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!)

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)

Weird Food (4)

When you look at the list of the food which causes the most harm to your body, Ice Cream is on the top and of course it's commercialized Ice Cream which is what everyone gets. No one makes Ice Cream at home. I do have an Ice Cream Maker but it's not so good. But why is Ice Cream the worst? The answer is simple: Sugar and Saturated Fat! Honestly, what does a bowl of store bought Ice Cream have? Sugar, animal Fat from cheap Milk, fake flavours, food colouring and some other crap. Anything else? At times a few pieces of nuts of other things to show they have made an effort! Although expensive these days like many other grocery items but once you're hooked on, you can't quit! Why? Because it has the most addictive and cheapest ingredient: Sugar! The funny thing about this box (or tube) of Ice Cream of this brand (Sold at Save-on-Food supermarkets) is the sarcasm! It literally kills you but not because of Chocolate, as there's really a little to no Chocolate. It kills you because of the amount of Sugar and animal Saturated Fat it has resulting in Diabetes and some major cardiovascular diseases! These guys use the term Chocolate to describe what they have added to mixture of Sugar and Milk to taste like real Chocolate! Do you think a greedy multi-million dollar company uses real Chocolate with that high price Coco in their cheap simulated Chocolate Ice Cream?!

(Photo: Western Family brand, a Canadian logo is sold mostly in Province of British Columbia but also in Alberta. I am not aware of other locations, if any)

Weird Food (3)

 I personally believe until there's an effective judicial and punitive system exists, crime rates go up but I believe, at the same time, that the government has to provide opportunities for the people so they don't turn to criminal, not that it's the only factor. One cannot say because there're not opportunities for them, meaning specifically customized for them(!), they should resort to everything to make money although this is basically the concept that criminals adhere to! It's like that the Afghan guy I knew nearly 22 years ago. He had left Russia, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and came to Canada. The questions I never asked him or many other Afghan fellas who just had left Russia and came to Canada at that time was why did that take them 10 years to leave the former Soviet Union (considering the dissolution took place in 1991 and they were in Canada in 2000-2001) and how were they able to get to Canada and avoid being sent back to Afghanistan? This should be the subject of another post. However, the issue is that I no longer see any of those guys. 20 years have passed through the years that I knew many of those guys and I have no idea where they are now. The last one of them was seen last in late 2015, 11 years ago(!) but the point of bringing up Afghans to this point is their mentality and their expectations from the Government of Canada after living in the Soviet Union for years. For those who are not familiar with the former Soviet system, I will explain what I know:

People did not have a lot under the Soviet system but at the same time they did not have to worry about job loss, mortgage, insurance, healthcare and all today's worries. Many Afghans who served the Afghan National Army fighting against the US, Pakistan and UAE-backed Mujaheddin (not to be mistaken with the Taliban, although some later become one) were given the chance to leave Afghanistan and live in the former Soviet Union either after the war or during it. I will write about some I used to know in a different post as I said earlier but one of them, named Aziz (or perhaps As is, in English!) told me if the Government of Canada paid him, he would go back to school! This is the Soviet-era mentality that people are told what to do and they do it. Many of those Afghans had attended different schools in the Soviet Union, free of charge and they thought Canada was the same! One more word before going to the main subject: If powerful companies can do whatever they want and no strong judicial system cab protect the poor and abused, companies such as The Real Canadian Superasshole become a monster! With that in mind, I'll go to the main story:

When you go to a location of The Real Canadian Superasshole, all you see is false advertisement, fraud, overpricing and everything in that category. I understand that a good portion of what is displayed in a supermarket goes to waste and for that a business, to stay competitive and running, has to add the losses to the price of other items but acts like this is not acceptable. Look at the above picture:

1) Why do we get fresh Atlantic Salmon here in Alberta?! The distance between a major distribution center in the Province of Alberta and a main source of Atlantic Salmon is more than 4,400 Km (~ 2700 miles) while the Canadian Pacific Ocean ports are only 1000 Km (~670 miles) away! I bet the Lowblow guys have a nonsensical answer for this! 

2) Are the businesses not obligated to show the weight of a packed product on the label? Why is this important piece of information missing?! If you tell the store, they throw the box on a scale, tell you how heavy it is and ask you if they want it. If you file a formal complaint, they submit an insincere apology and offer you a $15 gift Card! 

