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)