New Year's Eve (2)

It's New Year'e Eve and I'm sitting at my desk writing this. I just finished housekeeping. I'm off today and did basically nothing. Just read a few e-mails from friends including one from Alfred my Armenian friend from Polytechnic days, such a nice guy. He's doing his Masters in the States. Actually he went there to do a Ph. D. but as wrote me once there was no fund left and he has to to another Master degree as he did once in Iran! Don't remember what school and I haven't had a mail from him for about 2 years, I guess. I replied immediately and asked him to write me where he lives and what he does.
Ray (I'm gonna call him Resurrect ever since!) left home about an hour ago. He asked me to go out with him but I made fun of him. The guy needs to be resurrected!
M. Tanha sent me a message to my mobile phone and said Happy New Year. I gotta call him tomorrow or may be later. He's a true friend too. Keiv called me last night when I was in Downtown's Tim Horton's reading a book and I didn't answer the phone for the 15th time, I guess. F**king stupid potbellied had a good lesson! That all for tonight.
I hope the year 2005 is a better year for me. I don't know. I'm totally f**ked up. I don't care about anything. I don't care what happens. The only thing I care about is I save some money write the damn CQE exam again, get Canadian passport and apply for Mom's and Farzin's residency. I'm frustrated so much. Every girl I step forward for, will be gone immediately! Victoria, Denise (I'll write about her), Renay, ... and recently I asked a Canadian young girl out, Kelly. She took my phone number and after that ... just disappeared! I knew she was sick and went on leave of absence. May not come back again.
I was also supposed to go Edmonton and see my sweetheart, Renay but I'm here. Who can drive in this weather? It's -25º C. Besides that I have to save money and traveling to Edmonton to see someone who says: My heart belongs to my ex-boyfriend and I won't ever marry. It will cost me at least $600, may be more . I know she just says that. She's young and lives with her family and studies in U of A. When she gets old, she'll find out what she said is just bull!

Careless Driving

I went to Great Clips for my hair cut last Mon. and while I was heading home, in 19 Ave. SE, I guess, and 44 St., there's a short slope. I slipped and lost the control of my car. You have to push the brake pedal very slightly in situations like that but it was inevitable and I pushed it as hard as I could! The car slipped and turned around. I was so lucky that I didn't crash to a parked car. I stopped in less than 3 feet away from it. I was so scared. That was the third time in this winter that happened. The first time I hit the curb and I have to take the car to the dealer to have it checked. The second time was not serious and the third one I had a narrow scape as I just mentioned.
I like driving in icy and snowy roads esp. when I'm listening to my favorite rock songs! But I have to be more careful.

What Is Really Wrong!?

Victoria called me for another presentation last Wed. and I attended but I think I messed up everything because she withdrew her invitation for today! Obviously not by calling me. Only by not calling me back! We were supposed to meet and go to a party but ... God damn me!
I didn't do anything. Just said that this business is not gonna work. I said it's like the one I attended last year with Al. The way I left her was nice and she asked me to call her again.
So I did call her today in the morning but she didn't answer. I went for a ride and saw her in Bow River Pathway, walking with a guy! God! I'm sure she recognized me too 'cause no idiot go for cycling in -2 ºC where everywhere is icy and slippery in Calgary! I guess I lost her, like every gal I've been with. She didn't return my call and I don't think I'm gonna call her again. May be when I finish my second box of coffee sachets. What a nice Christmas day!
By the way my ride took about 01:44:05 and was a good one and I enjoyed it.

Ganoderma

Resurrect brought few sachets of instant beverages, couple of weeks ago, coffee and hot chocolate. But a special one. It has Ganoderma in it, made in Malaysia. I tried the coffee and that was so good. I've tried different coffees here: Tim Horton's is awful most of the time and I wonder how people drink it. Its decaf is tolerable. I like McDonald's. Second Cup and Starbucks are good both but I haven't tried them very much. Besides they are expensive compare to the other ones I mentioned earlier.
So I asked Resurrect to tell his friend, a Chinese-Malaysian girl to bring more and I bought 2 boxes. Last Sun. she called me and she asked whether or not I'm interested in getting in to the business of Ganoderma products and she said that there would be a presentation on Mon. about that. I told her that I love the coffee and I'll be there.
I went there and ... God! that girl, Victoria, is marvelous. I actually like Orientals and that's the extreme, in my view: Tall, slim, with a very nice smile, smart, lovely, amiable and more. We talked and finally I helped her to take her stuff to her apartment, a penthouse in level 25 of a tower in Downtown! We talked a little bit more and as it was late and she was tired I asked her out and we'll meet the coming Sat. besides that she invited me to a party, in the house of a couple who attended the presentation and are already in the business, on Sat. evening. That's so great. She's 29 and in Feb (I guess 14th, I don't remember, have to ask her again) she'll turn 30. This is the great opportunity for me.
(Photo: A sachet of Ganoderma instant coffee)

Hangover

I called Renay last night and found out she was waiting for me. That's so pleasing! But you know girls ...They're all unpredictable and moody! Once they like you ... The other time don't even look at you. So I decide to go and I will, for sure.
I'm also trying to convince my mechanic friend, A. Palani to go to Edmonton together. If he agrees, he'll drive me all the way to the city. If he doesn't, I'll fly and then rent a car in there.
I called him last night too and we went to a bar for the first time in our friendship which has been for almost 3 years! He insisted to have something and ordered beer and wings.
Good Lord! I was so dizzy after drinking almost 4 mugs that I was not able to walk like a normal guy! And my stomach was full of meat and beer! I don't know how I drove home after A. dropped me at Marlborough Mall! I didn't sleep more than 1 hour and it was about 04:30 AM that I was sober and lucid. But my stomach was hurt until a min. ago that I used washroom for the 5th time today!

Auction

Resurrect took me to auction today (actually yesterday 'cause it's 12:30 AM now!) that was new for me. The stuff was almost average quality but mostly cheap. I bought something. A bike rack for house, a machete, a backpack and a few other things. Everything was for sale there, from a mattress to welding machine! Resurrect bought more stuff. The way the guy presents the things and bids is really funny and I wish I could put it here.

Awful Feeling

I went to a massage studio last night to relax. That was a new one for me, I'm not goin' to write the name here but will issue the complete list later. Just after a few minutes she offered me what some girls do and is known as massage parlor. She is very pretty, young, petite girl, with very smooth skin, beautiful eyes and shiny brunette hair.
I felt really bad. Why does she have to do that? That's not good at all. She should have a husband, a good job, family and a normal life. Why? Of course she's an immigrant but I didn't realize her nationality. I didn't hear any special accent. She claims she's Spanish (not Hispanic) and said her name is Selina but I don't believe her. I know Spanish-speakers' accent. May be she's been living enough here to be able to change her accent.
...Whatever. Once I met a very nice girl in Downtown Sears. Her name is Serina, originally from a country in South America and was born in Manitoba. She's a Marathon runner. Beautiful, strong body, nice. I lost her like many others I did. So stupid! It shows that she's lied!
It's cold now. -15 ˚C. And the streets are so slippery. I slided a few times last night while I was driving and hit the curb once but gained control immediately. I have to buy insurance for my car as soon as possible. If I get into an accident, I'll be f**ked up! No insurance and no registration! God knows what will happen! I'll be in the world of shit, for sure!