3) Lack of responsibility and concern about the environment and true greed is seen in this product as well. A small product which adds another piece to the landfill because The Real Canadian Superasshole likes to make a 50% profit on a piece of fish, if not more!

(Photo: Saw this jewel during a tour last summer in a Superasshole location) 

Weird Food (2)

 I bought some batter this past Dec., probably for the first time after 20 years! I just needed for my Turkey cooking to avoid dryness. It worked and I've used it only once after that. It's now too fatty and too strong for me! It's taste throws me out! It's been sitting in the refrigerator for nearly three months. I should perhaps give it to someone! 

With that in mind I was in a couple of supermarkets this past week and I saw a new scam: Olive Oil Butter!!!!!!!!!!!! Olive Oil, if not mixed with cheap oils, which most of the bottling companies do(!) a healthy fat but when you turn it to butter, meaning you process it, even if it is originally Olive Oil, which it is not, it becomes a health hazard! I don't really know who eats butter these days or how they eat it but while I'm not very surprised, I'm baffled by the level of dishonesty, lack of care and deceitfulness that these businesses use to empty the pocket of consumers while affecting their health. 

(Photo: The butter section of a supermarket shows different types of butter. From European style to Olive Oil, perhaps flavour and benefit[!]. The latter goes for CAN $5.99 and it weighs 454 g, not even 0.5 kg!)

Weird Foods (1)

  I'm going to start a series of posts under the title " Weird Foods ", today. This, hopefully covers the processed foods which are:

1) Harmful to the environment!

2) Harmful to the human body. Should come with a Health Hazard Warning!

3) Unnecessarily and unreasonably overpriced.

I must add that in North American societies and perhaps the other version of that, the Western European and most recently other societies of the world, creating revenue justifies doing anything. 
This first post is about a product from The Real Canadian Superasshole! It is called Naan Dippers! So what is it? It's a few pieces of flat bread made out of White Flour, in a plastic box and has 200 grams weight. It is sold for $4.99!!
Let me explain what it is and prove to you that The Real Canadian Superasshole's owners are nothing but a bunch of nasty animals and so is the Government of Canada. Naan in a few languages in western Asia means bread. What these filthy, disgusting animals mean by using a foreign language world and writing it with the English alphabet without having a translation of that, is beyond me! Then we go to the product itself: 200 g. of White Bread for $4.99!! You must be either a retard or born with some sort of mental issue to pay that!  
Here is the logic behind this and I admire it. These grocery stores lose thousands of dollars every month due to unsold, expired, rotten or stolen items. They need to compensate for that to be able to stay competitive. That is why they use dolts and blockheads as there's always an idiot who pays for shit. So here is a good example: a few grams of cheap White Flour, a little water and other ingredients and a few minutes turns to $4.99 product. What is the cost: Considering everything, not more than $2! However, you created a product which despite the fact that it generates revenue, it is harmful to the human body and to the environment. That little plastic box will not decompose for the next few thousand years. It's just another thing in the landfill. 
These people deserve a trial and a life imprisonment and the product shall be discontinued. Do you know how many different types of similar products exist in just The Real Canadian Superasshole?! And the asshole disgusting " Crap "ney called Canada " Environmentally Friendly "! What a piece of shit! 
(Photo: The disgusting bread pieces of The Real Canadian Superasshole)

The NO MEAT Contest

I went to a local supermarket for some food a couple of days ago and I was really shocked by the prices. It's nothing new but seems there's no end to this continuous increase. The funny thing is unlike the majority of the people I don't buy any type of meat. First of all, a good piece of meat, regardless of the type, is expensive and secondly I have to stay away from meat as much as I can because I have gout. I normally buy a few pieces of fruits, a little amount of different vegetables, plain Yogurt, Eggs, legumes and from time to time, a little snack which is limited to nuts or a good Chocolate bar. The latter have been reduced due to the soaring price of Cocoa in the world! 

Here is my receipt from today's shopping: 

1) Three Astro Balkan Yogurts = 3 x $3.29= $9.87 (Discounted item! Down from $5.69!)

