous Hollywood movies of the 90's which has been known to me for a long time but has never had the chance to watch it until just last week.

The interesting thing about this movie is despite its simple story, it attracts you and you go along. 

When the movie started, after just a few scenes, I wondered who the actress was. She looked so familiar. I'm referring to the British actress Jessica Tandy. It hit me suddenly: The Birds! Yes. She also had a major role in the Alfred Hitchcock's movie. 

Tandy circa 1959. It was this face that brought The Birds scene back to my mind but this portrait is not from the film

Morgan Freeman plays the other major character: An old driver who is hired to take Miss Daisy here and there and that's where the story begins. I think if I had seen the movie 10 or 15 years ago, it would have felt different but tears came to my eyes while watching it just a week ago as this is a movie of human connection. It has tons of meaning and lots of affect on lonely people. Enjoy if you can get your hand on it.

(Photo, top: Jessica Tandy in the OSCAR. She passed away five years after the movie)

Cancelled the NY Trip

I just cancelled my trip to The State of New York. This was booked back in Dec. for this Sep.! How insane is that. I also cancelled the hotels (there were three of them) and have to do the last.
Why? To much uncertainty, too costly and not most likely very pleasant for my taste. Why the hell did you consider that in the first place, one might ask. The first thing is I had not yet seen so much violence and disorder in N. Y. City. There're thousands of clips. This new guy, Mamdani which has created so much division within the city had not been yet elected the mayor. The US and Israel had not started their endless and devastating attacks in my country of origin and ICE had not yet been so tough on people. I thought to myself: The purpose of a trip is to stay safe and enjoy. What's the point of going somewhere that I might be questioned simply because I was born in a country that I left 25 years ago and now is in a head-to-toe war with the US? What's the point of going somewhere that you cannot comfortably take a public transit and have to grow eyes on your back to make sure you're not mugged!
These are all excuses! The fact is I'm tired of travelling alone and driving from JFK to Albany which was supposed to be the first part of the trip does not seem to be easy. Lack of confidence has recently gotten the better of me. Based on this poor analysis, I cancelled my Marriot hotel which was about US $1200 and the Lake Placid lodge. I will cancel the last hotel and the rental and my focus will be shifted to the upcoming IT-SW trip although I have a lot to do complete that plan which will be a separate post if needed. I hope I can make this trip some another time and with a better itinenary) 

(Photo: WestJet flies to JFK directly without any damn stop in between)

Trash Bin Salman is Worried

I follow the news of the war within Persian Gulf and western Asia region. No. That's not middle east. Middle east (I purposely do not use capitals to defy the theory of being it being the correct term) is an incorrect term, used first by an ignoramus person which has no meaning. Just the way of using the term Indian for the Native People of North America has no meaning and is pure stupid and absurd! Yes. Read a few books, get some good education. Life is not just Faceless Book, Beer, Weed, Casual Sex or making babies. There's a whole lot more to it.
Yes. I left the country of my origin nearly 25 years ago and I haven't been back for almost 12 years but there're still things about the country that I love and I have so many good memories from the years I lived there. I left when the country started its decline and the decline had a very steep angle. People had so much hope and were very optimistic because war had just ended and there were news of reconstruction and new developments every day. That's why I still read the news to see what's going on in the region. I do not support the regime but I do not believe in war especially from someone who calls himself The President of Peace! All those nonsense of The help is on the Way and such meant nothing to me from the beginning but for the people who were desperate and had made so much mistake, supporting the wrong government, for the past 20 years or so, it sounded the only option left.  

UAE and specifically Dubai is the destination of the poor and devastated, mostly and I'm not saying that because I consider myself a prosperous and successful individual. I'm probably one of the biggest losers on the face of this Earth but the UAE is the final hope for Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakestani, Nepali, Sri Lankan and Filipino to get themselves our of the whilrpool of poverty and make some money by working the jobs that no Arab would like to do. It also is the destination of the cheap Americans and others who would like to have an inexpensive vacation. Add to that prostitution which is also big in the country and the last but not least the trade of drugs! It's understandable how much the recent war has impacted millions of people just in the past few months. This picture shows the Dubai Airport hit by either a drone and missile.  

