Кино (Kino)

I discovered this amazing Soviet/Russian band about a week ago: Kino. The history of the band and everything is available in the net and if you're interested you can search and read but as a fan of bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, I can say for sure that these guys have nothing less than the trio and other big Western bands.

Led Zeppelin in their early years! Bonham, the drummer of the band, sited, died at a young age after a night of heavy drinking

The band almost dissolved, unfortunately, after their vocalist and guitarist Tsoi died in a car accident. I can say that is the similarity they have with Led Zeppelin with this difference that Bonham died of overdose!

Pink Floyd with all his members, including Syd Barrett, second from left who got mentally sick rally badly later. Song Shine you Crazy Diamond was written for him 

Kino continues to perform to this day but mostly, as far as I know, regenerating the old 80's songs of the band. Now the question would be: Where to get their disks? I think their songs are available on popular music platforms, though. 

Here's the link to one of their excellent songs called Группа крови (Blood Type). 

(Photo, top: Kino was formed in 1981 in today's Saint Petersburg. Viktor Tsoi, 2nd from left who died in a car crash later wrote most of the songs) 

Out after 10 Years (22): The Japanese Society

Nothing happened on Christmas Eve. I just paid a short visit to Mom and my brother and brought them some baked goods and other stuff, chatted a little bit and went back home. I stayed home on Christmas Day did some home chores, some cooking and rested. So I thought I would post my last story about my recent trip to Japan, today.
Travelling alone is not so good especially if you are originally from where I am. I did not have any problems anywhere particularly in this recent trip to Japan but people always look at you differently. Do I care? No! I just got my ticket for the next year and I'm planning for a week of trip to Europe as well, although the latter might not be easy considering I need to take unpaid leave. When you travel alone some think of you as a Lone Wolf, if you know what that means. 
That aside I'm going to write about some of the Japanese habits and cultural norms and such that I experienced during my 15-day trip to the country. Perhaps this, as well as the other posts, helps the travelers, These have not been referred to in the previous twenty posts:
1) Respectful and Peaceful people.
2) Still deeply traditional in many ways while becoming modern. Emperor Meiji gets all the credit for this. You still can see traditional fruit and vegetable stands in major cities run by old men and women. 
3) Wearing sunglasses is not considered acceptable, socially! Japan gets lots of rain, that's why most of the hills and mountains are covered in green but it gets lots of sunshine but the entire time that I was there I barely saw anyone wearing shades and people were looking at me like I'm hiding something! Don't ask me why! 
4) Law abiding people. There is a sort of unwritten law about not talking on cellphones while in the public, particularly while on trains and everyone sticks to that. I only saw a filthy, nasty disgusting pig on the phone the entire time I was there. No need to mention who he was! He certainly was from the society and culture who has " Laws are made to be broken! ". 
5) I hate fast food. I hope it does not bother you, Happily this culture is still not sickened Japanese! Corporations such as McDonald's, KFC and Starbucks are seen and Japanese and tourists go there but they are not spread as much as you see in North America and I hope it remains the same.   
(Photo: This was bizarre. I saw a grave or at least this is what I think was a grave as a tombstone can be seen, at the side of a road in Hiroshima. It's possible that the person asked to be buried there but why and why the authorities accepted, are both questions)

Downward Economy

Everyone is in panic in Canada after Trump was re-elected as the next United States president and I think they shall be, including me! The only difference is that I'm careless and I'm not responsible for anyone but me! 

Now we're in the last days of 2024, I don't know if I did well or I could've done better because, again, I'm careless but I know 5 years have passed since the year that first I wanted to buy a vehicle to replace my old one and couldn't! Uncertainty is an inseparable part of North American society and they have adopted themselves to it for generations. Thanks to credit card companies! Micheal Moore briefly describes this situation in one of his movies and he says it started from the time J. Carter became the president.

The situation is so bad that in the entire year I only bought red meat once! I know many would say red meat is not good for you anyway but not being able to purchase some once in a while, I bet, everyone agrees it's not good and shows how high the prices might be.

I make steak in a frying pan and simply add The Keg mix, some red onion and garlic and absolutely nothing else. This came out so delicious that I ate them both while in fact I wanted to save the second for later and make a steak sandwich. The pan, by the way is not a normal one. It's one of the Cuisinart conduction skillets

The employer, I heard had some profit share last year and they're not going to have it this year because they have invested a lot! In response they gave everyone a lousy grocery store gift card for the amount that I'd be embarrassed to write it here! The Canadian dollar, at the same time, started a journey to hell! It's going down so fast that I haven't seen it so far. It is at US¢68! I think we all have to wait to see what the Government would do to repel the tariffs and other unpleasant things imposed by the economy! 