Review

I don't know what the hell is wrong with Blogger as I can not access to my posts. Therefore I'm writing what I was gonna write yesterday and was not able to.

It's been 3 f**king years that I've been living in the cold country, Canada and the question is what I've done and what I'm gonna do? The following categories arr the ones that I review myself according to them:

Education 
Social life
Career

In Education category I'm a complete loser (Like the other ones! you'll see!). In a couple of month after my arrival, I started an ESL Advanced Level II course in U of C and that was not too bad. I learned something and found new friends but lost all of 'em as usual! There was a very sweet Korean girl that I took her to lunch once but she got upset over me and I never saw her again! I even earased her e-mail address from my address book and don't even have a photo of her! There was also my good Chinese friend, Dr. Quping Hu. He moved to Toronto and lives there with his family happily and has a good career, of course.

I attended SAIT after that and was very hopeful to get a good job, immediately (Stop dreaming!) but it never happened. The certificate costs me almost $4000. The programm was a complete disaster! ...Well may be not that bad. There were 8 courses: Quality Planning, Supervision, Reliability, Quality in design, Statistics, SPC, Quality Auditing and Metorology. There were at least one f**king problem with each f**king instructor!

The instructor for Quality planning was not instructor at all! I had a couple of arguments with that asshole (She's a single mother, like most of f**king Canadian bitches!) She doesn't even know the basics of quality but what could I do?! Just arguing! And finally that motherf**ker stupid, bitch, redneck gave me a shity score! I can instruct better than her! I wrote a letter to the f**king institute's CEO (Or whatever that f**k he or is!) but received a bullshit reply, of course! Amy (the instructor) asked me a few times to go to her office to see her and get the answer of my questions but I never did, although I knew she's a single mother but was not hopeful to get anything from her.

Supervision (The real title of the course is something else but don't remember exactly and doesn't really matter here!) was instructed by a fat bombshell! What she did is just reading the f**king book and flirting with a f**king Canadian stud, presumably, from Canmore! and kept saying that she f**king loves f**king Chinese cuisine (I don't know why I didn't say: I give a shit to what you like or dislike you fatass!). So what I did was I almost didn't attend the class after 3 or 4 first ones! and of course passed it! I'll tell you what I did with one of the homework assignments! Great job!

Reliability which was something new for me and I must have shown interest. It was instructed by a f**king stupid Polish guy who works for Nortel. He used to say The aaa... before almost everything he wanted to say. I didn't get much from this course. Besides that there was not a book as a reference to follow and the last two classes changed to Safety which was instructed by a very pretty tall and slim young Canadian lady. There were two Indian guys in the front seats and they used to gaze at her with wide open mouth! What can you learn about safety in just 2 classes?!

Statistics was taught by a fat Canadian guy, Steve, who works for Canada post and actually that was a good guy. If he knew something he would try to explain it in the best way and if he didn't apologized and said he would find out and discuss it in the next class. He also was the instructor for SPC in the next semester. Consequently he was OK.

There was a Chinese little guy called K. K. Wong as the instructor for Quality Auditing and he was among the good instructors compare to the other f**kers!

Inspection and Gauging was the other course which basically comprises theory and workshop, both. The theory was easy for me but workshop not that much as I barely understood what the instructor said but that was alright though.

Quality in Design. My God! That was a mess! There was a potbellied originally from Ottawa who works for GE Energy and that was among the disastrous courses I've ever had. Here we are the students in the class. An Indian guy who was most of the time asleep in the class and snoring! I had to nudge him. An Old Filipino woman who even didn't know what a catapult was! An ugly Romanian woman (Most of them are! regardless of gender) who barely spoke English. A Persian-Indian man who had been recently moved to Calgary from somewhere in the States!!

Upset and Frustrated

I was so angry and upset in last 2 weeks that was not able to write here. First of all I f**king failed that stupid APEGGA exam again. I got 6 out of 10 but they wrote me that I need 65% to pass and 6 means I might got 64% as I am failed! So what I'll do is I'll never f**king write that motherf**kers' exam and I will not spend even one f**king single penny on APEGGA again. They sent me a membership fee invoice for $110, 3 times and what I'll send them if they insist will be this T-shirt.

Secondly Renay e-mailed me and also told me that on the phone that I shouldn't expect anything more than friendship from her! I was so sad after that. I also called her today morning and left a message but she didn't call back. I think she's trying to forget me, and wants me to forgets her. She said her heart is belongs to her ex-boyfriend and she'll never marry, although she said that I could go there and visit her and we could even go for a dinner. Well she's still young, only 24 and doesn't know what loneliness mean!

The third thing is tomorrow (actually in less than an hour) will be the 3rd year that I've been here in Canada. Therefore I filled out the application form for Canadian Citizenship and will pay the fee online tomorrow and send it. It takes at least 12 months to get the whole process down. That's all for f**king today!

Sweet!

I called Renay, the East Indian girl from Edmonton today (I mean yesterday 'cause it's about 12:55 AM now!) It made me so happy. She's so sweet, with a very warm, smooth and pleasing voice and lovely accent. We did kind of break up last year. She got upset over me as I called her my dear! She asked me no to call her that as her ex-boyfriend, who left her, used to do that. I told her that she has to forget him but it made it worse. So I asked her not to call me again or e-mail me. I sent her a card for her birthday, though! But she never replied back. Last week I invited her to Orkut. Although she didn't join but she replied back and asked me to call her and I did yesterday. I told her that I was goin' to see her. And she OK'd. I told her that I'd be there but not just for a cup of coffee (That's what she said last year when I was goin' there and I didn't finally) She said OK, We'd go for movie and dinner and...
God! I'm so happy. She's great and only 24. I'll be there only for her.

Double Jeopardy

I was driving home a couple of hours ago and suddenly noticed that there's a police car behind me but not in my lane. It passed me and I sighed! My heart beat raised for a moment. Jesus! for a minute I told me that they are reading my plate and would catch me. My registration was expired on Oct.31 and I'm also not covered with insurance. Therefore if I'm caught, I'll be right in the world of shit! It's double jeopardy! It's a %99 possibly of instant death! It'll be a criminal record for me, Ray said that once and I will know what really a trouble looks like!
But it comes with that. That I accept that. I like risks! Even when they are this big!

Quality Needs of an Organization

As I failed CQE exam (Damn me!) I have to write it again and I started studying this week. The interesting topic I was just reading is the quality needs in an organization. I explain what I get from the text:
There are different ways to find out what the quality needs of an organization are, obviously. Surveys, department meetings, interviews, focus groups and external benchmarking. Focus group is an assemblage of persons who gather to determine the needs of the department. benchmarking is determining the needs using a specific method and a rival's information or data. (For more information on benchmarking go to the books offered by ASQ)
If the departments come to QC for more needs, you should know what their needs are. QC forward the following information to them, so they are able to formulate their needs:

• Company vision, mission statement and quality policy.
• Emergence of new competitors, product lines, markets
• Status of customer complaints, returns and warranty claims
• Results of customer surveys and mailings
• Planned productivity improvements, cycle time reductions
• Highlights of new quality and manufacturing approaches
• In-house scrap, rework, defective rates, waste reduction
• Effects of quality systems (For example ISO, MBNQA, QS 9000,...)