The fact is all the Government of Iran was doing throughout the Progress and Development Plan years was building military infrastructures and proxy groups within the region of western Asia, countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. I personally do not believe there's anything wrong with investing on defense but it should be done in a manner that the society is not deprived of their basic needs such as secure jobs, safety, affordable housing, available medical services, affordable groceries and good education. The fact is all the said was ignored and overlooked for the sake of building thousands of drones and missiles and spending billions, yes billions of dollars on the proxy groups. 
When the war started in late Feb., I was really shocked. I, probably like many, had believed in Trump when he said he would stop the war in Ukraine and he was The President of Peace. What I didn't know is he is a weak narcissist! He loves attention and what attention is better than being in the center of a war, forced by the Israelis?! The thing that he didn't expect is Iranians hitting back hard! 
I don't understand how someone who claims to be so smart and having the strongest army in the world does not appreciate the fact that when they have several bases within the ranges of the enemy missiles, going into the war will not result in quick favorable outcomes!! 
That is why Trash Bin Salman has contacted Trump and asked him to hold the f*** back! The damage to the US bases and his allies infrastructures has passed billions of dollars. The Saudis know that if the war continues, it will become a continuous war and that is what the Government of Iran wants and that will cost them a lot. Hothi Yamanis just got involved and the Trash Bin is not worried about the US or the innocent civilians of Iran. He's worried about himself. Trump is worried too because his popularity has been declined significantly and the cost is to the roof. He covers his anxiety by lying as usual and doesn't care much about the loses. The Trash Bin, however, does. We will see how long this new uncalled ceasefire remains in effect. 

(Photo, top: The Trash Bin Salman is the Crown Prince of the Saudis, the family who has named the lands that they have occupied by their family name, although there's no family name in Arabic and people go by their father's or their tribes name. He runs everything. Nevertheless it's like someone in Pakistan changes the official name of the country to Bhutland on the houner of the Bhutu family!)

The Smell of Cigarette

I was imprisoned at home for two days! Not that I could not go out. The weather has been horrible. Smoky. I couldn't go for my rutine jogging. What else is to do when you're single? Going to a bar and drinking? I'm not a frequent bar visitor and certainly not a big drinker. Besides, I hate going to the same place regularly. It makes me sick. I go to different supermarkets, as much as I can, when it comes to shopping. 
I checked Environment Canada last night and decided to go to Bob Creek Wildland, the place that I've been to many times and failed to reach Thrift Peak as the ultimate goal. That seemed to be far away from the smoky area. Bad mistake. I woke up at 04:45 and went down and there was this strong smell of cigarettes! I  knew some lowlife trash in the neighbourhood regularly and even heavily smoke but I barely smell that! That is by the way one of the reasons I have planned to move out and find a nicer place. That was when I realized it was the damn smoke from the wildfires in British Columbia and perhaps Washington. 
I left home after loading my stuff but  turned back after only going as far as Piegan Tr.! I don't know what's wrong with me rather than being bored with going to the same destination and driving a long distance! I went for a little shopping and had breakfast and at around noon I said to myself: I can't sit like this. I have to go for jogging and I will see what happens. One guy was cycling when I reached there. I started jogging after 1 round of walking and finished the exercise with another round of walking. When I got home I felt a little discomfort but I'm fine now. If I die later soon and nobody notices at least you'll know what the caused has been! 

(Photo: You can clearly see the smoke in the air. Welcome to New Delhi! This area is not too big for cycling but it's safe because there're no car. My old Steve Bauer bicycle have been sitting in the garage for a long time. I don't know weather I should have it fixed, buy a new one or forget about it!)

XRF Level II Examination

I wrote my XRF Level II examination this week. It was a very easy exam. I failed though! Why? The answer is simple. I was lazy and discouraged and didn't study enough! I have to re-write the damn exam and pay again and the employer only covers the cost of the exam which I show the proof of passing. The stupid thing is you only need 70% to pass. I barely passed 66%! 

The misleading part of the material is sections which says Recommended for Level II! My understanding was that the question will only come from this sections of the material! Dead wrong! The entire material was covered! It's an excuse. I should've studied the entire material and completely and I will. I will try to book it for the end of Aug. I month will be enough now that I even now what sort of questions there will be. The funny thing is I think I had answered some of them in my Level I exam.! I might be wrong. They could be quite similar. Here are some of the topics of interest:

a) The different laws and regulations that govern XRF activities.

b) Unit conversion.

c) Some basic physics about atom and all the related.

d) Safety and calibration of the analyzer and related devices.

e) Other usages of the analyzer such as soil analysis. 

This is just a reminder for me so I won't waste time and money again, although most of my life has been waste. I hope your hasn't been and won't.