(Photo, top: This cartoon shows a few seconds after the failed assassination on Trump)

23 Years now

This past Nov. 29 was the end of the twenty-third year of my life in Canada. It's been mostly downhill and I barely achieved my goals but I live! I believe most of the people who came to this country as a legal immigrant, years after I did, are in much better shape. I know two issues led to my fall:

1) Lack of care about the future. 

2) Unsuccessful Marriage which was my fault, without a doubt! 

I was going to write the plan I had for this anniversary before getting to the details of the two above factors but It was late. I realized I really had no plan! What could I do? With the price of everything so high and then being just by myself, what can one person do to have fun in winter? Go to a bar? Get a massage? Invite friends over for a little party? Everything cost me and it costs dearly! I'm not a bar guy. I'm not much of a drinker. I get massages from time to time. So it wouldn't have been something special, although massage is always good. I don't have many friends and they either wouldn't come or couldn't come, if I had a party, let alone the fact that I never had said about the time I came to Canada, to anyone!
I eventually ended up doing nothing! I also thought if I was travelling overseas crossing the big two ponds  in Jun. and Oct., considering |the weak Canadian dollar (CAN$1 = US$ = 0.69 = €0.65 = ¥104.6), I might as well start saving! For example I went to Lina's, where I usually buy some groceries and I skipped the eggs! Yes! I decided not to buy the most basic and probably the least expensive source of animal protein because I had to purchase a sweater before that and that was a sweater probably after more than 15 years or so but because I had to pay $150 for that, I didn't think I deserved eggs! I also have a big fine: Unregistered vehicle. I have to pay that as well. I will probably buy it when I have the next pay!Long story short: I'm a loser! Don't be a careless and lazy person (not physically) and be careful in your relationships and you won't end up like me. 

(Photo: Lina's is an Italian grocery store with four locations in Calgary. They have everything from bakery to Pizza, packed food to produce. This is their cheese refrigerator. I don't eat these types of cheese as they have lots of fat and cholesterol but that's me. If you're into cheese, this place is where you want to be)

Coming to America: The Alphonse Version

Alphonse, my former(!) friend, who lives in California now, has a funny story about the time he was flying to the US from Europe, for the first time but before telling the story, it might be interesting for you to know why I used the term former before friend. I have known Alphonse since the engineering school days. We were doing different programs but I hung out with almost everyone. Alphonse has always been a hard working fella. Many Armenians in Iran were and probably still are. I ended up here and he ended up in the US and we stayed in touch. I received a call once back in 2006, I think, it was, saying that he wanted to come to stay with me for a short while. He was in Ma. at the time and I think what had happened, as he told me later, had lost his job and now he needed to leave the country and reapply for a work permit. 

I lived in a basement at that time and had a steady job. But why? I was in a different world! In the world of carelessness! I told him where I was and what my situation had been and asked him to come over if he felt comfortable. He didn't. The story is that he went back home, reapplied through the embassy of the US in Dubai, I think, got it and went to the US again! Unbelievable! 

Palm Springs, Ca., This is the front of the hotel I stayed at for rwo days

He then moved to Ca., struggled a little bit and opened a mechanic shop with his brother. They were doing fine by providing service to foreigners, mainly and of course Armenians of Glendale. He then got a position with a manufacturing company, which I know he worked for until about six months ago that we were in touch. During this past, probably, ten years or so, he grew some narcissism and went back to his roots, forgetting where he came from! He bought luxury cars, used of course, from some desperate customers who didn't want to spend as much he was asking them to pay to get their cars fixed, went on European vacations and so! His language and behaviour changed as well, at least toward me. He came and stayed here with me for a few days. We went for a hike which he backed off after half an hour from the start! He wanted to stay in a hotel and I called him over. Then he asked if I was renting the place! Then he asked why my car hasn't been taken to the car wash! We went for a little shopping and then he offered to pay for the items I had purchased for home! And finally when I asked him what he suggested to purchase (a vehicle) later, he suggested buying a Maserati! The next time we met was in Las Vegas and we aimed another summit which we failed to even barely start but he paid for my hotel and our rental car. Here's how cheap and stupid this guy is: We spent at least 1 freaking hour going from here to there in Las Vegas because he wanted to find the cheapest parking for his recently purchased, used but in good shape Porsche SUV and take the road on a rented car! When he comes to Canada we have to take my over ten years old vehicle for our hike but when I go to the US, we have to rent a vehicle while he has a few years old, almost in perfect shape, German SUV! I owed nearly US$ 460 to him after that and I haven't paid to this day! We exchanged a few messages and when I was in Palm Springs earlier this year I told him that I was going and asked him to join. He excused himself and said that he had a family party! That was the end of it! 