2) Three Avocados (fair size) = 3 x $2 = $6 (Discounted item! Down from $2.79)

3) Two medium size Bartlett Pears = $3.21! 

4) One head (or perhaps should say Iceberg Lettuce) (big) = $4.99 (This is really insane!) 

Total = $24.07!

I tried to convince myself to get a reasonably priced fish but it was too expensive, particularly in Save on Foods! It's really ironic! There's no saving really no saving, most of the time, when you go to this specific supermarket or any other one for that matter but the only thing would worth getting from Wal Mart, at times, is Yogurt. Almost everything else, particularly fruits and vegetables, would usually be low quality and at times inedible, rotten and old. 

I have been able to stick to the NO MEAT Contest until today. I bought meat once and that was a mortal mistake! I purchased Rotisserie Chicken from Wal Mart, out of desperation, and it was awful! Then last night I purchased a Trout from Superstore and tried it for lunch. It was $14. I was hoping that I could make the $14 whole fish to two dishes but when I finished a few pieces with my home made bread, I then finished the rest by itself! I was hungry! There was no side! I scraped the scales, washed it, seasoned it, wrapped it in a foil and then first baked it for 20 min. and then broiled it for 5 min. It was good, fast and easy. I know what to do the next time to make it tastier and more appealing.  

(Picture: A bag of 150 g. seasoned Pistachio in a store in Japan goes for ¥1253, equal to CAN$10.75, now, a little cheaper when I was there in the fourth quarter of 2024. Fried fruits and nuts are considered very luxurious items. So they do here but the close proximity to the US makes it a little bit less expensive. You can buy nearly 400 g of the product here with that money, in Canada)

Food Porn!

I went to work for a few hours yesterday. I had nothing to do at home or anywhere else so I thought I could get a few tasks done. It was not very productive but I will get paid for it. Only for, maybe, one and a half hours! Then I my way back I thought I shall stop at a few supermarkets to see what I can for the supper and after.

I first stopped at the Community Natural Foods in Downtown. With the prices so high, I only ended up buying a small jar of Cashews and a few Golden Delicious Apples! Then I went to Midtown Market which, in fact, is a Calgary Co-op location in city center. The place was almost packed but I only enjoyed watching the food! A pack of a few skinless Chicken Breasts for $22! I don't have to name any other merchandise and their prices! That says it all! I think that supermarket is for the people who live in city center and the nearby nearby neighbourhoods with good incomes. We used to do shopping there when I was married but not frequently although the prices were much lower and my salary was higher! Now I only enjoy watching them and the people who buy them! 

My last stop was Lina's on Center Street. I used to go there for Eggs, sometimes Milk and other food items and mostly Olives. This time I only bought some of the last one and I felt that the guys were using a sort of trick to show the container weighs more but couldn't prove it. That was it. No Chicken, no other good Meats of any kind, no good fruit and certainly no fancy items such as Cake, Ice cream or condiment that you would like to have to boost your daily food! 

My daily meals these days, most of the time, comprises of Yogurt and that's only if I can buy discounted ones, Eggs, Bread, Legumes, Salad, Nuts and that's about it! There're many item on the majority of the people's daily meal which I barely eat them these days and that's reality. Items of Red Meat and good Sea Food has been almost completely cut out! I honestly don't know how some people can enjoy those but good for them if they can. With the job market in shit, I think I'm stuck with what I have for a while until next year and I might even cancel a few vacations. 

(Photo: Transportation has always been a major factor in food prices. Now with the price of gasoline and crude the lowest of many months or perhaps even many years, price of food is so high that it's unbearable! $1.67 for a pound of Apples could only be seen in picture like this! Though the supermarkets never bring the prices down!)

Cultural Discrepancies (8): Cursing

There's no doubt that cursing exists in every language but the question here, for me, is who curses the most?! I don't know! What I know is some Canadians curse a lot and telling dirty jokes is not off-limit! Funny thing is they say Canadians are very polite! I think they are but perhaps when compared with Americans! It's hard to say unless you have interaction with many nationalities but when I say many nationalities I'm talking about the major ones, of course. Not any shitty, tiny piece of land who calls himself a country! Here, in Canada, you could be at work, in a party, listening to the radio show or watching something on television and people curse like it's a normal activity of the day and tell dirty jokes in front of women, children, elderly, everyone! That's the culture!