Bush is Re-elected

George W. Bush is re-elected as the US president for the second time. More than 59 million Americans voted for him. John Kerry (I don't know why I so much fucking hate him. May be because he's ugly and yells a lot!) got more than 55 million. I'm very happy because Bush is who invaded Iraq and killed many of 'em. I hope his re-election concludes to killing of more Iraqis and Arabs anywhere in the world.
(Photo: The map of the US shows the final election results. Bush won the red states and Kerry the blue ones. I don't know what does a white one, which is Iowa means here!)

BW

I applied for a job as Quality Inspector in BW Technologies Ltd. in Nov.10.04. Last Mon. I checked my mailbox and saw this e-mail from them:

Hi,

I have received and reviewed your application but could not find your salary expectation for this position. Please respond, via email, with an expected salary range.

thanks

DarrenDarren Nippers

Quality Assurance Manager
BW Technologies Ltd 2840 2nd Ave SE
Calgary, Alberta T2A 7X9
ph. (403) 248-9226
fx. (403) 248-9470

Here's how I responded:

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the mail. The salary is negotiable. It basically depends on the nature of duties, the range of the responsibilities, working hours and what the company offers.

Regards

I consulted Ray and Kamix my friend in Toronto and we all concluded that, it would be the best answer but seems it's not 'cause I haven't received any answer yet. Mom called last night and I told her this among many things during our conversation. She said I might have to wait longer. I don't know what the hell is really wrong! How many times do I have to receive calls or e-mails or attend interviews to get a real job?

HealthCare

It's revealed that the 5th cause of Americans dying is avoidable medical errors and the interesting thing is a German news agency has broadcasted it! The study shows that as many as 98,000 patients in the US dies annually because of mistakes such as mistreatment. It happened last year in Calgary too. Two patients died of a wrong injection. Health care is the biggest problem that Canadians face. Every time u go to clinics u have to wait at least for an hour to c a doctor and physicians r not proficient enough. I guess I'm lucky that I'm still alive after having a nasal surgery last summer in Peter Lougheed Centre! I'm thankful to them but if something went wrong, I wouldn't be here to write!

Retaliation or What?

After finding one case of mad caw disease (BSE) in Alberta last in summer of 2003, the beef industry which is one of the best industries in Canada and is located in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B. C. (More than 80% in Alberta, as far as I remember), many countries stopped importing Canadian beef. This ban cost the beef industry in Alberta almost $2 billion. The ranchers suffered the most, not the plants because the only thing they did was they laid off a few employees and slowed down their process.
Japan, Mexico and the US were among the many countries round the world which banned Canadian beef. Japan never purchases beef from Canada after that and all of Canada's effort led to a big goose egg. They even invited Japanese agricultural minister to Alberta and prepared tours of beef processing plants but he wasn't convinced! Mexico and the US (I don't remember anything about the other countries but think South Korea was one of them) eased the ban gradually but after more 15 months the US still doesn't let live cattle cross it's northern border.
The new problem that Americans face is a shortage in flu shot. Every year as winter starts Canadians and Americans get a flu shot to be insured that cold and flu won't bother them during the winter. It's so in Calgary but I never waste my time and money on that and I really hate that. It really makes me angry and I know it as one of the most stupid things that somebody may do in his or her life (I don't know why it makes me so outrageous!)
Canada announced that there is enough vaccine for all Canadians but Americans face shortage and are goin' to ask Canadians to help them.
The question here is should Canada retaliate or should they be generous and help them? I guess they will chose the second alternative.

Our Cultural Heritage

Although I live here on the other side of the globe, thousand of kilometers away from when I was born and my major concerns are here in Canada, not there anymore as long as I'm here, but sometimes I encounter something. that it really shocks me. This is I found last week on the net: Few antique precious Persian pieces were sold in Paris for thousands of Euro. I have been to some museums and have seen many things but believe that the above things are among the best I've ever seen. The thing in the far left is a bronze wine glass that was sold € 45,000 which is CND $71,55o! Do u know what you can do with that much money in Canada? It's more than an engineer's salary!
The middle one, a plate from Samanian period were sold € 52,000. It's CND $ 82,680! And the last one is a silver Sasanian plate (7th or 8th AD). It sold € 420,000! It makes CND $ 667,800. It's the price of a big nice house here in Canada!
The point is where was our Cultural Heritage Organization? They should have been there, bought them and returned them to Iran or do whatever is necessary to protect out culture. I don't know. This is exactly what Egyptians started about, I guess, 10 years ago. They returned many valuable pieces to their country, obtained from famous museums in Europe.

What Really Happened to the Boat?

What's recently been announced about HMCS Chicoutimi is completely different from what we hared at the beginning of the disaster. First it was said that there's a minor problem with the submarine and some of the sailors are injured and they will be alright in a short time. We've hared after a few days that some of the sailors inhaled the thick smoke and they were sent to the hospitals in Britain. Shortly after that one of them died of the inhalation.
Now the crew say there were never a minor fire on board. That was a major fire. Bill Graham said he wants the answer. What really happened and why there was a miscommunication?
Another thing that bother Canadians is why did Britons sell the four submarines which worth more than a billion for just $750 million? And my question is why Canadians have to spend so much money on something that they really don't need? If there's a threat to Canada which should be taken serious, it would be from Americans and Canadians will lose to Americans anyways so what's the point for having such unreliable boats?
If I wanna write about this, I may spend hours and hours behind my desk. I can ask Ray's opinion as he used to serve for Navy and study different sources as I'm interested in military topics but I'm tired now and guess it's better to leave!
(photo: Memorial service held for Lt. Chris Saunders in Halifax. He died in Chicoutimi disaster)

Winter is Here

It was Oct.03 last time I went for cycling and everywhere was very beautiful. I really enjoyed Calgary's fall. Beautiful colours of different trees and plants gave me a boost and like many times I didn't have my camera on me. So I promised me to come for a ride again and bring my camera. But everything has changed since last Sun.! It's getting cold, below zero and it's snowing. In the first day of unofficial winter more than 200 road accident was reported in Calgary which one of them resulted in a death of a woman.

Oil Sand Projects in Northern Alberta

There was a young Canadian fellow, Brad, aboard, when I was flying from Frankfurt to Calgary. He was in the front seat, while I was sitting beside a very pretty German girl who was a fly attendant working for Lufthansa. He told me that he works for a company in Northern Alberta, a drilling company which is involved in oil sand projects. Billions of dollars have been invested in the project since oil explored there. As Canada is a stable state compare to Middle Eastern countries with huge resources of oil, companies round the world are more willing to invest in the projects there. Fort McMurray, a town 6 hours up Edmonton is the base for the projects. The wage for the workers who work on a rig is good, something around $35 per hour but that's not a job which everyone is able to do. The pick time of the work for drilling is winter because in summer it's all muddy and drilling is almost impossible. Every single day is a possible death and usually there's a 3 or 6 weeks work and 1 or 3 weeks off. The cost for extracting each barrel in Alberta is $12 to $18, which is very good compare to today's crude oil price (Over $55 for today!)

