More Games in NHL

Calgary lost to Vancouver last night in Saddledome and it is really strange 'cause the Flames beat them in GM Place last week 4-1.
It's 10:22 PM MT now and I'm watching EDM @ VAN game and you know what? 6-2 Edmonton in lest than 03:30 min. in game!!! I love it.
Edmonton accepted the fist goal in less 02:00 min passed the game and after that Canucks thought there will be an easy win for them. Right now the Canucks are very angry 'cause they are being blasted in their home and fight every min. of the game. Salo, the Oilers goalie performs a great job.
...Another fight in less than 7 sec. in the game. It's finished. Great job Edmonton! Ruined Vancouver 6-2 in their home. The fighting Vancouver guy who was fighting in the last seconds, turned his face to the Oilers bench and said: F**k all of you! The funny thing is the commentator said: He said Merry Christmas to all of you!!!!
(Photo: Tommy Salo, originally from Sweden, started his career in 1994 with the Islanders, performed great tonight against Canucks)

Paris Match

There was an interview on radio once I was driving around, with a Paris Match magazine journalist, who was a woman. I don't remember her name. She was in Baghdad, Iraq after Americans took over. A video clip showed once on TV (I think it was on CBC, don't remember exactly. I saw the scene) It was shown that a plane (a cargo one, I guess) was hit by a shoulder rocket launcher. The clip has been taken by that woman and her co-workers. The interviewer ask the woman: Did you pay the guerrillas to shoot the plane??!!
The woman, who doesn't speak English well, obviously, was shocked and angry!! The plane, was hit on the wing and had to land after minutes from take off.

Love!

Read this lovely lyrics. Robert Plant sang it in Freddy Mercury's tribute in Apr. of 92 at Wembley, London:

If the sun refused to shine,
I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea,
There will still be you and me.
Kind woman, I give you my all,
Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whisper of the pain,
Tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong,
with you there is no wrong,
Together we shall go until we die.
My, my, my,
An inspiration is what you are to me,
Inspiration, look see.

And so today, my world it smiles,
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done,
For you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad,
Happiness ... I'm glad.

(Photo: Young Robert Plant, the vocalist of the British Band, Led Zeppelin)

Christmas Day

It was Christmas day yesterday and all stores were closed and the city was easier than ever 'cause there's 4 days holiday and most of the people are gone for a trip. Of course not me 'cause I have to go to work tomorrow! I watched School of Rock on my screen and it was awesome, great, a real movie and astonishing comedy. Jack Black gives excellent performance and the kids are unbelievably great too. I believe that it's even better than Bruce Almighty.
M. K., my former colleague in Bojnurd Cement Co. called me yesterday. He is much older than me, probably in his late 40s and lives with his family in West Vancouver. He was asking questions about life expenses in Calgary as he is offered a job here. He should travel to Calgary once a week.

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve. I took a ride and almost every store were closed, even McDonald's. The only stores which are still open are Mac's and Tim Horton's and some other convenient stores. Streets are very beautiful because of home decorations with lights. I need a tripod to have a photo. I messed up a whole 24 role. I took photos from Tyrrell, eye bird views from Vancouver and some in A. J.'s home with his family. All are gone. Damn!
Canada closed it's border to American beef after a positive result from British lab toward Mad Cow Disease. They don't know how long it takes but it costs billions to American beef industry just like happened to Canada's last Aug.

Retaliation!

Mad Cow disease is back and this time to the south of the Canadian border, Washington state. One single case has been seen in that state and shortly after announcement, Japan and S. Korea closed their border to American beef. The Canadian officials still are waiting for the lab. test response and haven't closed the border to American beef among the others. 9 more countries added to the first 2 shortly after that.
There was a poll in a Calgary radio station and more than 70% voted for retaliation but agriculture minister said they are still waiting for the test result and they sent experts to the US to help them with the case.

(Photo: Cartoon published in a Calgary daily newspaper encourages umbrage!)

The Colour Orange

Have you seen The Colour Purple (or in American English the color purple)? It's one of Steven Spielberg's movies. Am I going to write about the movie? No! 'cause I haven't seen it either!
The colour orange is the point here. The US Government raised security alert to orange, the highest since Sep.11.01, as seen in the picture. In spite of all facts I still don't believe that Osama Ben-Laden and his group, Al-Qaeda planned and performed those attacks. I think it's Americana's policy among the others. Look to Saddam's story. It was all set up. It was Americans who supported Saddam and supplied him. I will write about all these later. I have a very bad cold today and aching all over.
(Photo: The US homeland security levels)

Commercials

TV commercials are unbelievable here. Although I don't have cable, but most of the time I see so interesting and amazing commercials. I can't help smiling after watching them. The smile comes to my face automatically! It's hard to write about a commercial clip and gives the reader the same feeling but I try my best.

This one is for a watch: A large space rocket is shown and in a second. The engines are ignited and it lifts off while a car approaches the space centre and an astronaut gets out the car and sees it is leaving!