What's interesting in Western culture is they use the things that they like the most to offend others! One of the most popular(!) ones is the word co*ksucker! Fellatio is a normal act between two people who have sexual relationship, in many cultures but Westerners used that as a curse although they, even some men(!), are in favour of it, madly! I never understood this! Pig is the animal which is not consumed in many countries, particularly the countries with Muslim majority as it is forbidden to eat. Though I've never heard in any Muslim, Arab or generally Eastern culture using the work pig as an insult! Americans, mostly and Canadians and British, as well, use that word very frequently as insult despite the fact that they love pig! Pork Chop, Bacon, Pulled Pork, Sweet and Sour Pork, are all meals that people consume in the West, and then the poor pig is used as an insult! 

In Asia a few other animals are used as an offensive word: Cow, Donkey, Mule and Sheep, are mainly used to insult someone! Another animal which is frequently used as an insult is dog! I know it will drive Westerners wild as a dog is a member of the family but that is the fact although some countries have changed in the past couple of  decades. Koreans and Filipinos are dog-lovers but when it comes to eating them! They have been changed recently in the past few years as now they think having a dog as a pet is a sign of affluence and being Westernized! In Western Asia Dog-father and Dog-Mother!(!) are both an insult which indicates that the person's parents are dogs or at least one of then is a dog! While dogs are considered loyal and helpful animals to human beings for decades, it is not know why this poor animal is used as a curse word in those cultures. It could be the fact that dogs are considered filthy and dirty in Muslim faith! It makes no sense to Westerners but they use that although having a dog as a pet, these days, as I said about the other side of Asia, is considered a sign of being modern and Westernized! I think debate over the subject could be longer than this. I just wanted to have a hint.

(Photo: Dogs are members of the family in many Western cultures. They even sleep with them in their beds, have their food while the family is sitting for a meal, etc.)

Cultural Discrepancies (7): Eating inside One's Own Vehicle

For many years and form time to time I have noticed one habit of Canadian people: Eating in their vehicle in a parking lot of a fast food joint or their workplace. In the beginning I didn't know why they were doing this and it was really odd to me. It still seems very odd but at least I know why people do that. 
People are embarrassed to be seen eating alone in a food establishment, even a fat food restaurant. They get their food and eat in their car while parked and idling the engine! Why don't they go back to their homes? The answer is clear: They feel lonely at home! By coming out and seeing people and interacting with the business workers, for at least half an hour, they feel better. That works like a medicine for them and can survive the rest of their days. 
I saw two people at two different workplaces who would eat in their vehicles! Absolutely stupid! One of them was an old fella in his early 60s and the other one a young racist motherfucker from Red Deer County! I wanted to write this because everyone in that room was a non-Canadian and he did not get along with them very well. The Chicken Shit, I would like to call him here, eventually quit only a few months after I joined. I hope he reads this and realizes that it's known that he is an asshole and disgusting loser! I don't care about sewer rats like him but I despise them forever. 
Nevertheless I saw something this past Fri. at work which was stranger than all the above: An old fella, almost at retirement age, was sitting in his vehicle eating, smoking cigarette and playing with his phone with all the windows rolled up! The odd thing about this guy is he has a big office where he sits all by himself! So unless there's something seriously wrong with him, he wouldn't do that! 

(Photo: For this post I decided to use a picture from years ago: A lovely Meat Pie made by my lovely wife at the time! Since this post is about food and eating I'd like to add that Whole Wheat Flour was used to make the pie shell and the tops. The texture can easily show it)

I'm European!

Disclaimer: This post in no way has any intention to look down on people who had a hard life before coming to Canada, look down on them or ridicule of any way. It only is about a natural reaction of an individual during a casual conversation. Please stay calm and understanding.