(Photo: The map shows the area that the oil and project is in progress)

Are Britons Legally Boundable?

Paul Martin said to Britain's Prime Minister in their recent meeting in Hungary that a legal action might be taken against them, regarding HMCS Chicoutimi disaster which resulted to death of a Canadian submariner. British Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon said it was up to Canada to ensure that vessels were in good shape!!
This is correct in one side of view but the vendor always must insure that the customer is completely satisfied. But seems Britons didn't care about that and just wanted to get rid of the used submarines and it's not important to them if Canadians or any other nation come to them for the same thing again.
The question here is why would Canada need to buy submarines while is in a huge debt? Is that because Canada is surrounded by oceans? But even if that's the reason shouldn't they be more conscientious? Ottawa has a lease-to-own purchase of 4 used diesel-electric submarine from Britain for $750 million.
There are reports that two tower hatches were open when wave splashed salt water on electric panels and that could be the cause of the fire but inquiries are still in process.
(Photo: Submarine crew and towing vessel are seen aboard HMCS Chicoutimi. Salt water leakage through one of the open hatches could be the cause of the deadly fire the Canadian navy investigation says)

Writing N. P. P. Exam.

I finally wrote National Practice Exam in the morning. It was really hard. At first I felt I’m doing really good but as time passed … holly hell… I realized I’m not as good as I think. Each question I read I could tell that I’ve studied that or not but some of the answers were so close that if you have not studied good enough and understood the concept, it would have not been possible to choose the correct answer. In order to answer some of the questions you only should have relied on your memory.
I got up at about 06:45 AM, had a quick breakfast and went out to get the car ready as it started snowing the day before. It was (and it’s still!) -7 º C and it was snowing. I drove to Franklin station, parked there and took LRT. My Goodness…all cars were so full that I put myself in with difficulty. Obviously it was rush hour and everyone was going to work. Fortunately I was there on time. There were 100 multiple-choice question and we had 2 hours. The hall (In Telus Convention Centre) was cold and in the last 30 min. noisy. I told that to the exam. director but he, who was an old man with white hear, just looked at me and said nothing! Dumb ass, son of a bitch!
Here are some of the questions (and their answers) which I still remember:
1- Vicarious liability:
It is recognized that the employer is vicariously (indirectly) liable for negligent performance of an employer.

2- Rule of Contra Proferentem:
The rule provides that where a contract is ambiguous, it will be construed against the party that drafted the provision.

3- Consideration:
Consideration is an essential part of an enforceable contract, amongst the others which are:
a- Offer and acceptance of the offer
b- Mutual intent.
c- Consideration.
d- Capacity to contract
And e- Lawful purpose
Consideration is the motive, cause, price or impelling (Something to urge to drive forward) that induces a contracting party to enter into a contract. A promise made by an engineer to design a structure for the payment of a fee is an example of a situation where consideration exists.
Where consideration is not present in the form of promises or other mutual exchange of something of value, no contract is formed unless the document is sealed.

4- The purpose of arbitration:
As a lawsuit is not always the best way to dispute between contracting parties, particularly disputes of a technical engineering nature, the dispute may also be resolved by a somewhat less formal procedure called arbitration. Arbitration has developed to provide an alternative that is intended to be less costly, less protracted (Lengthen) and less public than litigation (lawsuit)

5- A sample case study of 4 different individuals (professionals and firms) who advertise their competencies and it is to find that which one is closer to the requirements of Codes of Ethics.

6- Discharge of the contract.
When a contract is discharged where frustration arises?

7- Kickbacks, bribes, gifts and offers in International contracts
Acceptance of the all offers mentioned above is not recommended in the other countries as it could be against the country’s rules and leads to legal actions against the offeree.
I think there's a chance of passing the exam, but if I don't ... heavens I have to write it again or... I don't know what to do! Confused!

Cultural Discrepancies (2): Gambling

Gambling, in different types including lotteries, casinos, slot machines, draws, contests, etc. is part of North American way of life. And that’s the most hated aspect of life here for me and I have zero tolerance for it. Almost everywhere you go, you’ll see the signs of gambling. I give you examples:

1- Casinos are 24-hour businesses. Every time I drive by one of them, the parking lot is almost full. Even in weekdays. Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipinos are among the lovers of gambling. Gambling ruins many lives and families every year in North America but those stupid scums who suffer from that, don’t understand and continue doing that shit. The reason is, obviously, they are addicted and can’t give it up easily. The best way for them is to consult a psychotherapist or psychologist. They will be recovered but usu. takes a long time and needs a strong desire and determined mind. They also have to take medicine.

2- Lottery tickets are sold almost everywhere and you see desperate people who dream of being a millionaire one day. They line up to buy a ticket to end their miserable life somehow.

3- You could be a winner. This is what you usu. see almost everyday, everywhere you go, Shopping malls, vending machines, schools, supermarkets, car dealers, etc. They encourage you to buy more and more to be entitled to receive a coupon that let you to participate in a draw!

Isn't that enough to learn this stupid gambling addiction!?

Pleasure of Canadian Woman

Once I was at work and was talkin' to Andrew, both sitting. A Canadian girl, Bonnie, was right besides us and talkin' to us and listening. She suddenly started rubbing our backs with each of her hands. That massage was so good and relaxing that I still remember it. For a moment I closed my eyes and was enjoying her healing hands. She noticed and said to Andrew: Check him out! Andrew told her: ...Yeah. He doesn't know the pleasure of Canadian woman! It was really a pleasure. But the funny thing is Andrew has been kicked out of home and was divorced by his wife just a few month before that! I told me:...Yeah. Right. I'm sure u know that pleasure, esp. after the divorce! He owes lots of money to his ex-wife now and I guess he pays monthly. I'm just guessing and it's all according to what I've heard about divorce law but I'm sure that's how it works. Andrew pointed to that by saying: It costs me lost of money. Besides that the couples have to live in the same province after they split. Andrew takes custody of his little daughter. Bonnie was interested in me and I was interested in her too. She showed her interest in different ways including the one I just described but I didn't do anything. She's tall slim and of course Canadian! After I found she smokes I completely stopped talking to her and she noticed and I saw the surprise in her face but none of us said anything. She got a Canadian boyfriend now. Andrew once told me she got 2 kids, like many Canadian girls, she's a single mother. She's only 24.

