John Bolt-On!

Do you remember that jackass, John Bolton? He was the National Security Advisor to Trump during his first term for about a year. He did everything he could to convince Trump to attack Iran. He didn't succeed. The US later, last Feb., attacked Iran and soon regretted it. I wonder what the relationship of them would like now. There was a rumor later that Iranians wanted him dead, by the means of assassination! Not that I condone it but what the hell did he expect? Trump didn't listen to him and their relationship went sour. 

Bolton's memoir's cover. It does look like it has been taken off the shelves but I don't think I can read a book in 500 page about the dirty tricks in the US politics!

It seems that someone has made it easy for Iranians now: Himself! He has been charged with 18 counts, including 8 counts of unlawful transmission and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. FBI agents stormed his home and office and confiscated documents and then later, he stood in front of the judge. It is believed that he has pleaded guilty to one of the charges. Without getting into the details of his trail, if convicted he will serve a 5-year imprisonment and he will lose his pension. He also has been fined $2.25 million as part of the guilty plea which basically takes everything he has earned from his memories. His sentencing will be in Oct. and his situation doesn't look good. He's now bolted on and can't make a move. The same thing has happened to all the people who bombed the innocent people of Iran, including the school children. They might not end up in jail or fined but they know they have made a mistake and have been trying to step back with minimum embarrassment which is the result of losing billions of dollars and being basically defeated.

(Photo, top: Bolt-on, the former advisor to Mr. Trump in his home in Maryland!)

An Album after 58 Years

Syd Barrett was a founding member of alternative rock band Pink Floyd, in 1965. There's only one band that comes close to Pink Floyd, in terms of enjoying their music, to me, and that is Led Zeppelin. We'll maybe discuss that later but Syd contributed to the early works of the band and then his mental health deteriorated. One of his works and the band's work is A Saucerful of Secrets which has not gained enough attention, I think. It was released on 28-Jun-1968, exactly 58 years ago. 

A Saucerful of Secret album cover is supposedly a visual representation of altered states of consciousness 

It's a great album. Syd's mental illness resulted in leaving the band before the album was released. They managed to get it together and complete the work. Syd eventually passed away in 2006. He simply stopped shining. His story is quite remarkable and available on the internet for the interested ones.

(Photo: Pink Floyd in 1967, from left: Nick Mason [Drums], Richard Wright [Keyboard, passed away in 2008], Roger Waters [Left the band in 1981 and pursued a solo career], and Syd Barrett. David Gilmour joined later and remained active until the last days of the band)

Not a Fan of Satrapi

I've seen Satrapi's Persepolis and I even own it on DVD. Not true. This is not the true story of Iran in the early 80's. It's exaggerations, falsification and oozes out of the mind of a person who was part of a very small population of the country. 

Her stupid stories about people partying at night, the Western style, drinking alcohol, everything else are not selling! The majority of the people of Iran were devoted Muslims and there is still a big population of them in the country who are stuck to their traditions and beliefs. I'm not saying that she is lying in the film. I'm saying that it might have been her life. She was not happy and she left the country and then couldn't adopt herself even there, in Europe, and went back with her tail between her legs, living with her parents! 

This guy was a loser and died a loser. I have no respect for Marjane Satrapi and people like her and I'm not sad that she's passed away. Less people like that in the world, the world is a better place.

(Photo: A wall from the ancient Persepolis Palace in Central Iran from 500 years B. C. which its name was stolen by the dead ugly woman and stuck to her exaggerated, untrue story!)

Mist Mountain, Not Finished

I checked the weather all around Alberta starting this past Tue. to see where I could have my first 2026 hike. I eventually selected Kananaskis Country. Not only because it's close but also because my pass is still valid. I have done hikes there in the days when no pass was required. Now you have to pay for everything and gasoline price is high. Although I need to check this Canada Strong Pass for the time I'm going top a National Park. 

I set the alarm for 04:00 and then changed it to 04:30 before going to sleep! When it went off, I woke up easily but was not sure whether I should go or not! I laid down and then got the hell out of the bed, grabbed my gear and headed to Highway #1. I needed to buy some gas because I had been too lazy to buy it the night before. I stopped at a Shell gas station on Country Hill Boulevard, I think it was $1.669, then I drove deeper south, on 16th Ave., which is an extension of TransCanada Highway (and I never knew why they did that!) it was about $1.560. When I got to the intersection of Highway #1 and Highway #40, where the big casino and all the other Indigenous people's businesses are located, it was around $1.760!
The Mist Mountain trail-head is deep in Kananaskis Country. You need to pass Highwood Pass and drive for another 10 km. When I reached there it was almost 07:30, meaning from home to the trail-head took 2 freaking hours and a half! I stopped for gasoline and a coffee, of course but still it's too long. This time, despite my first attempt which was last year, and I didn't even go up because it was raining! (another stupid excuse!) I was able to find the trail, using my handheld GPS. I will write about this stupid and useless device later to everyone who buy something like that to simply save them some dollars! The trail goes through the three and it's steep and then you come out and walk beside a creek and it becomes steeper! I was almost at 1 hour when I saw three people coming down, which is always a good thing. I was told that unless I had crampons, I would not be able to pass the snow pack and it would be very risky. Good advice. 

Recent precipitation has created a beautiful green lush in the area

At  01:15 I was on a ridge with good views and could see what the guys were talking about. I was tired anyway and the excuse saved me! I spent around 15 minutes on the ridge and headed back down. The rest of the trail which would go to the Hot Spring didn't seem too hard, if someone was well equipped but I will see that the next time I try it. The funny thing is Scottie wanted to go with me and despite the fact that I know he's full of shit, if he ever says he wants to join, I will take him but with separate vehicles. So when he's stuck like a stupid mule, I'll leave him there! People like that deserve this!  

This time I tried to climb light. I didn't take any water bottle and my hydration pack was only three quarter full. Luckily it was not too hot, as drinking out of a tube is not very pleasant. They say the plastic that forms the pack is somehow get mixed with the water due to chemical reactions! So basically you're drinking poisoned water! I don't think that's untrue! You can taste the plastic in the water but it can't be worse than majority of the food that people eat or the beverages that they drink on daily basis! 