Sometime I feel really bad for the people who made their ways all their way to Canada in pursue of their dream: Getting out of extreme poverty, have something to eat, being able to sleep at night without the dear of being bombed, etc. Canada, for sure, provides that, although not as pleasant as it used to be but still for a guy who comes from Afghanistan, Cuba, Sudan, Dominican, The Philippines and all sorts of devastated or drug-infested countries, going to Toilet Donald's for a Hamburger or buying a bag of rice for Nasty-Toilet-Mart is as pleasant and sweet as staying at a 5-star hotel in Manhattan! Lot's not forget that, as I've mentioned earlier in a separate post, this is what Canadians like: They like to see the foreigners struggling and be beneath them. That's hoe they feel good about themselves. 

With that said, I used to go to Lina's Italian Market on Centre St., regularly. This is a small specialty supermarket with the majority Italian imported products. Merchandises such as Pasta, Tomato Sauce, Olives, Cured Meat, Vegetables, Candy Bar and similar. They also have a bakery and small cafe. You can get food, beverages and deserts. The quality is not bad but not top of the line either. I don't want to talk about the prices because with the price of everything going up, fuel, wages, etc., you can expect them to make a 12" Pizza for $8. I used to there for Olives, Eggs and occasionally other stuff. Now I barely go there and I only get Olives. Everything else is simply not worth paying by me anymore! 

Businesses like that usually have difficulty finding employees but this one has never seen any problem of that sort. The store is usually busy during the weekend but during the week the traffic is not that heavy. I was there once and I asked a fella about an Olive Oil bottle. I'm usually very hesitant when it comes to purchasing cooking oil and with all sort of fraud with Olive Oil (they mixed it with much cheaper oils such as Peanut Oil) I really don't want to be tricked. He was trying to be helpful with his broken English. When I asked him if he was Italian. He said he was European! He later clarified he was from Albania! 

The funny thing about these poor refugees who claim they're from Europe, is really sad. There're parts of Europe that there's nothing and honestly I don't know how people live. Countries such as Albania and Bulgaria are the worst, particularly the latter! It has been warned to avoid. The other countries of their vicinity are not much better off. They're basically toilets! No offence but that's what they really are! Moldova, claims to be a country! It's probably just a few farmlands and a number of cows and that is all. Romania, Hungry, you name it. They're just happy that they're called European! 

(Photo: Lina's Italian Market offers a variety of cheeses. I usually stay away from them, not that they are bad or anything. They just contain too much fat. I've tried their Ricotta a couple of times, though and it was good)

Capitalism finally digs himself in (5): The Issue with Canola

There are a few undeniably good facts about the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I am not for them and am aware of their crimes to the people of the country and the region but can't close my eyes to some of the good plans they had and unfortunately didn't materialize. 

I remember working for this company called Takestan Industrial Group as a Q. C. Supervisor, we had a sort of a little crazy boss (I hope he reads this) who once asked me to an office of the Ministry of Commerce. The company was using Pressure Gauges and since the Government had implemented the " Use the domestically made product in your Manufacturing " policy, he wanted to bribe(!) some officials to be able to import pressure gauges. Stupid idea. He handed me a paper, I think, and a small box of key chains with the company logo, as the bribe(!) and asked me to go see this specific person in the office and give him the purchase request. I was a young guy and new to the job in those days, not knowing that he probably had already paid the guy a considerable amount as no one is so cheap to do anything for a bunch of cheap and ugly key chains! Nevertheless, when I went there, and I don't remember what happened as it was nearly 30 years ago, I hesitated, at first and didn't give, at the end, the ridiculous key chains! Not to mention that at that young age I knew both purchasing foreign made products and bribery are not good deeds and I was proud of myself that I didn't do the stupid and unethical things he had asked me to do. The guy was a crook and had done many other evil things. I would like just to give an example to some people who blame the Government for everything in their lives. He once said, in response to a customer's complaint regarding the delay in receiving the products that he had ordered, that he had used all the money he had received from them on a trip to Malaysia! 

All in all what I wanted to say is that the " Use domestically made products in your Manufacturing " policy which was introduced by the Government of Islamic Republic of Iran nearly 30 years was a very good policy which intended to help and encourage people but I do not think it was successful considering all the crooks who had money and were in business. Now the same people complain about the same Government and want to topple it! The issue is mainly in you and you don't see it. The Government was going to boost manufacturing and increase employment, something that Trump, now after 30 years has decided to do by introducing the " Buy American " policy. 