(Photo: A case of Olympus hand held XRF analyzer)

The West's Gift to the World

I did not go hiking for the third week. Why? This damn ugly, polluted and hot weather doesn't allow a good sleep, so despite the fact that I wake up when the clock goes off at early hours, I'm so freaking tired that I can't even get out of the damn bed. I hardly can get out of the damn bed even during the week but I do as I have to go to work.

There was a program on CBC 1 (AM 1010) about the poor asthmatic children whose lives are in danger now. This program was about the B. C. Interior, and I think one of them has already passed away as a result of extreme air pollution in the region. So sad but who's fault is that? Every issue we have in the world is the fault of the greedy Western companies. Their non-stop hunger for money has brought the universe to the position that many environmental scientists believe there's no cure for it. Who introduced plastic to the world and have been using it non-stop in every aspect of life? They introduce a ridiculous law at different levels of the governments and think they have done plenty. They have banned plastic bags from groceries and many opposed that at government levels at the time I remember, and then they repealed it. What a bunch of filthy disgusting, nasty, sewer rats! Then you go to a freaking supermarket and there are thousands of, literally, thousands of disgusting nasty, filthy, vomit causing, processed food items wrapped and bagged in several layers of plastic! That's how they protect the environment. They have wars all around the world and imagine how much waste and how much smoke and other health threatening items are going into the atmosphere every year. Who has started or lengthened the wars in Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, Yemen (all current) and Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria?! 

They do nothing or minimum and brag about it. I hope the temperatures drop at least a little in the few next days so I can go hiking. 

(Photo: This little storm pond is close by. I went for a half an hour running around it. It is so peaceful and there's barely anyone there and there's a nice breath. You don't even feel the heat!)

The Worst Olives

I like Olives very much, not that anyone care and not that many people like it here. If it's not Chips, Cookies, Candy Bar, Licorice or so, it's not considered snack. I used to be Olives from The Real Canadians Superasshole but then realized that these thieves have increased the price so much that it's not even worse going to the store. I tried the Kalamata Grocery in Downtown Calgary, a few time. It's not bad. There're so many varieties and that's what makes the selection very difficult. 
Lina's, based on my experience, is the best source for Olives. I'm not saying they have the best, I'm just saying that they're the best to go. Limited variety, reasonable price. Available both in bulk and jar and of course the bulk is from a big jar! 
The Olives don't last long, when I buy. I add them to my salad, to my sandwich or just eat them as snack. I bought a pack of 1 Kg Moroccan Olives from kalamata Grocery nearly three months ago. More than half of it still sitting in the refrigerator! I had added Morocco to my travel list a few years ago. I was hoping to do a hike and see a couple of places. I considered that to be a good trip and attractive price-wise. I have moved it to the bottom of the list now with the possibility of completely removing it but that's not why the Olives have not been eaten! The damn Olives are too salty and dry and no flavour. Perhaps that's normal in Morocco but comparing it with all sorts of other olives I've tried from different sources, this has been the least appealing and has had the worst taste. 
I have a plan to visit an Olive growing country before the end of the year and despite the fact that most of my time will be spent in the non or less Olive growing regions(!) I will try to buy and try as much as I can. I believe based on what CBSA says I can bring as much as 20 Kg or 20 L. for personal use. We will see.

(Picture: The Moroccan Olives as they are seen in a container in the refrigerator. I tried one and they're not rotten or anything. I think olives last long but this one's story is different. Just not good!)

Unbiased Opinion about Marlborough Dental

There's not much going on these days. Just the disgusting work and then home. That's my life! Therefore I thought I should write about my experiences with Marlborough Dental, in Calgary. I think I started going there back in, maybe 2003. So it's been more than 20 years. This dental office is located in a the ghetto, in a so-called mall of the same name. Many of the stores are ran by foreigners who come from absolute poverty and sell the merchandise which mostly their own people purchase. Nothing wrong with that. I think this dental clinic and maybe one or more businesses are the most prominent ones in the entire so-called mall. There used to be a Sears at one end but you'll know that Sears has been removed from the Canadian market. At the other end of the so-called mall is one of the nastiest and filthiest toilets in the entire City of Calgary: Wal-Toilet-Mart, where cockroaches and sewer rats hang out and enjoy their lives.