I had read that reaching the summit requires gaining a significant elevation of 1300 m (from the road, of course), which equals to 4265'! It's not a little elevation and considering the summit sits at 3140 m (10301') it's not an easy hike (combined with scrambling) but I also read that most people don't bother going past the little pond of hot water, which is for the best. I have four weeks until my Kananaskis Pass expires! So I'm going to spend the next four weeks in that part of Alberta! No! I'm just joking. I'm not a cheapskate! I will make another attempt though, either the next week or the week after.

(Photo, top: The hike ended here on this ridge where you can see the trail continues in the snow. This is probably one third of the entire hike, if not less)

Not Every Franchised Business is Similar

I don't eat at MacDonald's or any fast food joint but I like their coffee and go to one, from time to time. I used to eat breakfast in their locations. Not anymore. I stopped many years ago. Different reasons for that. Here I list them as some might find it helpful:

1) McDonald's food and generally fast food meal contains a lot of fat, salt, sugar and artificial flavour. They all are harmful to the body. Continuous consumption of them will result in illness, chronic pain, you name it. If they're consumed at a very low amount, say, once a month, it's not that harmful. The body could get rid of them, particularly if there's enough exercise. Eating them repeatedly and at ages passed 40s would certainly have detrimental consequence. That's why I stopped eating this kind of food nearly 15 years ago.

2) There was a time that everything was affordable. You could get a decent meal for a reasonable price and enjoy it and get full, even if you had a normal job. Time has changed, particularly after the Pandemic. Prices of almost everything have gone up significantly. What do businesses like McDonald's do to stay competitive? They reduce the size of their meal and charge the same. I remember Buy One, Get One coupons would arrive every two weeks. You would by a Breakfast Sandwich and you would get the exact same sandwich free of charge! Now you get a sandwich which contains two and a half bites, you're still hungry and you either have to buy another one or leave half full! 

3) Population explosion! You'd find most of the fast food very busy these days, unless you go very early, like I did this morning, although it was around 09:40! It is considered early for many on a Sat. morning, I'd assume! A week of work. You're exhausted mentally and physically or at least one! You remain in the bed until 10:00, some even 11:00 and after. What do most of people do, after they wake up on a weekend? Have a quickie and then head out for breakfast or brunch. The other reason is the cost. Fast food joints remain the most affordable food in life. No cooking is required. You don't have to wait for the meal to be prepared, you don't have to go to a supermarket to buy the ingredients and know how to fix them! Those are the reasons they make fast food joints busy. That is only the way that a family with not a considerable income entertain themselves. Get out of the house, drive for a few minutes only as there're fast food places in every neighbourhoods, get an ice cream simulated cone for $1 and everyone is happy. Go back home and wait for the next day to come! Repeat the action. It's a loop!  

Most of McDonald's and Tim Horton's (I don't set a foot on a Tim Horton's property anymore. It's been a long time, not even for a coffee) are equipped with CCTV. You know why but in case you don't it's because of the number of mentally challenged, drunkards, drug-addict, psychopath and other crazy people who wander around in Canadian cities and town are significantly or perhaps I should say astronomically higher than a normal healthy society! The business owners hope to capture the criminals in case something happens, to have the chance of, perhaps, prosecution and conviction, I'd assume. That chance in Canada is very slim because the Judicial System is built in a way to encourage committing crime not to prevent it. That's how they run the business and keep the employment acceptable. 

A woman in her 70's wearing sleeper ordering food at a McDonald's! This was during the Pandemic. There're many people like this one in Canada who their lives revolves around fast food, Las Vegas, Mexico and cable TV!

With those said, I went to a McDonald's to get a coffee and study some XRF Level II for my upcoming examination, this morning. It was quite and almost clean although you never can expect a place like that to be spotless. food pieces were sitting on some tables and they looked they were from the last night! It's a McDonald's! What do you expect. I ordered a coffee and started my reading. I realized, while taking a sip that there was no camera, as far as I could see and it was a big lobby. My guess is the closer the location to Downtown and homeless and drug-addict routes, the more security cameras are installed. I've been to Tim Horton's, many years ago, where the number of security cameras were more than a bank! It also depends on the owner, I would think. 

If you're looking for a quiet and clean McDonald's to have a coffee or anything, it's located in Edmonton Tr., in Airdrie, Alberta and I found their coffee price less than other locations. Another reason for every franchise is similar.

(Photo, top: The McDonald's lobby around 10:00 on a Sat. morning. Quiet and clean, almost. Many Drive-thru customers but not many eat-ins)

Strange Things in Google Maps

You have probably read about the strange things that are seen in Google Maps from time to time. I was looking for a different way to approach a local park and in its parking lot saw this picture: A fat, nasty disgusting pig loser in baseball cap and shorts, who probably drives that big ass truck, talking to a woman! You can see the look in face despite the fact that its blurred. While this is a normal reaction of a person when they see the Google vehicle, this disgusting fat pig might also be worried that he's caught talking to a nasty bitch! These all could be speculation but the story practically writes itself. I really hope at least one of them sees this! I've also heard it's very easy to reverse the blurred picture to the originals! I'm not interested in that but I clearly remember a freaking criminal was caught after the experts were able to turn his twisted face picture to normal! Lots of freaking sick pathetic loser in this society! 

My Salvation Army Story

Employers reimburse some of the employees' expenses, if they are legitimate. Education and safety gear are some of them. This story is about what I made up and sold to our so-called Safety Manager and my supervisor about the safety boots I had purchased and it shows how naive these people are. I did it mainly because as I've said this before most of the Canadians feel jealous when they see a foreigner, particularly someone like me from that specific part of the world, purchases valuable and quality merchandise.

I went to a branch of Red Wings and picked a pair of safety boots for a little over $300. My main goal was and still is to use the boots mainly for hiking, not for work! The guy in the store recommended another pair but because that was very heavy I picked the one I thought would be more comfortable although now I think I need to change this to a bigger size that it feels too tight! Why did I not do that in the first place? The answer is very easy: I become a lazy fool from time to time! 