Why am I telling this story? It's because the " Use domestically made products in your Manufacturing " policy is a great plan. An example of that in a capitalist society is that Canada has introduced 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, way before even any of those vehicles even come in. China in retaliation has introduced a 75% tariff on Canadian Canola right at the time that we had a great season here in Alberta and the crop is ready to be harvested and this is after, at least, two years of lack of enough moisture. Who suffers now? The poor farmer who finally sees a good year! Had the Canadian market's door not been open like a public toilet, to let every garbage in, in the first place, and for decades now, this issue would not have been considered at all and farmers could simply focus on their work rather than being stressed as how to deal with this crap now.

(Photo: A small Canola field and silos in front)

An Adventerous Purchase

This past weekend I decided to get some fresh Garlic. I had planned that since the spring of last year and never had the chance to do so. I found a farm near the town of Innisfail. I called them to make sure they're open. I wrote the address on a piece of paper and headed to the town. My experience with my old Garmin GPS has never been good and I don't have data on my phone! So either a paper map or notes! Everything is straightforward until Innisfail but when I got there I had several issues! 
First I was not able to find the road that leads to the farm. Then I went to a McDonald's and connected my phone to the web and got the address but the stupid Google Maps made me to do a loop, for absolutely no sane reason and then took me to someone else's property where I was told that the farm actually was at the other side of the river where we were talking near it! I turned around and went all the way back, looking at the notes and roads signs I was finally able to reach there. Now bear in mind that I drove an old sedan and many roads are not paved! It's possible in summer but next to impossible if there's rain or impossible totally in winter. 

This Highlander was gazing at me, wondering what the hell I was about to. I didn't get close as these animals are very sensitive to strangers. I've been to different parts Canada and this was the first time seeing this type of cow

The Garlic is really expensive and I haven't tried them yet but a few cloves which were given to me as samples. They didn't have that sharpness and heat. Since I got to bunches, I hope at least one of them has, if not both. The good thing is I was able to get Red Onions and Fingerling Potatoes, freshly taken out of the ground before my eyes! The potatoes were great! I made some Salad Olivier (It's called Russian Salad as well) and enjoyed it last night. I had left a little. The Garlic's price was shockingly very high: $12 per Pound(!) but I bought two bunches as I had driven all the way there for those! The good thing the other vegetable's prices were acceptable so I didn't mind much but next time I will probably negotiate before I go. I also need to give these ones a try to see how they taste. If they're not strong enough, I won't go there anymore. They also had a sort of cattle but nothing was ready to buy meaning nothing had been recently slaughtered. The cattle they grow is called Scottish Highlander. I didn't know Scotland even have cows! Nevertheless I will wait for the message from Garlic Goodness to go get some.

(Photo, top: The farm is located in a very lovely, quite and beautiful area. This was seen at the side of the road)

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!)

Good but not Enough

Not much has been going on since I started this new position less than a month ago. I might have a few posts about that later but for now, there's nothing. Go to work. Come home. Do home chores. Exercise a little bit, if not too tired and again the same the next day and the days after!
What I wanted to write is what I saw in a nearby Sobeys today. I had seen that before but didn't have time to write about it: A Health Canada warning. This is really good but not enough. The warning label is placed on a pack of pastry and we all know how pastries and baked items are made here in Canada: Loaded with sugar and preservatives! I used to buy this stuff but I don't and it's not just because of the health concerns! It's the price too! The fact is if the pack is consumed within a family and gradually, in little pieces, it's not that bad but when I buy it, I eat them all and quickly! The question is can or should a government order to stop making a product or alter it in a way that it is healthier? My answer is yes. The same way that a government can ban consumption of certain drugs or criminalize prostitution, they shall be able to order a sort of food to be either stop or increase.

(Photo: Pastry pack in a Sobeys supermarket in Alberta. I think this one is sold for $7.99, if I'm not mistaken)

The Geniuses of Hideous-Mart (Wal-Mart!)

