Changes

I bought my first TV a 20" Sony Trinitron from a&b Sound in Downtown in 2003. I don't know much about detail; how I chose that or why but I remember that it was 2 or three installments. Considering that TV was around $450, it wouldn't make a big deal every month. Then I was offered a Citi Mastercard right after that and that was my first Credit Card outside my banking regulars.

I still have that TV and we will probably change that in a few month but the other two factors in this posts are already gone! That a & b Sound is not there any more. The building, an old building of Bank of Montreal, I guess, is still there but it's abandoned and vacant. They probably were paying a fortune to rent that but it was quite busy because that was the only major electronic store in Downtown.
My Citi Master Card has been bought by CIBC, I guess but I'm still using it after 8 years and soon that Citi logo on the face of it will disappear. I don't think many people have that type of old TV any more. We had an advertisement for our TV and it's stand in one of the popular used item website but did not get even one single telephone call or e-mail! Just in the past two weeks I saw two big TV of the same type as mine, at the side of the road. Changes are dramatic!

Running and Jogging

It's passed mid Oct. and still no snow, not even a heavy rain fall. Temperature is most of the time double-digit and not serious problems when walking. Well I don't have to walk a lot. If I'm going to work it's not more than 10 min. at the most. Everywhere else I drive. That's what makes life a bit dangerous: Lack of activity. Then I canceled my membership with Talisman starting Nov. simply because I didn't want to pay $60. Talisman gets really busy during the cold months and it's most of the time waste of money. That's because first of all people can not be out and then kids who do not have to pay a lot, hang out there usually after their school. It's good if you before 04:00 PM, even before 05:00 but for me there's no way to get there before 05:45 and that's the pick. Another thing is the tracks are most of the time booked by this team and that school and I don't really like to get on those stupid treadmills. So there's really no point.

Therefore I started jugging outside and my goal is to do either a 00:20 min. or if I'm alright a 00:25 min. and see if I can increase it. The weather is cold for running but have not made me wearing a tuque or gloves but I put there layers on. I usually take Bow River Pathway and go up and down, cross the river, etc. Have been to Nosehill once so far and today I tried Glenmore Park. It was very pleasant running around the reservoir but I couldn't make it more than 00:20 min.! I don't know how long I'm going to do that. It depends on the weather. I wanted to sing up for an Ice Skating course but the damn C. O. P. said that the course had been canceled and U of C had it full. So we might try MRU for regular exercise and swimming.

(Photo: With this stupid old camera this is the only photo that I can say it's worth seeing from my today's jogging in Glenmore Park. You can see the reservoir in the back. The reservoir was built in 1930 or 1932 and is the source of drinking water for Calgarians and a beautiful place for surfing, kayaking, rowing and all other sorts of entertainment including the Heritage Park which I haven't been to yet!)

The Big Year

Sometimes I am really surprised by people's habits, likes, dislikes and tastes! I see that they eat craps like McDonald's and other shit. I see that drive junks like Hyundai and others and I see that they waste their money and time at places like casinos! But i never expected them to like a movie like The Big Year! I'm not saying that I hated it but i can say for sure that it was not what we were expecting. The movie has three very well-knows actors, all has good movies in their file but it does not have anything but scenery of the US and a few nice birds' close ups!

I can guarantee you that you will not laugh more than 2 or at the most 3 times during the entire movie and it's supposed to be a Comedy. Sure you will laugh a lot more if someone sitting besides you tickles you! I can't say no more about it!

(Photo: A Tufted Puffin, not a still from the movie. That and some wide shots from American scenery were the only reason you would say you did not leave the theatre until the movies ended!)

Capitalism Finally Digs Himself in (3): Occupation

I don't know how this started but I remember that Obama said something a few weeks ago about taxing the very rich people in the States and that woke people up. First they started in Wall Street and then almost everywhere: London, Rome, Vancouver, even Calgary. I was running alongside Bow River last Thu. and at the south side while getting close to the Zoo I realized a few tents. First I thought they were homeless people but soon I realized that, first police would not let them camp on the city properties and then the Drop-in Center was just a few steps away. Then I realized their banners reading Occupy Calgary. Then I thought they were probably part of White Supremacy or shit like that because I remember a few years ago one of those guys wanted Caucasians moving to Calgary because he had assumed too many non-White people were in the city at the time. I carried on my running and went back home, not knowing that. Then listened to a few headlines on the radio while driving and reading a few more in a McDonald's, as don't have a TV, I finally realized what was going on!