With that said, I put the box in a tote with a big Salvation Army written at each side. This was given to me by my Mom and I did not ask her where she had obtained it from. I showed it to my so-called supervisor and as soon as he sees that he smiles and I think he believes that I had purchased it from a Salvation Army store! I decide to play along and rake that to the Safety Manager and tell him that I had purchased it from a Salvation Army store. He looks at the boots which obviously had never been worn and confirms that! I tell him that the guy who purchased it got into an incident, becomes injured and permanently disable as a result of them. He then sells the boots to the store to cover part of hi expense despite the fact that he is covered by insurance! The boots which are normally over $400 are sold for a little over $300! The idiot buys it, despite the fact that the receipt says Red Wings Shoes clearly on the top! He then approves it, I take it to our manager and he approves it as well. I then send the Expense Report and simply wait for reimbursement and will enjoy the boots in one of the upcoming hikes soon! 

I used another pair of Red Wings boots in a beautiful hike to the summit of Maze Mountain with my buddy Stout a few years ago but I'm not in the same state of mind and shape these days. I'm older and mentally shattered but I will try to do as many hikes as I can this summer and not only compensate for the losses but also bank more. 

(Photo: One of a few Red Wings boots which are made for hiking. I cannot tell whether this one is also a safety boot or not but when I asked the fella in the shop the other day he didn't know anything about it. The previous one was tried once, as far as I remember and was not too bad. I will have to see how this one will work after I change it with a bigger size)

35 Times More Feces in F-35

I remember Canada had a plan to renew its aging FA-18 squadron back to the time Peter MacKay was the Defense Minister. It was just a short period of time that he was in the office but it finally didn't happen, fortunately. F-35s were considered at the time. So happy that the Prime Minister just announced that Canada will purchase replacement fighter planes from Sweden. 

A product cannot be judged by one single failure but everyone does that. Don't they? If you buy a faulty computer from a specific manufacturer, what would you do? You return it, if you could and then stay the hell away from that brand, as long as you can. It's proven that one F-35 was hit during the recent attacks by the US forces over Iran, by the air defense system in that country and that jet is supposed to be stealth and we know that Iranian military doesn't use much advanced equipment. What does that tell you about the US $82.5 million jet?! You would ask yourself whether you should spend that much money on such a piece of crap which could be hit by a few thousands of dollars ground-to-air missiles! 

The thing is the US $82.5 plane is just a basic model, I would say. Hundreds of thousands would come after that for spare parts, maintenance, training, you name it. One shall think what they get themselves into before thinking about this so-called stealth. 

(Photo: F-35 is seem to be taking off almost vertically here of maybe landing and it seems it is on an aircraft career. One thing is clear: It's not as advanced as they say and it's too expensive too!)

The 10 Years Anniversary

If I had stayed married, it would've been 17 years that we were in a relationship this June but that's not all. If I had stayed in the first marriage(!), it would've been 25 years now! You might think I'm either an idiot or an old ass! The reality is that I'm more of the first one when it comes to relationships with women. Not in any other areas! Now instead of celebrating the 17th marriage or 25th years marriage, I will celebrate the 10th year of a relationship-free life!
 The strange thing is the dream I had a few days ago during the week. It felt so real. Kissing my ex-wife and she kissing me back so passionately! The funny thing about this dream is it never happened in real life! I'm sure we loved each other to a certain level but it was not shown or at least I didn't show it in a way I should have. There's no doubt that it was my fault that she left but she was an idiot in some really serious areas! The question is would you prefer a sexy and beautiful wife or a smart one? These two rarely come together! Nevertheless, what's the point of digging the past. It will never come back. Let's not go back to the dark parts of the past and stay in the present and plan for the future. Let's plan in a way that the remaining last years are spent in a way we desire. 

(Photo: Instead of having the number 17 on the cake, I would have number 10 but without the bride and the groom and that Mr. and Mrs.!)

The Amazing Ladies of Alfred Hitchcock!

I've watched a few old fantastic Hitchcock's movies recently and can't stop sharing with everyone who might be interested in a few hours of good entertainment, rather than wasting money on a film about someone who was repeatedly charged with sexual abuse! Some very beautiful and talented ladies have roles in those movie. You see them all here:

Tippi Hedren. Had roles in The Birds and Marnie. Now live in New York City and is the grandmother of actress Dakota Johnson. She is 96. As per Johnson, I've watched Black Mass which is a good movie and the Peanut Butter something! I think the attention that Johnson receives is mostly because of her physique and beauty rather than her talent and art of showing a character in a story but that's a separate topic.

Eva Marie Saint had the lead role in another Hitchcock's movie called North by Northwest. Her performance is brilliant. She is currently 101! 

The beautiful Diane Baker also has a role in the Hitchcock's Marnie. She had a small role as a Senator in The Silence of the Lambs. She is now 88.

Joan Fontaine had a major role in the Hitchcock's Rebecca but she was not the Rebecca! This British-American lovely actress was born in Japan and passed away in 2013. 

The beautiful Vera Miles portraited the murdered woman's sister in Hitchcock's excellent movie, Psycho. She is currently 95.

Out After 10 Year (26): Prostitution in Japan

I met a young fella a few years ago when I worked for a branch of Refrigerator Supply Limited. He later was kicked out just before he was scheduled to be sent on the 2-day company training trip to another province! He was really pissed off! He even came back to talk to the branch manager about that! I'm sure it would have not resulted in any difference. I wondered why he did not know that.

He was not a bad guy. Just lazy and a little bit slow. I became more familiarized with Japan and Far East Asian Martial Arts during the short time I worked with him. He also told me about the Red District in Tokyo, a little bit. When I went to that city I had forgotten about him and his stories but I saw girls on the streets, I think it was in Shinjuku and read a little bit about the so-called Soapy Massage and other similar services, when I was there. I never dared try any of them! Who knows what would have happened! Lack of communication especially in a country like Japan cannot result in a good outcome.

Japan, despite being an industrialized country, has the same issues as other countries. Not to that extent, of course and not that obvious. Streets all clean, no homelessness, no crazy behaviours that you see from people in the US and Canada but people come to big cities for better life and trying new opportunities. I once met a Japanese young woman in an RBC branch. She was (and still should be) married to a Black guy, she told me. Below average look but very kind and slim! Not the attributes coming together very often! I asked her questions about my trip and she answered them all patiently, in writing! She told me she was from a small town and she had never had a Driver's License before coming to Canada! This is one example but other examples are the girls who go to the major cities there, mostly Tokyo and work as Masseuses and Escorts. This one girl I remember reading about had come to Tokyo from a small town and she was mute. In her profile, they were saying that despite her disadvantage, she has a high satisfaction rate. I wonder what else the poor girl could do and what the situation of her family was. 