We are going to the dental clinic's history now that I have described the Marlborough ghetto to you. There was this Japanese-Canadian doctor when I first started going there: Dr. Higashi, if I remember correctly. He was very respected by the staff who at the time consisted of all or mostly Canadian young women and as far as I remember all pretty. He was not only respected because he was a dentist. He was tall, handsome and well-dressed and it comes from a heterosexual person. Imagine how those girls thought about him! Once I asked if he was Japanese and one of the girls said: His English is better than mine!

I was told later that he had moved to New York City to pursue his career and education, I think, when one day I went there and he was not there. I also remember most of the hygienists and assistants were all beautiful Canadian girls. I was there once on a Fri. afternoon and I realized that one of the girls seemed a little bit impatient. I told her that I understood it was Fri. night and everyone wanted to join their boyfriends! She said that was true and she really wanted to see her boyfriend! It's not that because I'm a loser myself and don't understand the need of a good partner in life but Canadians and I guess generally Westerners do not consider the single life as part of their lives! 

There are still a few Canadian girls in the clinic and they're all pretty but the front staff has been changed mostly to either Indian or Filipino girls. I started seeing Dr. Popp after Dr. Higashi took off and my experiences has been generally good but I heard many years ago that he overcharges and doesn't talk nicely and that came from a Canadian woman! What do I care? I'm just an expat! I don't have many choices. I would be treated almost the same or worse if I switched, I believe. The only time that I did not use Dr. Popp's services was when I was in British Columbia. In Squamish there was a dentist and in South Surrey-White Rock there was a very nice Vietnamese dentist. I remember he even called me after a procedure to see how I was. What a gentleman. When I moved back to Alberta, I went directly to Dr. Popp and I've been seeing him since. Would I change to another dentists? Maybe. I'm not sure. He's fine and I don't have any issues visiting the ghetto from time to time. Dental procedures are not something pleasant that you think about who does it. You just want to get over it! Is Marlborough Dental more expensive than other dental clinics? I don't know. I don't care about the cost at this time of my life, much. My insurance covers part of it and that's all I need. Can you shop around to see what clinic has a more affordable service?! I think not but there's something that I can recommend to people who might find that clinic or generally dental services expensive: You don't have to drink every day or smoke Marijuana 3 days a week or eat out every single night or do shopping for new cloths every week but you need to have good teeth. So cut other costs and do your dental. All those clothes, wines, shows, etc. are these and newer are coming every year. You will get your hands on them. 

(Photo: Lots of violence, drug using and homelessness is seen in the neighbourhood. This poor man was sitting at a corner next to the rear entrance to the so-called mall)

John Bolt-On!

Do you remember that jackass, John Bolton? He was the National Security Advisor to Trump during his first term for about a year. He did everything he could to convince Trump to attack Iran. He didn't succeed. The US later, last Feb., attacked Iran and soon regretted it. I wonder what the relationship of them would like now. There was a rumor later that Iranians wanted him dead, by the means of assassination! Not that I condone it but what the hell did he expect? Trump didn't listen to him and their relationship went sour. 

Bolton's memoir's cover. It does look like it has been taken off the shelves but I don't think I can read a book in 500 page about the dirty tricks in the US politics!

It seems that someone has made it easy for Iranians now: Himself! He has been charged with 18 counts, including 8 counts of unlawful transmission and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. FBI agents stormed his home and office and confiscated documents and then later, he stood in front of the judge. It is believed that he has pleaded guilty to one of the charges. Without getting into the details of his trail, if convicted he will serve a 5-year imprisonment and he will lose his pension. He also has been fined $2.25 million as part of the guilty plea which basically takes everything he has earned from his memories. His sentencing will be in Oct. and his situation doesn't look good. He's now bolted on and can't make a move. The same thing has happened to all the people who bombed the innocent people of Iran, including the school children. They might not end up in jail or fined but they know they have made a mistake and have been trying to step back with minimum embarrassment which is the result of losing billions of dollars and being basically defeated.

(Photo, top: Bolt-on, the former advisor to Mr. Trump in his home in Maryland!)

An Album after 58 Years

Syd Barrett was a founding member of alternative rock band Pink Floyd, in 1965. There's only one band that comes close to Pink Floyd, in terms of enjoying their music, to me, and that is Led Zeppelin. We'll maybe discuss that later but Syd contributed to the early works of the band and then his mental health deteriorated. One of his works and the band's work is A Saucerful of Secrets which has not gained enough attention, I think. It was released on 28-Jun-1968, exactly 58 years ago. 