Some people are naturally born with lots of talent and are a genius. Where do you think, in Canada, you can see them? Engineering firms, trade schools, universities, government agencies and departments? No. You find them in Wal-Mart or as it actually has to be called Hideous-Mart! Don't worry, it's not difficult to find them in there! They either have navy blue or yellow vests with a big Wal-Mart written on their back, or easier to find, they're wandering around with shopping carts overflowing with junk food! Cookies, potato and corn Chips, Ice Cream, frozen Pizza (or Pitza! I think that's how it shall be written in English! We're not writing in Italian!), flavoured Yogurt, you name it! 

If you want to consider me amongst them, you're wrong. I'm not saying that I'm a genius or anything like that but I'm not so dumb to spend my money or much money for that matter in Wal-Mart. I was there tp buy a sort of less harmful salad dressing and when I realized they didn't have it, got the hell out!

(Photo: Taken from a nearby Hideous-Mart, this is proof who works and who does shopping at this place!) 

Proactive Vs. Reactive

 Three of the concepts of Quality Control and Quality Management Systems, the areas that I consider myself to be an expert (I know you're laughing! It's fine) are:

1) Be proactive rather than reactive,

2) Cause and effect, and

3) Root Cause Analysis.

None of them are new concepts and have been introduced many years ago. You would be able to see some of them, if I refer to Juran's Quality Handbook, although some consider that old! My point here is I've barely seen any of these concepts to be used and implemented anywhere, especially in West where they originate from although the main source is Japan and then the Americans transferred them to the US and tailored them to use for their own. Maybe it is seen in a few high tech industries.  

I'm not going to teach the basics of the above but I'm going to refer to a recent accomplishment in Calgary that the authorities (perhaps the Government of Albert and AHS) are so proud of that and it has a long name (Perhaps they think it would be more effective and impressive at the same time): Arthur J. E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Center.

They have spent millions on this facility but would that be necessary, if instead, they looked into the causes of cancer and tried to eliminate them, or not?! 

I'm no physician but we all know that eating habits could contribute a lot. Do they not? Look at what people, including children, of course, eat here. There's no doubt that other factors are involved and I don't know what they could be. Some of them can be controlled but some can't. I don't know if genes are a factor but I think I read somewhere, that they are. The other factor is air pollution. So which ones can we control? And why do they not? Or perhaps I shall say why they have not being controlled? is this not why nations elect a government? To do the right thing for them? To make the right decisions on their behalf? It seem not! Everything is about money. There're people who benefit from this multimillion dollar facility and now they have it. It is not important to them whether sick kids are cured or not. It matters that this building is there and it provides its services so the business is going on! 

(Photo: The kids cancer center is built next to Foothills Medical Center in west side of Calgary)

Lie and Sell Garbage, Live Better!

Hideous-Mart is without a doubt one of the biggest thieves in the world: Cheap, low quality stuff, anti-union and staff, you name it. That's what Hideous-Mart is actually about. I have to go to a branch from time to time for a very limited number of items. Vegetables, Fruits, Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Cheese all are out of question! You get the worst from this retailer. There are a few items that I get from them rarely. One of them was, as no longer, this big piece of Chocolate Bar called Waterbridge. It used to be CAN $5.95 for different flavours. A few months back the thieves increased the price to CAN $6.97 or something in that range. I went just for that item to a store nearby and I saw the price had been jacked up to CAN $8.98 and I didn't buy and I will never buy it! 

Situations like this is very easy to control if people are together: Simply boycott the product. Either the retailer or the manufacturer has to adjust the price! The solution for the retailer might be to stop carrying them and replacing them with something cheaper. That would work because people go there for cheap stuff. The manufacturers use different approaches: Some like McDonald's decrease the size of the product for the same price and it mostly works. Some use lower quality ingredients. That might work too. It's difficult to call people to boycott a product here in Canada but I know the new Buy Canadian trend is on. Unfortunately it does not work for many products. I'm not sure about Chocolate Bars and Candies!

(Photo: The 400 g Waterbridge Chocolate Bar on the shelf in a store. This one is black chocolate with fruits and nuts but I doubt it is even dark. Dark chocolate means less sugar and more Cocoa. Some manufacturers use food colouring to make it darker. I'm not certain about this one)

The things that Canadians are Proud of!