I have written about Hotel Sagano, north of Osaka (which I'm hoping to go again). That hotel also provides services for men who need companions but here is the thing: The prostitution law is Japan is similar to Canada if I may say: Loopholes are there! So here's the final word for the one's heading to Japan and have sex on their mind: Be careful! It's not as dangerous as Thailand, not that I've been there, but language barrier and strict law could get you in trouble.

(Photo: Hotel Sagano in north of Osaka in a very beautiful suburban place which I intend to go in 2027, hopefully, again, if my plans go right!)

Ali G. and Mercedes

This story is a short one that Ali G., my buddy told me about the jealousy of Canadians, years ago when we used to hang out, back in the early 2000's:

Ali G. purchased a used Mercedes for $,5000 for his daily commutes and everything else. Mercedes is a very reliable and good car, until it isn't. Barely needs any service. I think his was a 190 e. We went to Banff and Lake Louise with that and basically every time we hung out, he drove it. He told me that his colleagues (Canadians, all) always made fun of him and said stupid thing about driving a luxury car, although it was used, by a foreigner and he always ignored them. The car eventually stopped right in the middle of the road! People helped him to push it aside and he never drove it after that. He then bought a brand new 2006 Acura, I don't know what model but I do know it was considered a luxury car at the time. I don't know the stories about that car but I know he moved to Lerthbridge after that , to work for Pepsico.

(Photo: I and Ali G. used to hang out for a few years back in the early 2000's as I wrote above but never were close friends in a way to take pictures together or anything like that. Beside camera phones and digital cameras were not as popular as they are now and everyone takes pictures of everything including the time they have an intimate relationship and sell it, so there's no picture of his Mercedes but I believe it was something similar to this, above. The interesting thing is this car at the time it came out of the assembly plant was available in two colours: Black and Metallic Black! My grandfather had a Mercedes too but that would be, probably, the subject of another post)

A Jealous Asshole

One of the things that you face here in Canada a lot, is jealousy. The country has been the land of mostly poor people from around the world coming for a better life. People without education, running water, electricity, not enough to eat, barely covering themselves in anything, etc. Try The Philippines, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, you name it. The funny thing is the last 6 called themselves European! European my ass! They cannot even feed themselves as well as India! There are also many Latinos and of course some Africans. So basically it is a toilet, as I have mentioned earlier. In case you wonder why I came to this toilet, I ran away from fundamentalism which is a separate story. 

When the US started to mess with western Asia, and for the ignorant who might read this and don't know where the western Asia is(!),  the area is at the west side of the biggest continent in the word which starts from Turkey and extends to Japan. Another funny thing is some public toilets, in the past few years have considered themselves European!!! Lands of absolutely nothing, tried to be part of E. U.(!!!!) as well. We'll discuss that in another post but western Asia consists of countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Iran and a few more. The region is called the Middle East(!!!!) by some alcoholic, ignorant, careless, toilet-fast-food-eater animals, in the US and many other places. For the exact same reason that those motherfuckers call the Native inhabitants of North America, Indians! These people's skull is filled with cat piss and dog feces. They can't think enough. They eat, shit (in the mouth of their own nasty mothers) and fuck! That is all they can do! 

Nevertheless when the things start going down in Iran, many people started to think about immigration. At the beginning it was the US and some European countries, mostly as students, then came Canada. These people were mostly educated and could handle their own lives easily. Some of my former classmates and colleagues now have very good, well-paid and stable positions in the US and Canada. This, cannot be accepted by, most of the, Canadians! They become jealous and all sorts of reactions could be seen. I will tell my buddy's story, Ali G., from the time we worked for Cargill Meat Solutions later. The jealousy is also seen within other foreigners. One of the assholes whom I had to deal with these years and I lied to him a lot is The Mumbling Guy and this is what happened recently:

I don't drive my new car, usually. Did not in winter because didn't want to spend money in winter tires. Now the ice and snow season is over, I'll take it to work once a week! I have told everyone who has asked about it, because it's an unusual vehicle, that it is not mine and made up an story for the jealous assholes. The Mumbling Guy approached me a few days ago and asked me about it. That was the second time he was asking. I told him the same story that I had made up for other assholes. This ignorant fuck doesn't understand the concept of Hybrid-Electric! So I told him that the car has a small battery (which is true) and is good for only 70 Km, which also is true! The poor ugly bastard thinks it's an EV! Then he goes this might be a issue!! Imagine an ugly motherfucker who does not understand basic English grammar after more than 20 years of living in the toilet and has a Master's Degree! I told him that I had talked to the company people and they told me it would be okay to plug the vehicle in! He said okay and fucked off! I made up a more detailed story about the owner of the car which is not needed to be said here, just to shut him up but he was not happy! 

(Photo: I took this picture in Nagasaki during a walk. I wondered why they have parked like that. Perhaps they leave at the same time. The front car is amongst a few Japanese cars that I have seen here in Canada and Japan, both)

How to become a Manager in Canada

This post helps whoever thinks they have the potential to become a Manager in Canada. This is based on years of working in different industries mainly manufacturing and engineering Please read carefully and follow everything. Any questions come to mind, send it to me. I will answer them all when I have time and one by one:

1) You need to be a Canadian Caucasian or born in Canada from any parents but act like a Canadian. What that means is say nonsense such as How was your weekend even if you don't care(!), complain about the weather all the time despite the fact that you are born in the country and are used to the damn weather, whine about it all the time like an old 89-year old retired man, go to the local fast food joints to fill yourself with poison, buy whatever you can get your hands on, without thinking what it is. Discuss that the next morning at work. Be proud that you support the local businesses, despite the fact that you're about to max out your C. C.!

2) You can complain about everything but work. Remember working in Canadian businesses is similar to living a dictatorship such as Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Turkmenistan or similar. The same way that criticizing the government results in ending up in a jail or morgue, criticizing the management or supervision results in getting your ass kicked out! So care about nothing but your own job, your bi-monthly paycheck and pleasing the assholes in the system by fake smiles and disingenuous remarks. 