HMCS Chicoutimi

Canada has recently bought four used submarines from Britain. Last week when Canadian sailors were heading home, navigating one of them, HMCS Chicotimi, something went wrong and the boat was on fire. The outbreak cost one of the submariner's life, Lt. Chris Saunders, a 32-year-old of 2 little boys (it's terrible when someone loses his father when he's just a few month old, poor kids) from New Brunswick.
Navy investigators r still trying to find out the cause of the disaster. There r some guesses but the final answer is not there. One says that sea water could be a cause of fire when contacts wires inside the submarine. And it happens - we all know - when water is leaking inside. Submarine commander said that when the fire started there was a very thick smoke which he was not able to c his turned on flashlight from an inch! Lt. Saunders died of smoke inhalation. Canadian Navy asked all four submarine to stop operating before the investigation gets to a clear result. One of the boats, Victoria is docked in the Pacific (Victoria) and the three other in the Atlantic (Halifax)
The story reminds me of what happened to SSGN Kursk, the nuclear Russian submarine in 2000. Of course Chicoutimi is nothing compare to Kursk and the disaster was much worse (All the 118 crew were killed) but they share something: No one knows what caused the catastrophe.
(Photo: The submarine is being brought to a base in Scotland)

Note: use the following links for more information about Kursk:
1- http://www.aeronautics.ru/nws002/kursk001.htm
2- http://www.yenra.com/russian-submarines/kursk/

Wasn't Caught Again!

I was scared to death by a cop for the second time today in last 5 or 6 week and was goin’ to pee in my pants! My heart rate went so high that I guess someone outside the car could hear it!
I was driving down 17 Ave. SE after having my breakfast in McDonald’s and saw someone like a policeman standing right in the middle of the street. There was no police car around so I kind of doubted that he’s a cop but when I got close enough to him he raised his hand and made me stop. Thanks heavens that he just looked at my seat belt and when noticed that it’s worn, let me go. I sighed and drove away. I always wear my seat belt. Ray got a ticket for not having his belt on about 2 months ago, a $200 or more fine. He said that he wouldn’t pay that! The ticket must have been sent to his address in Saskatoon as his car is registered there.
The first time was a few weeks ago and I was driving down 52 St. SE in the evening, I heard the siren and looked at my review mirror and saw a police car is closing to me. It scared the shit of me. It was so fast that if it hit me, my car would turn into a junk!
First, I thought he’s coming for me and slowed down but it wasn’t that I don’t know why I was so desperate and believed that I’m caught! As I said it was not that. I pulled over and the cruiser passed!
(Photo: Calgary Police Service crew drive Ford Crown Victoria which I sometimes mix them up with cabs, esp. in the evening!)

Disappointed and Pleased

Effects of different aspects of life are different on my chores and the other activities. Sometimes I'm disappointed and there's a conflict inside me and I say to me that I would not pass the exam. and I'm all negative. At times I study well and I understand the concept and I'm happy and say to me that I'd pass the exam. and everything is goin' to be fine, then write the other ones and then apply for my M. Sc., ...
As a matter of fact girls are very important factors in men's life. They help men to live better. When I talk to the one who I know (I'm not even talking about a friend or a gf) and she's nice to me, smiling and... it really arise my spirit. There's no doubt that a real good female friend, in any form of it, no matter if she's a wife, gf or just a friend, helps to have a better life and of course the closer she is, the better it works. Someone who really is decent, kind, lovely, honest and caring, even a penfriend.
Today I had a call from MBNA Canada regarding my application for a credit card through SAIT alumni. Actually they (SAIT) sent me the application form and I filled it out and sent it to MBNA. After a few questions they told me that I'm approved and the card will sent to me and I'll have it in 10 to 15 days. A MasterCard with a credit limit of $3500, I guess. That's good and this is one of the things that I'm talking about: Something that really boost your spirit up. But there are still too many obstacles to tackle with to get to what I really want in my life. The point is do I have enough time?!

The Canadian Legal System

As a professional here, everyone who practices engineering, geology, geophysics or architecture have to know basics of the Canadian legal system, No matter if s/he is graduated here in Canada or anywhere else in the world. The Canadian legal system is based on English system. I'm studying it for my APEGGA exam. It's sometimes boring and confusing and sometimes interesting and amusing but it mostly depends on my mode!
...But no! It's sometimes really boring. The system that the book is based on it is presenting different topics in terms of law and regulation, explain a little bit and then offers cases. What I don't understand here is the nature of giving the cases. I know that in order to appreciate the concepts, it's essential to study the cases but the thing is usu. different cases leads to totally different conclusions. And it's not irregular. But what is the point? Are we supposed to have the Competence to arbitrate cases, as we obviously r not judges? I don't think so.
I believe that what a professional must know is the law and regulation and what will happen, if the practitioner doesn't adhere to them. S/he gets more confused by studying two, I'd say, identical cases which deemed to separate endings. It usu. happens esp. when a case appeals and also sometimes when different courts in different provinces or countries (mostly Canada and England) judge the case. Sometimes a judge or a jury applies a precedent and sometimes they overrule it. And what do we get when we study that and try to analyze? confusion! And if there a question in the exam. about that what r we supposed to answer? Every judge reviews and evaluates differentially and concludes distinctly unless the case - or better to say - the wrongdoing is so clear and obvious that everyone gets to the same point.

Leila Ali

I was couching potato today afternoon and turned to ESPN. Most of the time if you are in the mood and also a great fan of sport you can watch awesome material. But that's the disadvantage of having a cable TV. Sometimes you find what you like on different channels and u don't know what to watch.
Anyways there was a women boxing match between Leila Ali and another girl called Gwendolyn O'Neil. I had not watched any women's boxing before that. It's a 10 round match and each round is 2 min. and I must add that they r professionals like men. They were fighting in light heavy weight class and that was good. Of course not as good as men's but worth watching. Leila knocked her out opponent in 1:59 of the third round. She's a gorgeous black girl. After the game, she announced that she'll be retired soon for the reason I don't remember.
(Photo: Leila, throws a right punch to her opponent)

Facts

I was taking a look at CBC website to see what's goin' on in Canada and the world and saw something about the 2004 World Press Exhibit (Oct. 4-23 - Toronto) The first to the third prize is also presented there, in different categories but they are awful and I think that the way it is. What else do you expect from a photojournalist? They all picture disasters and other unpleasant events. But what really got my attention is what is written in there about Iran. The reason that you find material about almost every country is there's a link in some news called " In Depth ". It works the way that when you read news about a country, the link takes you to the facts about that part of the world. Here's what I found about Iran:

1- 31.6% of the population – about 21 million out of the population of 66 million – are 14 or younger. Other estimates say that 70% of the population is under the age of 30.
2- 14% unemployment rate.
3- 17% inflation.
4- 53% of the population live below the poverty line.