They say desperate times call for desperate measures. It's more than 7 weeks that I had nothing but a phone call and an interview which led to nothing and my E. I. hasn't even started. I decided to get some help from a local food bank and they were great, although the diet really is different from what I'm used to! They give you lots of sugary snacks, old meat and stuff like that. Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe in Don't look at the gift horse at the mouth, and I still use the stuff as I have no other choice but look at a few things I've found in the packaging of the stuff I've been give:

In the Turkey Breast package, it clearly says that only 20% of the content is meat! What the hell is the rest then?! Does anyone cares?! No! Not when everything was reasonably priced. People just eat whatever they can get their hands on and what's better than something which requires no preparation!

The back of a package or most packages in Canada proudly states it could not be recycled. When there are thousands and thousands of open water at each side of the country, why would anyone care about recycling?! Just throw them in the big ponds at each side of the country or send them to The Philippines! 

Then we get to the packaging itself. I need to clarify here that " garbage " and " trash " is one of the major exports of Canada! How much do they earn from that? I know they earn lots of dislike in The Philippines! That's one of the destinations where Canadian garbage ends up. You see that they proudly indicate in the back of the packaging that it could not be recycled! After all Filipinos have something to protest on the streets. You can't just stay in your slum and make babies, although the countries who depend on cheap labour might have problems! 

(Photo: The so-called Turkey Breast packaging. By the way it tasted awful, nothing like Turkey!)

Checking Village Brewery

The Chef and I were in the city and he suggested to check Village Brewery out. It's a small bistro and brewery, of course, in a commercial/industrial part of the city, about 10 minutes drive to Downtown. It was his suggestion/his money, so I didn't object. The only thing that one should consider in cases like this to be careful with him not drinking too much! 

Village Brewery has a nice and clean environment and at the time we were there it was almost full for a weekday night. We ordered two Blacksmith, I think 20 Oz. beer and two small bowls of nuts, each cost a total of $16! I had not had any alcohol for nearly 14 months but was not too impressed by it. Then I realized something else: The glass stuck! I think this guys try to save money by not washing the glasses and dishes and only rinse them or wipe them with a piece of cloth! I didn't say anything but the smell was overwhelming! The Chef didn't notice that and I didn't want to ruin his fun, especially because he was about to get drunk after half of the glass was done! The bowl of nuts was good, despite the fact that we know they have no respect for the customers' well being and do not follow health and sanitation regulations! In fact one could be full for the night with that beer and nuts. The waiter approach when I had the first glass and The Chef asked him to bring the second round. It was the second glass that screwed him up! He was already drunk at the beginning of it. So was I but not to that extent. The interesting thing is the effect of alcohol on someone who drinks every night (The Chef) and someone who only drinks socially! We finished the second round and the place was getting empty but there were still a few customers. The Chef asked me to order food! Now he was out of his conscious, I would say! I took him to bathroom and ordered two Brisket Sandwiches for us and the third beer for him.  

He was so drunk that when he was going to the restroom, he left his wallet open on the table! The sandwich tasted good but who knows what they had done in the back! It was time to good but was not easy to make him understand we need to get the hell out and I didn't want to get to the point of dragging him out! The entire visit cost $65 plus the tips, in two separate bills, as there's yet no tax but the tips was high! I think he paid 15% on the first and 30% on the second! So the total charge was $79.7 which was too much! I could each for two whole week with that amount! 

Now we're in the car and ready to go and I have to rush to the Safeway pharmacy in downtown to get my medicine and he says he wants to get a bottle of wine! We go back in and the girl says their wine costs $30 and convince us to buy one from a liquor store. We get the hell out, and I drive to the pharmacy. Luckily the pharmacy is open and I get the medicine. The funny thing is the pills are for my gout and the only reason I could drink those two tall glasses of beer is they serve a bottle of water with that! The doctor has told me as long as I drink two glasses of water after ever glass of beer, I can drink that. This, obviously is to dilute the alcoholic beverage. I survived that because I do not drink regularly or I would not have been able to sleep throughout the night! 

I drove him to a Co-op liquor store on our way back to his place and he got two bottles of booze and we finished our night. 

(Photo: The brewery has a very nice atmosphere. You can see the bottles of water and cans of beer in the cooler. I blurred the face of the staff in case they want to play games! This was shortly before we left so most of the customer's had already left but there were still a few, behind us and one couple in the picture, of course)