3) You must NOT care about the environment, cleanliness, organization and order. Chaos and get the things done regardless of their affect on the environment or others is what helps you to get ahead. The dirtier and less organized, the more you look desirable in the eyes of business owners and top managers.

4) The mindset you always need to keep is " I have been doing this for these many years "! This is what gets you in the high levels of management and six figure salaries in Canada. If you are a dumb, drunk idiot who have been doing the same thing over and over for many years without even asking yourself once if there is anything to improve, you would guarantee your success in reaching the high levels of Management in Canada! 

5) Two completely opposite requirements depending on the background and industry: a) Either have no formal and academic education. Barely graduate the high school and pass the finals with the skin of your teeth or have some meaningless, bullshit, good-for-the-paper-only education and certificates such as PMP, M. Sc., P. Eng. and trashes like that. These are all meaningless titles, certificates and educations that the only purpose they serve, is creating jobs and generating revenue. The concept of having the title of, for instance, P. Eng. simply is writing a stupid exam and then paying the membership for as long as they need you to do! Even if you don't believe in what you have read and never understood it and repeat it like a parrot, that's what matters! It's similar to hundreds of idiots who drive like a disgusting maniac but do possess an Operator's License! 

6) Lack of understanding in English grammar. This is very crucial. As long as you write like a second grader and people realize you're an ignorant and lazy retard, you'll be fine. 

7) Being a kiss Ass is very important. You need to act like a Puppy! As soon as you see a higher ranking person (it's not a Military position. It's worse!) run to them and wiggle your tail! 

8) Not correcting your Manager or providing meaningful and constructive suggestions will almost guarantee to become them on the day after their retirement or departure. 
(Photo: I was going to post a photo of my manager who possess a good number of the above attributes, while taking a nap in his office[!] but didn't find it. Then started to search the Internet and I told myself a simple photo would work. Here is our manager for this post whom I hope possesses none of the above!)

Weird Food (4)

When you look at the list of the food which causes the most harm to your body, Ice Cream is on the top and of course it's commercialized Ice Cream which is what everyone gets. No one makes Ice Cream at home. I do have an Ice Cream Maker but it's not so good. But why is Ice Cream the worst? The answer is simple: Sugar and Saturated Fat! Honestly, what does a bowl of store bought Ice Cream have? Sugar, animal Fat from cheap Milk, fake flavours, food colouring and some other crap. Anything else? At times a few pieces of nuts of other things to show they have made an effort! Although expensive these days like many other grocery items but once you're hooked on, you can't quit! Why? Because it has the most addictive and cheapest ingredient: Sugar! The funny thing about this box (or tube) of Ice Cream of this brand (Sold at Save-on-Food supermarkets) is the sarcasm! It literally kills you but not because of Chocolate, as there's really a little to no Chocolate. It kills you because of the amount of Sugar and animal Saturated Fat it has resulting in Diabetes and some major cardiovascular diseases! These guys use the term Chocolate to describe what they have added to mixture of Sugar and Milk to taste like real Chocolate! Do you think a greedy multi-million dollar company uses real Chocolate with that high price Coco in their cheap simulated Chocolate Ice Cream?!

(Photo: Western Family brand, a Canadian logo is sold mostly in Province of British Columbia but also in Alberta. I am not aware of other locations, if any)

One Month into the Spring

There's not much to do these days but work! I don't want to write about work in every damn post. It's become my whole life now! The local temperature plummeted to -8 ℃ (~ 17.6 ℉) yesteday morning and snowed of and on from Fri. to Sun. afternoon. One month into the Albertan spring! It's quite normal in this province but this year was different. 7 to 8 months of cold, wind, snow and ice becomes too much! Add to that a bad sickness (for me Gout!) and you'd have a miserable life! On the top of those is preparation for an upcoming examination, Income Tax deadline, you name it! There's no escape from any of those. And when are all of these located?! In an uncertain situation and a very expensive society! 

I went for jogging in the afternoon while it was only -3 ℃ (~ 26.6 ℉). Very refreshing, satisfactory and delightful! No other sole on the sidewalks, only a couple of people walking their dogs or simply strolling while bundled up! It was neither cold, nor windy. Just cloudy. 

(Photo: This was not taken yesterday but shows what exactly was going on in the past few days. I was too tired and lazy to take a new one!)

Staying Positive in the Anniversary

It was my first year anniversary at this new work, this week which we are about to finish it. Things have not been so bad but kind of stressful. The manager, The Mumbling Guy has proved himself as a spinless, stupid, ignorant, coward, shithead yet he matches the other fellas in the Barn! That's what the company is called. However there're some positive sides to this job. I don't have to drive too far. The total amount of time I spend on driving on a day does not surpass 1 hour, both ways and it's 95 per cent highway driving. I get as many as 20 days paid vacation. I learn a lot. There's not much or at all physical work. My working hours are fare. There are only a few assholes whom I have to deal with on a daily basis. I get the opportunity of writing a few examinations for certification and then get reimbursed. Yet I keep my eyes open for any better opportunity. 
(Photo: I used to spend as much as one hour and ten minutes on the road, one day, each way, five days a week! It took a toll on the vehicle and resulted in so much fuel and maintenance cost. Now they all are gone and I hope I can keep it that way)

The Alley of the Losers

The travelling season is close but between swinging weather, jumping cost of gasoline and diesel, as a result of the stupid attack by the US and Israeli forces on Iran and generally high cost of living, it is clear that the hospitality industry which had just come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, will have a tough summer. 

It's also clear that there're many differences between the Western culture and the culture of many non-Caucasian immigrants and refugees, but one thing is for certain is the great attention of the Caucasians to entertainment or in other words, Having Fun(!), as they repeatedly indicate. 

Many people are seen on a daily basis driving with a big crack on their windshield but they buy their wine and six pack regularly, they take their weekly trip to a Cannabis store and pay $80 or more for their phone plans. These are the very same people who post complaints about the cost of living in their social media profiles! 

Spend less to zero for legal contraband(!) and you will travel comfortably. 