What can I say but I'm really sorry for us? and damn who is really responsible for that and I know who this is. Don't you?
(Photo: This photo, a man carrying the dead bodies of his 2 sons in Bam earthquake, by Atta Kenaree, won the 2nd prize in Singles category. He works for France-Press)

Lean Manufacturing (3)

I find it very hard here to get a real professional engineering career in Quality field. The companies or recruiters ask for the most updated techniques, among them are 6 Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. I lost a good opportunity last year in Winnipeg because I didn’t even know what Lean Manufacturing was! After that, I started surfing the net and found the basics. Last weekend I found another opportunity, this one in Medicine Hat, as a Quality Manager who is familiar with Lean Manufacturing, again. Therefore it seams I have to take this serious. 6 Sigma is taught by ASQ but is very expensive course and split to different levels.
In order to apply for that position I decided to study more detail in Lean Manufacturing and apply that in my resume. This is what I found, (Sentences in brackets are by me):
Many think that lean manufacturing means coordinating schedules so the parts and materials arrive at their point of use just in time to avoid inventory and the space it consumes. [This is exactly what I thought! But when I surfed the net, found that lean manufacturing is the application of different method, probably simultaneously, to achieve JIT] Indeed that is part of lean manufacturing, an important part. But there’s considerably more than that to lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing actually is a strategy for achieving significant continues improvement in performance through elimination of all waste of time and resources in the total business process. [Note that it’s said the total business. It means the technique is not just used in manufacturing. Procurement, management and probably all other departments profit its advantages]
(Photo: Taiichi Ohno who is known as the founder of lean manufacturing)

Gas Price is Soring

Today's gas price is 82.9 cents for a litre, I saw that when we were passing a Shell gas station in 36 St. SE. The price is going up and higher and it's because of high price of crude oil. OPEC's basket price for today is US $ 41.75. It's good for people who use public transportation or have car-pool but not good for people who drive to work and back home. It's also good opportunity for countries like Iran to pay off their debts or save money but I don't think they do so. They simply don't care about the next generations and they don't care that oil is not an unlimited resource. They dig it up, sell it and waste the money, mostly. The above chart shows the gas price changes in the last 12 months in Calgary. Note that Alberta has the lowest price among the Canadian provinces
(Photo: The chart shows the 12 month of average gasoline price, starting Oct.09 until Sep.22)

8766 Days Ago

I can’t help tearing while writing this but I guess it’s not easy for everyone to understand what I’m writing. Everyone's different. I might be too emotional or too devoted to my previous country.
8766 days ago in Sep.21.80 Iraqi forces invaded our lovely and beautiful country Iran and started a war that last 8 years and cost billions of dollars and numerous lives. No one really knows how many innocent people were killed during those days but I know something for sure and that’s the war changed the life of all Iranians forever. No mater they are rich, poor, living in Khoozestan province and other provinces near the border or the provinces far from the conflict.
Many of young men who fought and were killed were volunteers who were defending their home town, their country, their family and their friends. There were a few of them, especially in the last years of the war who went there to gain something. and that thing could be money, a permit to a school or anything else. We are proud of the first mentioned ones and always remember them, they are all in our hearts and minds. We, too, remember the second class, the apple-polishers and the people who just look for the opportunities like that. Damn them. Unfortunately there are many of them in today’s Iran and that’s just because of the Islamic Republic, they are the products of the Islamic Republic, the system that makes lazy, fraudulent and opportunist people.
Let’s not forget who we are and who we were and let’s not close our eyes to the truth. And let’s not be pessimists or optimists, Let’s see everything realistically. Hope that one help us in every aspect of life. I’m sure it does, without a shadow of doubt.
(Photo: Young Iranian volunteer takes care of himself in the operation liberation Khoram-Shahr a little after a year when the war began)

Cutting Corners on Quality to Stay Competitive

A recent poll in Quality Insider: An Inside Quality Publication asked readers to ponder the possibility that their companies are cutting corners in quality. The question came about in consideration of the rash (a sudden outbreak) of product recalls in recent months. Quality Insider mentions that economists and analysts speculate that these recalls are due to the poor economy, that companies are cutting corners in quality to make up for competition and reduced sales. Here’s how their readers responded:
“Do you think your company is cutting corners in quality in order to stay competitive?"

Yes 49.4%
No 40.7%
Maybe 8.1%
I don't know 1.8%

Martin Is Optimist

Prime Minister Paul Martin said today in Quebec province that his government has nothing to do with the dispute between NHL and NHLPA. Some critics point to Bettman, the NHL commissioner as the guilty one here. But he stated that NHL clubs has lost US $1.8 Billion during last 10 years, while the average NHL player salary has soared to $1.8 million from $733,000 in same period. Martin believes NHL and its players will eventually overcome their acrimonious labour impasse. I really like the combination of words he used: Acrimonious impasse which means bitter situation!

(Photo: The Prime Minister in Calgary Flames jersey when the Flames was heading toward the Cup. Jarome Iginla the Flames captain one of the bests of NHL and Team Canada member in the recent World Cup of Hockey, is seen in the photo too)

The Deadline is Reached: No Proceeding

The deadline for NHL and NHLPA negotiation over players' salary cap was over almost an hour and quarter ago (EST) and more than 600 hockey players are locked out. It means there won't be 2004-05 NHL season. But that's not really what it means. Is it?
This problem arose two times, once in 92 and then in 94. The players, all, walked off the ice for 10 days in 92 and then the owners locked out the players for 103 days in 95. Therefore it seems there's still hope. There must be a way. Canada without hockey? I can't even imagine that.
But the good thing is hockey fans enjoyed Canada's triumph in the World Cup of Hockey yesterday. Team Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in Toronto last night and won the cup.
(Photo: The locker room for the defending Stanley Cup champion, Tampa Bay Lightning remains locked, today, at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla. NHL owners locked out their players until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place)

Teamwork

One of the most important aspects of careers and jobs here in North America is being a good team worker, being able to have a good relationship with colleagues and harmonize with them. This attribute is seen in all works, fast food resturants, construction, sport, manufacturing, management, etc. Unfortunately Iranians lack this quality.
A good teamwork always starts with appointment of right team members. The US 4 x 100 women team lost a gold medal in the recent Olympic as Marion Jones couldn't pass the baton to her teammate Lauryn Williams. The team is perfect and the members know each other very well and have worked and drilled together but Marion erred and they collapsed. What was the real cause of such a big loss? I'd say many factors could've been involved: Rush, stress and nervousness, biorhythm situation, lack of focus, etc. But do any of the mentioned factors affect these superstars? One of them did, without a shadow of doubt.
(Photo: The moment that the US women 4 x100 team loses the baton is pictured here. Marion is the behind athlete)

Mussel

One good thing here in Canada is you can try different cuisines from almost everywhere. Canadian food, itself regardless of different kinds of burgers and steaks (I'll write about 'em later) comprises of seafood. Mussel is among them that I tried a few weeks ago. Actually Resurrect bought some and cooked for me. It's tasty and of course healthy, full of vitamins and minerals. Besides that it's not always good to have red meet. Mussel, according to The American Heritage Dictionary, basically is an edible bivalve (having a shell, consisting two hinged valves) mollusks, a blue-black one, often found attached to rocky surfaces or the sides of ships. It comes from Newfoundland or Nova Scotia all the way to the west. It won't be expensive, if you're not a big eater, otherwise you have to spend bucks on it!

(Photo: Mussel recipes usually offer vegetables as a side. Not like the one I had!)