Going back to his version of Coming to America, he was in Amsterdam or somewhere in Europe on his way to the States and was stopped by the cops. He is a fat fuck, potbellied turtle! He's there, surrounded by a few security forces in the middle of the terminals where everyone is walking by! They ask for his passport and he hands it to them. The officer goes: What was your name before you changed it?! This is on the account of him being a dark hair man! He responds by saying: This is my original name! Then their supervisor ask one of the guys to search him and since he has a big belly, the officer thinks he might have something hidden under his jacket, like a suicide belt and his hands are visibly shaking when he's trying to search him! He's announced that he was clear after that and let go but he's upset and offended! This dolt now has been living in the US at least for 20 years but still can't speak English properly and has not been changes one bit: Same disgusting fat trash eater he was decades ago and we're no longer friends anymore.

(Photo: South American freeloaders at the US border. Trump has promised to get rid of 11 million parasites when he takes the office)

Thank you, tiny Singapore

When the US led forces crossed into Iraq in March of 2003, That country had the fifth biggest army in the world. How long do you think it took them to wipe them off? A little longer than 5 weeks! With that said, why do you think the US forces cannot overcome drug cartels in Mexico and other places in the world? The answer is simple: They don't want to! 

It's a cat and mouse game with people on both sides who benefit from this dirty game. The funnier part is when they capture these criminals! They either are in jail for a short time and are released or they escape! Was that not a drug cartel leader who escaped the prison, a few years ago?! How could they capture Saddam, put him behind the bars until his trail and then execute him but a drug lord escapes the prison?

How could they capture the Germans who had fled to South America, bring them back to Israel and prosecute them, but the drug dealers escape the prison?! How could they keep Rudolf Hess in prison until his death (that's by the filthiest animals in the world, the British) but the drug dealers and their bosses get away easily?! Do you not wonder?

Rudolf Hess here is seen in Spandau Prison in Berlin. He remained the sole prisoner of the facility for so many years. The nastiest and most disgusting nation on the face of the planet with the long history of crime at each corner of the world, Britain, held the poor man there on suspicious of being aware of the Hitler's plan to attack Britain! He, unbelievably, took his own life at the age of 93 in that prison

The story is read differently in some other parts of the world. There are countries who don't mess around with drug dealers and the losers who consume them. There are countries where pathetic losers such as Canadians who vote for a person to legalize mild-altering substances, are prosecuted and jailed. There are many countries like that. The tiny nation of Singapore in southeast Asia is one of them. They captured a wannabe a short while back! This wannabe, in case you don't know what that means, was the fruit of two other losers worse than himself! An Iranian boy and Singapore girl get together in bed, do their business and boom! Nine months later there's this gift of the world available! The rest of the story is obvious and clear: The couple separate mainly because they just had an urge and it was satisfied and the boy goes back and force between Iran, the birthplace of his cleaver father and Singapore, where his genius mother has been born and lives. Here's where his brilliant mind starts working and he tells himself: Why don't I take some drugs with me to sell and become rich overnight? Isn't that what many people do? And he does. Big mistake. Singapore is no joke when it comes to drugs. They catch the smart fella, put him behind the bars, try him and finish him off! The best way to deal with either a drug dealer or drug addict.

Here's the interesting twist: All these so-called NGOs whom, to this day, I don't know where they get this much money to be active and what their intent really is, start campaigning, before the boy sees his demise! They want him not dead! The funnier part is what the Iranian authorities want: They want him to be released and this comes from the country which has had the most number of executed people per year in the past 10 years or so! This part I truly didn't understand! Anyway this is the end of the story. One down but there are millions and millions of addicts and thousands and thousands of traffickers and this issue will never be resolved completely. Moral of the story: Do not believe 99% of what the Western governments do and say. 

(Photo: The Iranian-Singapore boy is shown here on a ski hill, perhaps before seeing his faith!)