(Photo: RVs stay on designated lots with some services available to them such as shower and toilet for a fee. Some losers park on big parking lots of major retailers such as Hideous Mart and The Home Depot to escape that fee and make regular trips to their public bathroom to save a few bucks! What do they spend that so-called money on?! Weed, alcohol, cheap food, healthy(!) snack and phone plans to post the pictures of their great 5-star experience trip to their social media profile! I call these line of motorhomes the alley of losers!)

A New Computer

I had this computer since 2019, I think, and it was giving me trouble from time to time because the system has become old in the past few years. I decided to replace it. The first thing I did was recycling! You cannot buy something, unless you get rid of the old one. Then I bought this ASUS for, what it seems so far, a reasonable price. The funny thing is that I then was able to watch a number of movies which I had not been able to watch them on the old computer for years! Here there are:

1) I bought this DVD set(!) in 2008 from a small shopping center in Greve, a small town near Copenhagen! This includes three disks: a) The Rise of Evil b) Yamato c) Twin Sisters.

The good thing is all the movies are in original language with either Danish, Finish or Norwegian subtitles choice! Maybe not all are good! The second movie is in Japanese, of course and the third one is German! The Rise of Evil is the story of Adolf Hitler which I had already read it. There're a number of famous actors but this doesn't necessary mean it's a good movie. They have added a sort of unnecessary intensity to the way the actor portraits Hitler which makes it unreal and excessive. I saw the same thing in Hangers Also Die, an old movie from 1943! I had seen this movie many years ago in the old country which barely remember it and wanted to see how the dubbing had worked. I couldn't go passed the first 10 minutes or so when I got an English version here because of the fake Nazi officer screaming at everyone in the beginning of the film but I will watch it later. In fact I will watch both. 

2) A friend of mine from the CFLRS days, whom I have not been in touch with since 2021, I think, made this digital copy of The Revenant available to me in the same year. However due to the size of the file which makes it a high quality picture, I had not been able to watch, this copy, until recently. The new computer makes it possible to watch and the picture is incredibly beautiful. The story, as I have written about it, is stupid, long and boring! 

I think it was a wise investment, not because of the movies! Technology progresses quickly and we all need to stay updated to function.  

(Photo: This library building was close to the train station which would take you to Copenhagen, if I remember correctly!)

He Must be Very Good at Something

I've never dated a Canadian woman. Not that I didn't want to! Most of Canadian women despise people like me. So do the Canadian men. Not that it bothers me much! A date, technically, must be considered a relationship of, I would say, several months to a few years. I went out with a French Canadian woman once and that was it. Only once! He was playing the game of text messages and I didn't like it. Never called her or messaged her after that! There were some others that I don't even want to mention them or I have and they are not considered a date either.

When this woman approached me, I was not sure what her intention was and still I'm not but I don't think these visits, talks or text messages lead to anything, remotely close to dating but we'll see. 

I was invited to have a non-alcoholic (of course!) beverage to their place and we talked about a few different things in presence of another friend (of hers). His little boy whom I had seen before was not home and she said that he was spending the day with a family friend. 

We're talking and the boy comes back with the guy. She says that she used to date him but it didn't work. However the two are quiet close, despite the fact that he is not his father. Here is a short guy, balding with a belly which is the first thing you see, in jeans and T-shirt. They hug and the I'm introduced to him. We shake hands and the guy sits. That's the time I realize I should get the hell out of there because the conversation no is focused on how they spent their day and stuff like. Something that I had no role in. In the meantime to women goes: What should I make? We have some chicken. This definitely was a warning that I had overstayed my welcome. I thought to myself: They're going to have dinner and to appreciate the guy taking care of the child, he's going to spend the night and they probably are seeing if they can get back together. What the hell am I doing here?! I say goodbye and egress! 

I always wondered what women see in a man which leads to have relationship. So on my way out I saw the guys vehicle. Cars have always been a sign of the situation of a person, perhaps not completely but can tell you something about them. This guy, like many people drive an SUV and it's a big. It looks a good one but not top of the line or anything luxury. The woman is not gorgeous but not ugly either. I think she can be called beautiful easily and has a lovely smile. I don't know her much because we are not dating we just visited a couple of time but she's tall. Taller than the fat and short guy! So here's the question, again: What does she see in him? Money? Kindness? Charm? Kind to the little kid? Or as Sheldon (from The Big Bang Theory!) says " He must be very good at coitus! ". I didn't know what to do when the woman approach me and now seeing the guy, I think I would not want to be in between two people who have used some time together and one of them has a child who likes the other. I bought the little present for the kid once before this meeting in order to make him happy and show that I understand that she has a kid and it's okay with me but it seems that would not go anywhere considering the relationship built between the two. 

(Photo: I have used the picture of a bowl of dates, since this is what this post is all about!)

The Afghans of The Soviet Union in Canada

Afghanistan has gone through the same things that Iran has, in the past 50 years, only harsher. Or perhaps with the new conflict in the region I should say that what has happened to Iran is more intense. Doesn't matter. Both the countries were transitioning from traditional religious societies to modern ones. That was the issue. The societies were not ready. It was soon. There was lots of resistance. Without going into what happened in Iran, I'll try to say what I know about Afghanistan. While Iran was trying to follow Western values, Afghans were redirected towards the former Soviet Union. The resistance resulted in the Afghan Government seeking assistance from the Soviets. They poured into the country from the north to fight what, at the time, was called Mujahedeen, who were in fact guerrilla fighters backed by Pakistan (SIS), the US (CIA), UAE and some other countries. Many Afghans fought against the so-called holey warriors or the Mujahedeen or I would like to call them the fundamentalist Islamist fighters. Many had the opportunity to live in the Soviet Union after the war ended or even while it was going on. 

The Soviet Army eventually left the country in little more than 9 years in 1989. 

If the Afghans thought it was the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity, they were dead wrong! The country fell into chaos and entered a long civil war which ended when the Taliban, the successors of the Mujahedeen, only more frantic(!), took power for the second time after the Americans withdrew in 2021. 

The question which I had never had the chance to ask is: Why did the Afghans have to leave Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and what were the circumstances under which they did so? 