Canada Wrestling

Wrestling was one of the sports that Canadians took part in the recent Olympic. The Canadian wrestling team was comprised of 7 wrestlers: 3 men and 4 women in free-style. I couldn't see any of the Olympic's wrestling races but saw some photos of women's and really enjoyed. I know wrestling is a very tough sport, as I used to do that for almost 5 years when I was in the school and I was good at it. Therefore a woman who enters the world of wrestling is a very special one in my view and I like her. She must be fast, strong, having a flexible body, brave, etc.
Amongst the women wrestlers is Tonya Werbek from Beamsville, Ont., who won the silver in 55 Kg class of free-style. She lost to Japanese lady in the final match. Two of the other women were placed 5th and the lightest was eliminated.
(Photo: Lyndsay Belisle who's seen here on podium as silver medalist of Canada Cup '04 in class 48 Kg, from Hazelton B.C. was eliminated in the Olympic but I just brought this photo here to show how fit and shaped they are)

National Professional Practice Exam, the 2nd

I'm preparing to write N. P. P. Exam. (of APEGGA) in Oct. but I'm not satisfied with the amount of time I spend on it. I decreasd the time spent on the blog and now I mostly focused on studying and also workout as it's sth. pretty indispensable for me! When I look at my result paper from the previous exam. (July 2003) I see that if I studied enough, I could pass the exam with the skin of my teeth. I had enough time, I had one month off for my nasal surgery, but I didn't use that. Stupid me!
(Photo: I messed up categories D and E, got nasty scores, and that made me failed. the scores opposite mine shows other applicants' average)

NHL and NHLPA

NHL and NHLPA (NHL Players Association) have been fighting over salaries since the early Aug., I guess. It seems there won't be a NHL season this year, although it'll affect many things in Canada. The regular season usu. begins in Sep. The problem is NHL wants a salary cap for players and that's not what they accept. Imagine a year without hocky. You know what would be the effects? Newpapers, bars, magazines, sport goods manufacturers (CCM, Nike, ect.), Sport goods retailers (Sportcheck, etc.), cotches and all other employees of a team (Which are many) all would be suffering.

CBC has resently have a survey about the face-off. This survey was conducted Jan. 13-26, 2004, among approximately 1000 Canadians who have at least some interest in NHL hockey. Some questions also list results from a previous poll conducted in March and April of 2003. The result is disappointing, people are not optimist about this season.
As a result hockey fans are being amused by The World cup of Hockey. The tournament is being ran in both North America and Europe. Eight of the best hockey teams of the world are battling for the cup. The North American pool comprises Canada, the US, Russia and Slovakia. The European pool consists of Germany, Czech, Finland and Sweden.
Canada has the best result so far. They have 3 wins from 3 games. 10 goals for and 3 goals accepted.
(Photo: a cartoon about the recent debate over salary cap between NHL and the players)

Ara

One of the wrestlers who got my attention in this Olympic is Ara Abrahamian. He is an Iranian-Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler in 84 Kg class who lost the gold medal to the Russian wrestler Alexei Michine. He must be Armenian who has migrated to Sweden. He should have gone there years ago as his profiles shows he was sixth in Sydney. His performance backs to 1998 and as his birthday indicates (July.27.75) he must has migrated there in early 90s or sooner.
Immigrant athletes r usu. seen in national teams. I remember there was an Afghan wrestler, Mir Mehdi Ghori Zadeh, in 48 Kg class of free-style fighting for Canada in early 90s, I guess. He was obviously the best in Canada but didn't get a medal in world championship.

(Photo: Ara after loosing the battle to the Russian challenger)

The 25th is Over

Iran finished 2 (Gold), 2 (Silver), 2 (Bronze) =6, Canada is 3, 6, 3 = 12. Alireza Heidarei and Masoud Jokar gained a silver in 96 and a bronze in 60 Kg classes of free-style wrestling. Nobody won a gold medal, unfortunately. Americans didn't win even one single medal in free-style! Heidari defeated his black American opponent and Jokar lost to Cuban wrestler. Iran is the 22nd in the final standing of 25th modern Olympic, Athens 2005.
I believe that Iran could gain more medals including at least 2 more in wrestling, 2 more in weightlifting, and 2 more in Judo but many factors r involved here. I'll write about that in coming days.

(Photo: Heidari helps Daniel Cormier after winning bronze in 96 Kg class of free-style wrestling)

The Second Medal: Gold Again!

I'm very happy today. Hadi Saei gained the second medal for Iran. The medal possessed in 68 Kg class of Tae Kowan Do. Although 2 free-style wrestler of Iran, including Dabir, the golden guy in Sydney Olympics are eliminated but there's still hope for more medals including 120 Kg class where Ali Reza Rezai has won his 3 matches.
There's a very interesting news today: USA Basketball team comprising NBA stars lost to Argentina, 81-89 and deprived of the final game for gold. They have also lost to Puerto Rico and Lithuania.
I also heard that Masud Hashem-Zadeh who stands fourth in 96 Kg class of Greek-Roman is now crossed out from the Olympic archive and he no longer holds that rank in that class because of what he did after the referee announced the Turkish wrestler as the winner of bronze. It's said that he first left the mat and then when his coach sent him back, he bumped his punch on referees desk! He was obviously angry and frustrated for losing the medal and also he believed that the referees erred in the first point given to the Turkish wrestler.

(Photo: Hadi seen here with his gold medal of Athens, has also won a bronze in Sydney 2000)

Triathlon

Triathlon is one the newest sports in Olympic games. The sport consists of swimming, cycling and running and is a very hard one. Imagine u swim for minutes and then have to push the pedals and finally run! It took 01:51:07.73 to Olympic champion (men) from New Zealand to finish the race. It's a almost a marathon! Kate Allen from Austria gained gold in women with 02:04:43.45 and the interesting thing is she's 34 years-old!
(Photo: The Austrian winner of triathlon gold medal is seen here in a race before Olympics)

Missed Another Medal

Iran missed another medal today and that was in 96 Kg class of Greco-Roman wrestling. It could be the third medal for Iran and a bronze. Masud Hashem-Zadeh advanced to quarter-finals of his class after 4 wins and 1 rest but this match and didn't continue to finals. He then lost to Turkish wrestler and lost a good opportunity. Iran gained no medal from Greco-Roman wrestling.
(Photo: Masoud, in red, lost the bronze medal fight to Turkish wrestler, Mehmet Ozal)

Finally a Medal: A Golden One

Iran gained the first Olympic medal today after 11 days! Hossein Reza Zadeh in 105+ class of weightlifting repeated his gold medal which was won in Sydney Olympic. This is Iran's first medal and there's still hope for wrestlers and martial artists (tae kwon do).
Sajad Barzi in 120 Kg class was the best wrestler in Greek-Roman style who lost to American opponent and couldn't get the bronze medal. That was the last fight for Gardner. He announced his retirement after that match.
(Photo: Sajad is shown here in red, wrestling with American opponent. He was the best amongst the Iranians in Greek-Roman)

House of Sand and Fog

I had heard about House of Sand and Fog a few month ago and I decided to go and see the movie but after I found that it's a sad story of an Iranian family, migrating to the US after the 1979 revolution, I changed my mind. But Ray rented the movie and we both watched it. Regardless of the sadness and depression that you would get after watching it, it was a great movie. Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly have great performances and Shohre Aghdashalo is good too. She was nominated for the best supporting actress by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year but didn't win it.
I doubt this is a true story but it's very close to real life of Iranians who flee. The film shows good attributes of Iranians and also the richness in the culture. Sir Ben Kingsley is so much in to the character (Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani, a former member of the Shah of Iran's elite inner circle) that you don't believe he's not Iranian. He changes his strong British accent and he even looks like an Iranian. There's a scene in the movie that Shohre screams: I haven't been to the US to live like filthy Arabs and gypsies. I'm here in the States to have a great life! But this is all in Persian and I don't think the director, producer or anyone else could allow Shohre shout this pure fact, if they had known what it meantt!
Regardless of the bitter finish of the movie, it's a very strong one and highly recommended.
(Photo: Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley at the scene of the movie)

Alien vs. Predator

I went to Chinook and caught Alien vs Predator last Sun. No! That was not what I expected to be! Not at all. It was just OK. I got some points about the movie:
1- There's no famous actor and actress in the movie. Sigourney Weaver was nominated for best actress by the Academy in 1986 for acting in Aliens and Arnold Schwarzenegger had a great performance in Predator but none of them and not any other actor or actress from previous movies r in this one.