What is interesting in all these demonstration is lack of support from any critic or opposition! Calgary Sun had a few articles denying what they demand and even a cartoon making fun of the demonstrators! They had gathering in Olympic Plaza today at 03:30 according to the local news but I didn't go. I was just curious. There seem to be no leadership and organization to all this but there should be something. How do they gather at the same time and same place? I will follow tomorrow to see what they gain.

I remember when HST was presented in B. C. there were petitions and then this guy, the former Premier, Zalm showed up and people eventually voted against it. But this issue which is much bigger has no leadership. The demonstrators are probably under-employed and unemployed people or people from low-income families, especially young guys. At least that's what I saw. Rather than that there are always people who like to go to such meetings to take photos, have a coffee and kill some time. Some get exited and involve. If it was for something else I would probably join but what the goal and objective was, no one knows! Taxing the rich? Providing more jobs? extending unemployment benefits? What?

The Council's Unanimous Decision

We were notified that the company would buy a professional sport's ticket for us, for a game in Oct. The company would cover part of the cost. I registered for that while I was told that the exact cost would be announced later.

Then I was notified that the company would pay for a ticket when the employee buys one. Sounded fair but then I realized that we are not types of people who would enjoy that game even if the half price would be covered by the employer.

I had to pay my share for one today and since I had made up my mind, I e-mailed the lady administrator and told her that the council had a meeting the day before and they had unanimously voted for not buying the ticket! The woman didn't get my point, which was actually us talking in between us and deciding not to go! She asked me what council I was talking about! And I said the council which had the responsibility to decide who would go and who would not! She said that she was sorry and she did not know anything about the council. All she knew was Mr. X had told her that the company would pay for one of the tickets, she said. I simply replied back as OK!

Got the Nose after 8 Years!

Today I went to Nosehill after almost 8 years! Sounds like a man's life. Fortunately it was not very busy as lazy losers spend their times in bars and cafes usually and posers stay in indoor sport facilities! It was cold and windy though. And that was my first time on foot. I used to ride my mountain bike back in 2003 but never actually ran or hiked it. I parked at the east side. Walked to the west and ran back to the east. Took me almost 20 min. to run back. I was feeling good. Did not get tired a lot. Just was a little cold. Nosehill has been changed like many places in Calgary. Now there's an asphalt path and there are donated benches for hikers but still no drinking fountain or similar. I guess everybody should bring his or her own. It is a park but not like the other parks you can see the usual facilities. I enjoyed my time.

(Photo: I used my old digital camera, a Cybershot Sony DSC-S650 to catch this beautiful flower in this windy and sunny day in Nosehill Environmental Park but could not get a good focus)

I'm In Love With A Friend

I decided to go back to what I liked a few years ago last night: Deep Dish. The guys seems that they are not together any more. This sickness has infected many bands so far: Pink Floyd, Genesis, Beatles, you name it. Why is it that people can't simply stay together?

Anyways I found a nice song of them on Youtube called I'm in Love With A Friend. Although these originally Iranian guys have been living in the States for years, since their early childhood but you can tell that English is not their first language. Or may be it's the feeling that I get when I listen to this song. The other songs of them that I used to listen had no lyrics. Now I'm listening to this and I know where these guys are from and I get this feeling. It's a nice song as mentioned and in fact I probably get one of their CDs this weekend but would someone step forward and tell me if they have the same feeling or not? And it's not just the accent. It's also the lyrics. The way the words are put together. Sounds like my own letter! When I e-mail someone, either at work or for a business purpose. If someone reads my e-mail and he and she is a native English speaker, can tell for sure that it is not my first language. I guess it could also be appreciated by reading these posts! I don't know. You tell me.

(Photo: Deep Dish members. Compare them to a few years ago in the old post's photo)

The Right To Vote

It was in the news last week that the King of Saudi Arabia had decided to give freedom and rights to women. In the country that a family runs everything and even they name it after they family name, this could mean a lot to people.
While women in Saudi Arabia do not qualify to apply for a Driver's Licence, now giving them the right to vote in election seems a big step ahead.
Ottawa Citizen's cartoonist depicted the story in this nicely drawn cartoon.
(Photo: This cartoon was seen in Calgary Herald but depicted but the Ottawa Citizen Cartoonist which I can not read his/her name!)