These are the Afghan-Soviets that I used to know more than 20 years ago when I first came to Canada:

1) Gholam (meaning servant!): The name Gholam is popular within some Muslim communities. It shows their dedication to the Prophet's family. Gholam usually comes with a second name, not a middle name as it is not common in those countries, such as Gholam Hossein, meaning the servant of  Hossein who was the Prophet's grandson. Gholam was, and I believe still is(!), from the northeastern part of the country and from Tajik ethnicity. He was a shepherd until he was called to the army and became a Radioman. He got wounded during a firefight and was sent to the Soviet Union for treatment due to the severity of his injuries. He stayed there until he came to Canada under the circumstances that I'm not aware of but mostly likely through UNCHR. He went to his village after the Taliban was ousted by the Americans a few years ago but I don't think he would dare going there again! 

Aziz (As is!): Aziz was sort of an intelligent fella amongst the others. They used to get together and drink and Aziz was the one who always complained about his own drinking(!) but he was also the one who used to say that Afghans should do this or that! He was once asked why he, as a Muslim, drank and if it was not forbidden in the religion to drink alcoholic beverages, his response was: The backward Islam says so! I was smart enough to not to start a fight with him! One funny thing about Aziz (or a someone is a dear, if you translate it!) was his little stockroom. He had purchased a number of appliances and had shoved them in a little warehouse for the time his wife comes to Canada! The poor guy never understood that most of appliances and tools go through newer designs and models every couple of years or so! Something I never bothered to explain to him! 

Limping Larry (Courtesy of Seinfeld!): This guy used to be an officer in the Afghan National Army, resisting against the Islamist fundamentalist who blew the country to way before it used to be! He looked like he was in his early to mid-forties as far as I remember. He had lost a limb in the war and for that he was limping, wearing a prostatic leg. I, again, never asked him his story. This is what the other Afghans told me. I think he received a sort of disability from the Government of Canada because all I know he was doing was delivering newspaper (at that time newspapers were still in circulation, no even the blogs are not!) He eventually left one day. I was told he had gone to Montreal. If you can't speak the language and can't work, does it matter what part of Canada you live?! I think Quebec has somehow different laws but it should not have been a problem! 

The Qari (Arabic for someone who reads the Quran very well): Qari was a fat and lazy guy. I didn't know much about him. I saw him once in the yard laying down on a mattress! Quiet normal for an Afghan guy to do things like that! 

Mohammad of the God (I think i have written about him!): This guy was honestly the scariest. However, in order to know these guys with all these Islamic names and apparently culture, it's interesting to know that once I saw him at French Maid in Downtown Calgary, playing pool with one of the strippers! This was a good hangout for Afghans(!) and I was introduced to it by them! They were all hanging out there, drinking, playing pool and chasing the strippers or the local hookers! It's been many years that the club is closed and I haven't even been there to see what has been established instead. Here's the funny things about many of these people who call themselves Muslim! True hypocrites! 

The Principal: This was an older guy compare to all the other. He had a family of 6, including him and his wife, I guess he used to be a principal and had a business of his own at the side. So in comparison to all the other Afghans, he was in a higher class. You could sense that when he was talking to the other Afghans. he had Uzbek ethnicity and he always had a smirk on his face when talking to the other fella countrymen but when we were talking history and politics he condemn the Afghan Civil War between different ideas and ethnic groups. He even travelled to New York City with his wife and visited a friend. I still haven't been to New York City after all these years of living in Canada!. I shared part of his basement with his eldest son for a few months, one of a few major stupid mistakes I made in the first years of my life in Canada but if you hang on to the past, you die a little every day. He sustained a serious injury at work and loss the use of one of his hands. I saw him brooming the front of a business many years ago, a practice common in those countries(!) I didn't stop to say hi but I might go to see him. I think he was running an Afghan restaurant somewhere close to Franklin Station.

Married to a Soviet: There was this short, fat and bald Afghan who had a Soviet wife and a little pretty girl. They called him Khan, if I remember correctly. I remember is that the woman was in the process of leaving him, yet would ask him to do this or that or take him here and there! She would sit in the backseat as a sign of separation and contempt, probably(!) and the poor guy would go here or there probably with the hope to have her back! I also remember he used to sell Hot Dogs in Downtown Calgary, near the bars and clubs and this was his second job, maybe. Many Afghans had a delivery of some sort of second job. 

(Picture: A Soviet soldier taking Mujahedeen POWs out of a Mil helicopter. I don't know why his Avtomat Kalashnikov does not have a magazine!)

Weird Food (3)

 I personally believe until there's an effective judicial and punitive system exists, crime rates go up but I believe, at the same time, that the government has to provide opportunities for the people so they don't turn to criminal, not that it's the only factor. One cannot say because there're not opportunities for them, meaning specifically customized for them(!), they should resort to everything to make money although this is basically the concept that criminals adhere to! It's like that the Afghan guy I knew nearly 22 years ago. He had left Russia, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and came to Canada. The questions I never asked him or many other Afghan fellas who just had left Russia and came to Canada at that time was why did that take them 10 years to leave the former Soviet Union (considering the dissolution took place in 1991 and they were in Canada in 2000-2001) and how were they able to get to Canada and avoid being sent back to Afghanistan? This should be the subject of another post. However, the issue is that I no longer see any of those guys. 20 years have passed through the years that I knew many of those guys and I have no idea where they are now. The last one of them was seen last in late 2015, 11 years ago(!) but the point of bringing up Afghans to this point is their mentality and their expectations from the Government of Canada after living in the Soviet Union for years. For those who are not familiar with the former Soviet system, I will explain what I know:

People did not have a lot under the Soviet system but at the same time they did not have to worry about job loss, mortgage, insurance, healthcare and all today's worries. Many Afghans who served the Afghan National Army fighting against the US, Pakistan and UAE-backed Mujaheddin (not to be mistaken with the Taliban, although some later become one) were given the chance to leave Afghanistan and live in the former Soviet Union either after the war or during it. I will write about some I used to know in a different post as I said earlier but one of them, named Aziz (or perhaps As is, in English!) told me if the Government of Canada paid him, he would go back to school! This is the Soviet-era mentality that people are told what to do and they do it. Many of those Afghans had attended different schools in the Soviet Union, free of charge and they thought Canada was the same! One more word before going to the main subject: If powerful companies can do whatever they want and no strong judicial system cab protect the poor and abused, companies such as The Real Canadian Superasshole become a monster! With that in mind, I'll go to the main story:

When you go to a location of The Real Canadian Superasshole, all you see is false advertisement, fraud, overpricing and everything in that category. I understand that a good portion of what is displayed in a supermarket goes to waste and for that a business, to stay competitive and running, has to add the losses to the price of other items but acts like this is not acceptable. Look at the above picture:

1) Why do we get fresh Atlantic Salmon here in Alberta?! The distance between a major distribution center in the Province of Alberta and a main source of Atlantic Salmon is more than 4,400 Km (~ 2700 miles) while the Canadian Pacific Ocean ports are only 1000 Km (~670 miles) away! I bet the Lowblow guys have a nonsensical answer for this! 