A Saucerful of Secret album cover is supposedly a visual representation of altered states of consciousness 

It's a great album. Syd's mental illness resulted in leaving the band before the album was released. They managed to get it together and complete the work. Syd eventually passed away in 2006. He simply stopped shining. His story is quite remarkable and available on the internet for the interested ones.

(Photo: Pink Floyd in 1967, from left: Nick Mason [Drums], Richard Wright [Keyboard, passed away in 2008], Roger Waters [Left the band in 1981 and pursued a solo career], and Syd Barrett. David Gilmour joined later and remained active until the last days of the band)

Not a Fan of Satrapi

I've seen Satrapi's Persepolis and I even own it on DVD. Not true. This is not the true story of Iran in the early 80's. It's exaggerations, falsification and oozes out of the mind of a person who was part of a very small population of the country. 

Her stupid stories about people partying at night, the Western style, drinking alcohol, everything else are not selling! The majority of the people of Iran were devoted Muslims and there is still a big population of them in the country who are stuck to their traditions and beliefs. I'm not saying that she is lying in the film. I'm saying that it might have been her life. She was not happy and she left the country and then couldn't adopt herself even there, in Europe, and went back with her tail between her legs, living with her parents! 

This guy was a loser and died a loser. I have no respect for Marjane Satrapi and people like her and I'm not sad that she's passed away. Less people like that in the world, the world is a better place.

(Photo: A wall from the ancient Persepolis Palace in Central Iran from 500 years B. C. which its name was stolen by the dead ugly woman and stuck to her exaggerated, untrue story!)

Mist Mountain, Not Finished

I checked the weather all around Alberta starting this past Tue. to see where I could have my first 2026 hike. I eventually selected Kananaskis Country. Not only because it's close but also because my pass is still valid. I have done hikes there in the days when no pass was required. Now you have to pay for everything and gasoline price is high. Although I need to check this Canada Strong Pass for the time I'm going top a National Park. 

I set the alarm for 04:00 and then changed it to 04:30 before going to sleep! When it went off, I woke up easily but was not sure whether I should go or not! I laid down and then got the hell out of the bed, grabbed my gear and headed to Highway #1. I needed to buy some gas because I had been too lazy to buy it the night before. I stopped at a Shell gas station on Country Hill Boulevard, I think it was $1.669, then I drove deeper south, on 16th Ave., which is an extension of TransCanada Highway (and I never knew why they did that!) it was about $1.560. When I got to the intersection of Highway #1 and Highway #40, where the big casino and all the other Indigenous people's businesses are located, it was around $1.760!
The Mist Mountain trail-head is deep in Kananaskis Country. You need to pass Highwood Pass and drive for another 10 km. When I reached there it was almost 07:30, meaning from home to the trail-head took 2 freaking hours and a half! I stopped for gasoline and a coffee, of course but still it's too long. This time, despite my first attempt which was last year, and I didn't even go up because it was raining! (another stupid excuse!) I was able to find the trail, using my handheld GPS. I will write about this stupid and useless device later to everyone who buy something like that to simply save them some dollars! The trail goes through the three and it's steep and then you come out and walk beside a creek and it becomes steeper! I was almost at 1 hour when I saw three people coming down, which is always a good thing. I was told that unless I had crampons, I would not be able to pass the snow pack and it would be very risky. Good advice. 

Recent precipitation has created a beautiful green lush in the area

At  01:15 I was on a ridge with good views and could see what the guys were talking about. I was tired anyway and the excuse saved me! I spent around 15 minutes on the ridge and headed back down. The rest of the trail which would go to the Hot Spring didn't seem too hard, if someone was well equipped but I will see that the next time I try it. The funny thing is Scottie wanted to go with me and despite the fact that I know he's full of shit, if he ever says he wants to join, I will take him but with separate vehicles. So when he's stuck like a stupid mule, I'll leave him there! People like that deserve this!  

This time I tried to climb light. I didn't take any water bottle and my hydration pack was only three quarter full. Luckily it was not too hot, as drinking out of a tube is not very pleasant. They say the plastic that forms the pack is somehow get mixed with the water due to chemical reactions! So basically you're drinking poisoned water! I don't think that's untrue! You can taste the plastic in the water but it can't be worse than majority of the food that people eat or the beverages that they drink on daily basis! 