And this unique one is for a kind of cheese:

There's a crime scene with officers, detectives and cops around, investigating, taking photos and searching for finger prints. One sees a dish consisting of different foods. He looks every corner of the room around and makes sure that nobody is around and starts having cheese. Then notices that there's a photo of that dish, shows there's cheese rather to other things. He grabs the photo and pushed it to his pocket and takes another one from the dish without cheese. His boss or may be his colleague arrives and shows him a surveillance camera at a corner!!!

Proud of Their Trip

The Flames had a magnificent trip to the US. Here is the results:
Calgary 3 Philadelphia 1 (OT)
Calgary 5 Boston 0
Calgary 2 Columbus 1
They are the 5th team in Western Conference. The next two games are home games in this week.

New Friend

A Russian girl, called Elena, sent e-mail to me a couple of weeks ago and showed interest in me. She is very young, 23, I guess and lives near Moscow. Her English is not very good but I try to understand her. She works as a designer. (clothing?). I hope it continues.
The map of Russian Federation, above, shows where Elena lives. She uses Lenasar as a nickname. I don't know what that means. Should ask her.
Renay the East Indian, nice, pretty and young girl from Edmonton, called me the weekend before and talked to me for minutes. She again asked me to come over Edmonton and showed interest in knowing me and talking about marriage. She also promised me, for the third time, that she will send me her photo. I was waiting the whole last week and didn't c any in my mail box. Therefore last night when I met her online I asked her about her promise and after a couple of minutes talking on the net, we broke up without even one date! She is still thinking of the guy who used to be her boyfriend in Fiji and left her.

Six Feet Under

Although I went to bed very late last night (Sat. night) but woke up early, around 08:00 AM. Turned the TV on and was shocked! Saddam is captured by Americans in his hometown of Tikrit, without a single shot last night. A very good news. All the TV channels that I access to abandoned their regular programs (mostly about Christmas, started one month ago!) and broadcast reports on Saddam's capture. He was found in a tomb-like hole six feet under the ground. That reminded me of a very popular TV series in North America which has never been watched by me because of lack of cable TV: Six Feet Under. I may watch it trough a DVD-ROM later.
Some say the US violated Geneva convention relative to treatment of prisoners of war. It's also said that Americans did that because Saddam showed American POW and KIA in Iraqi TV.
(Photo: This sketch shows how the murderer, Saddam, was hiding from the Americans and others; in a grave!)

New Prime Minister

As I wrote before Paul Martin is the new Canada'a Prime Minister. Jean Chretien quit his post after 40 years in politics, including 10 years as Prime Minister. He had two more years but prefered to resign and make room for Paul the junior. His father Paul Martin Senior was running PM but didn't make it. Paul junior swore in Fri. morning, Dec.12.03 as 21st Prime Minister of Canada. Martin says his cabinet will works on Canadain defence issues and the ruined relationship with the US, after Iraq's war.

Paul the junior, the 21st Prime Minister of Canada

Curling

Curling is one of popular games here in Canada, especially in Saskatchewan. The game, which is an indoor one, has been invented in Scotland (like many others!) I can't compare it to any game that I already knew and I don't know much about the rules and regulations. All I know is there are two teams comprised of 3 players. One slides something like a pot(!), called rock (or curling rock) on an icy surface toward a target circle, while two of his/her teammates are sweeping the path, in front of the rock. Seems it helps the rock slides smoothly and gets to the target which is the marked circle as seen in the photo above.
But why I'm writing about this. Let me tell you:
As curling is not a hard sport, not like hockey, wrestling or weightlifting, it can be done by men and even women (it's very popular among women here) in old ages. An old man at the age of 76 is complaining based on Canadian charter of rights and freedom to whoever because he's using a delivery stick while it's forbidden to do so by the association. He says he's deprived of his right and while of his knee injury he has to use the stick.

(Photo: A curler at the first stage of sliding)

The Simple Life

There's a very interesting TV show on CTV, Tue. nights at 09:30 PM MT. It's a real story about two young, pretty, super rich girls from L. A. who travel to a farm in AR to stay there for 5 weeks: The Simple Life. The girls are Paris Hilton, a girl from Hilton family, a tycoon of L. A. and founder of Chain Hilton Hotels and Nichole Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie, the Black singer.
The show is originally from Fox TV and it's very very interesting. Therefor it means you always can watch interesting programs even if you don't have cable! The girls mess up the farm and the small town.
(Photo: Paris, right and Nichole in a scene of The simple life. They are nice here! but don't usually dress like this, especially when they go out!)

Pot Refugee!

An American has fled to Canada and asked for refugee. It's really funny. The problem is the man, who lives in Vancouver with his family now, is addicted to marijuana, and he says he has to smoke at least 10 or may be less marijuana cigarettes 'cause it helps him to tolerate his cancer pain. He says he has tried everything but nothing has helped him. If he returns to the US, he will be jailed. Canadian officials are still working on his file.
(Photo: Marijuana. That's how it looks. A B-E-A-utiful plant as Jim Carrey says in Bruce Almighty)

So Much to Do and So Little Time

I haven't written here for days. That's because of shortage of time. And also this damn computer has a problem. I think it has a virus. PC Clean 2000 doesn't find anything but I think it's really old and I have to do something before I lose my information and everything here.
I also have to move to deep south as soon as possible. May be at the end of this month. I can save at least 2 hours, I think. I also started my application for M. Sc. The candidate universities are: U of T, U of A, UW, U of M and may be U of C. I prefer not to go to the last one 'cause I wanna a change in my place. Waterloo is good 'cause it's a good school and recognized and also it's close to a major industrial area. Kami H., and Farbod, live there. Toronto is good too. U of Alberta, which is in Edmonton, is another choice. My sweetie, Renay, lives there, although I can't count on her!!
I wrote a letter to Dr. Fatemi, my professor in AKU and asked him a letter of reference. Must wait and see if he answers. Must take a TOEFL (damn it) course too. That's how it is. Tough.