2- Whoever wins ... We'll lose. This is what is said in the movie trailer. But we don't see that in the movie. Aliens are defeated and predators are gone. The earth and the people, actually are the real winners of the battle and that's all as the outcome.

3- As the director or screenwriter tends to make the movie more exciting and thrilling, he has, I'd say, presented new weapons to predator. A javelin, a special kind which extends from both sides and a throwing weapon which performs like a boomerang. These are new weapons to audience and haven't seen in previous parts. It implies that the ordinary weapons of predator are not good enough to fight Alien and defeat it. Besides that why Aliens are not armed with new weapons. You may say that's what the director or screenwriter wants but they should not go far what is ordinary and expected from the public.
4- In the concluding scene of the movie we see that the old Predator, who looks to be the leader, presents a javelin to the only survivor, the black girl (She's cute!). Comparing human and Predator sizes, that javelin can not even be handled by a human of size of that little young lady (Sanna Lathan) ! No matter how brave and trained she is!
(Photo: The Predator. What we see in Alien vs. Predator is a little bit different from the original one)

Eliminated

The first thing I did today after checking my mailbox was to see if Seyed Mahmoud Miran has won a medal or not. When I found out that he didn't and with 3 victory and 1 defeat finished his job in Athens, I felt so sad. Today is the 7th day of the Olympics and Iran hasn't won even one single medal. Hopefully we get something in the coming events, weightlifting and wrestling.
Canada got its second medal, a silver, again by a woman in trampoline. They are still hopeful to get more.
(Photo: Miran [below] one of the best in Judo in the history of this sport in Iran and and undoubtedly one of the best in Asia and the world lost a bronze to an athlete from the Netherlands)

Olympics

the 25th Summer Olympic games started 6 days ago in Athens, Greece and of course Iran and Canada has sent their athlete to the game. Arash Miresmaeili, two times world Judo champion in 66 Kg class, missed a good opportunity by refusing to face with Israeli opponent. He claimed he's overwight but that was just an unacceptable excuse. I know he had to do this as was ordered by Iranian officails but I think it was much more better to face the guy and beat him up. Iran hasn't gain any medal but there's still hope as weightlifters and werstlers haven't started yet. Besides that there's another chance in Judo, tonight. Miran will chalenge in 100 Kg class. Canada has won one bronze medal in Women's Synchronized high board. In women's water Polo also Canadians beat Americans, 6-5. That was a very amazing game. They were behind 5-1 in last intermission but won finally.
(Photo: Arash, in white, has missed a juicy opportunity for an olympic medal)

Repaired

I finally have my PC fixed today but all my files and information are gone! Movies, photos of friends and relatives, songs, selected photos downloaded from the net, career searching files, everything is gone. All of the software are deleted and I have to install the ones I have the CD, again. I even was not able to access to my mailbox and this blogger. The reason was lack of JavaScript. I noticed when I logged on for my online banking through RBC. Fortunately the guy on the phone helped me to reset JavaScript and now I'm able to surf and write again and have lots to say.

Adware and Spyware

My PC is useless now! I'm writing this from Ray's laptop. I have no access to my mailbox and my blog and also can't even use the PC! I went to Future Shop and a bought a Spyware software bt that damn CD is useless and I wasted my money. I also downloaded YAHOO! anti- Spyware (Or sth. like that. Don't remember the exact name) but that one didn't work. I guess the PC is infected mostly because of downloading photos and movies.

Carlos

Robert, the Jamaican guy dropped me at the corner of 44th St. and 19th Ave. SE, today and while I was walking home in just a few sec. a Caucasian big guy wearing a pair of sunglasses in a Ford Taurus said: Hi Carlos! I thought he and the other guy, behind the wheel are teasing me so didn't stop and kept walking and also said: I'm not Carlos. The guy said something else like how are you doin' Carlos and I answered back: you are Carlos, this time! I was just steps away from the car when the guy came out and said: Excuse me, this is Police! I got shocked and turned back and said: I'm sorry. No one have ever talked to me like this. He also showed me his badge. I told him that I'm not Carlos and asked whether or not he needs a proof. He asked for it and I showed my licence and told him: I thought you are looking for Carlos, the terrorist in the 70s! The guy took a look at my ID and apologized. I still don't know whether or not they were really cops or not but that was something really exciting. But let me tell you about Carlos:
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, commonly known as Carlos the Jackal, a 1969 graduate of Moscow's Patrice Lamumba University, has been tied to "Communist revolutionary movements" since he became a 14-year-old member of the Communist Party in Venezuela. His father, a wealthy Venezuelan Communist Party leader, was so dedicated to Leninist/Marxist theory and practice that he named his three sons Vladimir, Ilich, and Lenin. In his teens, Carlos was allegedly given guerrilla training in Cuba. By the age of twenty, he reportedly had moved to Jordan and was being trained in weapons and explosive usage by members of the PFLP commando (I really have no idea what that stands for). Shortly thereafter, he began what has turned out to be an infamous career as an international "pay for hire" terrorist.
Although some intelligence reports link "Carlos" to the 1972 massacre of eleven Israeli athletes in Germany, most counter-terrorist analysts suspect that the Olympic massacre was master-minded by the Black September organization and Abu Nidal. It is more likely that in 1971 and early 1972, "Carlos" was fighting and learning combat tactics in a guerrilla war against King Hussein, in Jordan. It is also possible that "The Jackal" had begun acting as an intelligence agent or informer for the KGB.
By 1973, however, his terror activities had begun in earnest. He has publicly admitted to his 1973 assassination attempt on a British Millionaire named Edward Sieff, who was a well-known Jewish businessman and owner of the Marks & Spencer stores in London. Within the next two years, he was believed involved in the takeover of the French Embassy at the Hague, the killing of the two French Intelligence agents for which he has been recently captured, and a 1976 takeover/kidnapping of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna. Later in 1976, he was involved in a skyjacking, that led to the now famous Entebbe raid by Israeli commandos.
If I wanna write about him, I'll need hours and hours. I can go to web news and books and magazines but think that's all I compact according to what I've read about him so far. He was finally arrested in Oct.10.94 and sentenced to life imprisonment in Dec.23.97.
(Photo: Carlos in 70s [left] and after his arrest in 94. He's been in jail in Paris since)