I had read that reaching the summit requires gaining a significant elevation of 1300 m (from the road, of course), which equals to 4265'! It's not a little elevation and considering the summit sits at 3140 m (10301') it's not an easy hike (combined with scrambling) but I also read that most people don't bother going past the little pond of hot water, which is for the best. I have four weeks until my Kananaskis Pass expires! So I'm going to spend the next four weeks in that part of Alberta! No! I'm just joking. I'm not a cheapskate! I will make another attempt though, either the next week or the week after.

(Photo, top: The hike ended here on this ridge where you can see the trail continues in the snow. This is probably one third of the entire hike, if not less)

Not Every Franchised Business is Similar

I don't eat at MacDonald's or any fast food joint but I like their coffee and go to one, from time to time. I used to eat breakfast in their locations. Not anymore. I stopped many years ago. Different reasons for that. Here I list them as some might find it helpful:

1) McDonald's food and generally fast food meal contains a lot of fat, salt, sugar and artificial flavour. They all are harmful to the body. Continuous consumption of them will result in illness, chronic pain, you name it. If they're consumed at a very low amount, say, once a month, it's not that harmful. The body could get rid of them, particularly if there's enough exercise. Eating them repeatedly and at ages passed 40s would certainly have detrimental consequence. That's why I stopped eating this kind of food nearly 15 years ago.

2) There was a time that everything was affordable. You could get a decent meal for a reasonable price and enjoy it and get full, even if you had a normal job. Time has changed, particularly after the Pandemic. Prices of almost everything have gone up significantly. What do businesses like McDonald's do to stay competitive? They reduce the size of their meal and charge the same. I remember Buy One, Get One coupons would arrive every two weeks. You would by a Breakfast Sandwich and you would get the exact same sandwich free of charge! Now you get a sandwich which contains two and a half bites, you're still hungry and you either have to buy another one or leave half full! 

3) Population explosion! You'd find most of the fast food very busy these days, unless you go very early, like I did this morning, although it was around 09:40! It is considered early for many on a Sat. morning, I'd assume! A week of work. You're exhausted mentally and physically or at least one! You remain in the bed until 10:00, some even 11:00 and after. What do most of people do, after they wake up on a weekend? Have a quickie and then head out for breakfast or brunch. The other reason is the cost. Fast food joints remain the most affordable food in life. No cooking is required. You don't have to wait for the meal to be prepared, you don't have to go to a supermarket to buy the ingredients and know how to fix them! Those are the reasons they make fast food joints busy. That is only the way that a family with not a considerable income entertain themselves. Get out of the house, drive for a few minutes only as there're fast food places in every neighbourhoods, get an ice cream simulated cone for $1 and everyone is happy. Go back home and wait for the next day to come! Repeat the action. It's a loop!  

Most of McDonald's and Tim Horton's (I don't set a foot on a Tim Horton's property anymore. It's been a long time, not even for a coffee) are equipped with CCTV. You know why but in case you don't it's because of the number of mentally challenged, drunkards, drug-addict, psychopath and other crazy people who wander around in Canadian cities and town are significantly or perhaps I should say astronomically higher than a normal healthy society! The business owners hope to capture the criminals in case something happens, to have the chance of, perhaps, prosecution and conviction, I'd assume. That chance in Canada is very slim because the Judicial System is built in a way to encourage committing crime not to prevent it. That's how they run the business and keep the employment acceptable. 

A woman in her 70's wearing sleeper ordering food at a McDonald's! This was during the Pandemic. There're many people like this one in Canada who their lives revolves around fast food, Las Vegas, Mexico and cable TV!

With those said, I went to a McDonald's to get a coffee and study some XRF Level II for my upcoming examination, this morning. It was quite and almost clean although you never can expect a place like that to be spotless. food pieces were sitting on some tables and they looked they were from the last night! It's a McDonald's! What do you expect. I ordered a coffee and started my reading. I realized, while taking a sip that there was no camera, as far as I could see and it was a big lobby. My guess is the closer the location to Downtown and homeless and drug-addict routes, the more security cameras are installed. I've been to Tim Horton's, many years ago, where the number of security cameras were more than a bank! It also depends on the owner, I would think. 

If you're looking for a quiet and clean McDonald's to have a coffee or anything, it's located in Edmonton Tr., in Airdrie, Alberta and I found their coffee price less than other locations. Another reason for every franchise is similar.

(Photo, top: The McDonald's lobby around 10:00 on a Sat. morning. Quiet and clean, almost. Many Drive-thru customers but not many eat-ins)