Another Issue for Martin's Government

The new Canadian government will take over next week, Fri., Dec.12.03. Paul Martin, the current Liberal Party leader will be the Prime Minister. One of the problems that he and his cabinet will have to face with is Same Sex Marriage. Cretien asked the officials to change the definition of marriage, where it's written ...between a man and a woman. Now it seems the new government has to work on it again 'cause there is lot of complain about it.

Damn Quality Reference

I wrote to Quality Progress and informed them that I'm goin' to send them about shitty(!) Quality Council of Indiana's CQE primer. They replied back and said they can only publish short reviews. I may send one.

Galati Quits!

Canadian lawyer, Rocco Galati, gets a death threat over his new client Khadr. He was shocked and seemed very frightened. He said: " We now live in Columbia! "I'm happy that he didn't say we live in Middle East, somewhere! It's said Galati knows the guy. Khadr is the fifth or sixth guy that he accepted his case as a national security one. He gave up all of them yesterday.

(Photo: Galati and his client in news conference)

Canadian Millitary Faces Collapse!

Canadian Forces faces collapse, it is said, and takes a generation to recover! This is one of the major problems that the new Government of Canada has to deal with. There was a very interesting and funny comment on radio when I was driving: The only threat is from the US and Canada can't resist anyway, so there's no need to recovey and spend millions of dollars!!
Serving millitary is not mandatory in Canada and Canadian Forces has its recruitment advertisements all over the place: newspapers, buses, schools (including SAIT) and government buildings.

The Flames Are Doin' Very Well

The Flames are unbeaten in their last 4 games, having 3 wins (2 home games, 1 road) and 1 draw at home. They beat the Canucks in Vancouver. It was great. A 4-1 victory. And just one day after that, tonight they beat the Wild in Saddledome, 2-1. Jerome Iginla scored the winner with only 22 seconds left in the game. Flames is the 8th team in Western Conference now. There's hope for them to make this season's playoff. But nobody can tell 'cause there'll 59 more games in regular seasonand many of them r road games!
(Photo:Pengroth Saddledome in Calgary, home of Calgary Flames)

Gas Price and Exchange Rate

Gas price is not fixed here. Sometimes it changes even every day. Although it's winter now and we had flurry and it's cold as usual but gas price is goin' down. It was 60.9 on Mon., 60.05 yesterday and 59.9, I guess, today! All prices in cent/liter. I bought gas for 58.4, the night before I flew to B. C. at ESSO. It's very good for people who drive long distances every day. I don't but mine is really inexpensive in gas. About 6 L in 100 km in the city.
Also exchange rate went up to 77.04 cents of Canadian dollar for 1 American. The highest in last 10 years. But it's not good for some businesses which export to the US.

Khadr Case: The Story Continues

A young Arab-Canadian guy is back home after months being detained in Guantanamo Bay Camp. Abdul-Rahman Khadr is from an Egyptian father and a Palestinian mother and is only 20. When he arrived at Lester L. Pearson International Airport and it was shown on CBC - he said he was innocent and the only reason he had been arrested in Kabul and was sent to the camp was because he was originally Arab. But there was another report in The National tonight and he admitted that he had been trained in Afghanistan!! He revealed it in a press conference while sitting beside his lawyer. A reporter asked him: Was it an Al-Qaeda training camp? He answered: No. It was an Al-Qaeda related camp(!!!)
His father was a Taliban financial supporter. Afghans told the CBC reporter that he had packed and left Kabul just one day before Northern Alliance freed the city(!!) The family used to live in Ontario but they moved to Afghanistan when Soviets invaded the country, in order to support the Holy War. His younger brother, Omar, 15, is still in Americans' custody in the Camp. The US has recently begun to free few prisoners from the camp in Cuba. There are hundreds of them there from 42 different countries, without any charge and legal rights.
(Photo: Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The US has occupied it since 1903 and pay $4000 annually as rent!)

Friends Are Back

I talked to 4 of my friends today after months! Kami H., my Oracle Certified friend. He called me and said that finally found a real career in Waterloo, ON in the third biggest insurance company in the world. Keiv The SAIT student. I met him on my way home from library. Sasan, My friend in Vancouver and the student of UBC. I met him online and talked to him for awhile. And Finally Renay, the nice and young East Indian girl from Edmonton. It's nice to have good friends but the only real friends among them are Kami H. and Keiv, although Sasan and Renay are nice people. I haven't met them yet and Sasan is very angry with me 'cause I teased him, kidded him and pulled his leg.