2) Are the businesses not obligated to show the weight of a packed product on the label? Why is this important piece of information missing?! If you tell the store, they throw the box on a scale, tell you how heavy it is and ask you if they want it. If you file a formal complaint, they submit an insincere apology and offer you a $15 gift Card! 

3) Lack of responsibility and concern about the environment and true greed is seen in this product as well. A small product which adds another piece to the landfill because The Real Canadian Superasshole likes to make a 50% profit on a piece of fish, if not more!

(Photo: Saw this jewel during a tour last summer in a Superasshole location) 

Country Hills Toyota: Avoid at all Cost

I would like to expose one of the worst businesses in the Calgary area with the hope to protect consumers: Country Hills Toyota. I've had so many businesses with this so-called dealership but have been able to avoid them for the past year or so after I experienced lots of poor service, bad customer service, overpriced items, you name it. The thing about this dealership is the location. This is the only Toyota shop that serves northern Calgary and the nearby towns. The service charges are atrocious and the waiting time and appointments are the worst. I must add that the other dealerships are not much better than this but Country Hills Toyota goes for the price. Here are some examples of how I experienced different services of them:

1. I was there for a simple Oil Change once. I used to go there for Oil Change frequently. I don't anymore. The waiting time is incredibly long. Oil Change is the simplest thing that everyone can do: There's a drain on the bottom. Drain the old oil. Contain for later recycling. Put whatever(!) back on, add fresh oil and make sure it is enough. That is all. The entire process takes about 15 minutes or so. The important thing is just to make sure the old and dirty old is completely out. They keep you waiting for sometimes hours to intensify their operation(!) and make it worth the big bucks they charge you. Once I waited there for over three hours. They were so ashamed and embarrassed that they didn't charge me for that! 

2. You need to know that many of these businesses are just a source of employment. What I mean is that there're people who don't work the way they shall, due to lack of proper management and the ownership needs to compensate for the losses somehow. I was there one day early around 08:00 to have my oil changed. There were as many as, probably, 20 big lights were on! The amount of money that is saved by turning those lights off in a summer long day, is beyond the understanding of the people who manage the costs in these businesses.

3. I bought a 2025 Toyota ____ in Aug. of last year from a dealership in Calgary. The documents showed the vehicle had been made in July of that year and it was legitimate. I had given deposits to other dealerships in the area, including this place, Country Hills Toyota. I never received any calls or any updates about my order. I eventually got my deposit back. I had one counter with one of the ugly idiots from a village in ___! You'd be shocked to know about it: When I asked about the price of a Crown, he told me it was expensive! The Toyota I bought is a little less expensive than a Crown but I don't believe you should tell a potential customer that a car they're looking at is expensive to imply that they can't afford it unless you're a mindless, stupid, ignorant, dumb rube and that's what most if not all the salespersons in Country Hills Toyota are.

These guys are going to be alright because they cover a vast area in northern Calgary but I'm happy that I was able to cut my ties with them. I will go to other less fraudulent services in the town! 

(Photo: Country Hills Toyota showroom ceiling at almost 07:15 on a summer day. Imagine how much waste could be avoided here but the owner doesn't care. He adds all the extra cost to your bill. That's why I'm not paying $150 for a damn oil change service which literally doesn't take more than 20 min. from an unskilled labourer)

The Stinking Animals of the Barn

 There are a couple of women who come to the office usually in the last two days of the week, almost every week. They pretend they work but they laugh and talk more than they do! It gets worse when another one, who is usually quiet, when the other two are away, joins. 
Ha ha ha. Ho ho ho! Bela, bela, bela, Yap, yap, yap! 

Every 20 minutes. They never shut the f--k up. It makes the job very difficult by not being able to focus. Everyone knows nothing can be done about it. No one says anything! My solution is easy: When it becomes too much, I get the hell out and go to the other office! Spend a little time there and come back in 10 to 15 minutes, hoping their big mouths are closed! 
Something happened in an afternoon that shut these annoying, selfish, stupid, idiots up, a few days ago! One of the bosses was in the office, working! These brainless idiots became mice! Quiet. Coming and going without a peep! It showed how immature and stupid these women were. Laughing and not caring about anything and then quiet as a mute kid the minute the teacher walks in the class! Stupid and shameless. This is what I'm going to do: I've written down the date the manager was in the office and I will send these rubes a message about how pathetic they were on that day, when the time is right! 

In case someone wonders why I use the term Barn to introduce this stupid workplace, this term, surprisingly, was used first, by The Mumbling Guy and I appreciate it! It truly is what the word means! 

(Photo: The white roofed building, the barn, at William Pickton's Farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. This was the place that Pickton murdered his victim's, mostly women from Downtown East side Vancouver [East Hasting] and allegedly fed them to his pigs! I lived quite close to the far, for a short while before 2011 started and that was the time that he already had been under investigation but not much had yet been done. The farm later was turned into a set of disgusting apartment buildings, like many other places in Canada. The barn that I work in is not as dangerous as this one. However it could be very annoying and traumatizing because of some worse-than-pig, human-like animals as I described above!)

Weird Food (2)

 I bought some batter this past Dec., probably for the first time after 20 years! I just needed for my Turkey cooking to avoid dryness. It worked and I've used it only once after that. It's now too fatty and too strong for me! It's taste throws me out! It's been sitting in the refrigerator for nearly three months. I should perhaps give it to someone! 

With that in mind I was in a couple of supermarkets this past week and I saw a new scam: Olive Oil Butter!!!!!!!!!!!! Olive Oil, if not mixed with cheap oils, which most of the bottling companies do(!) a healthy fat but when you turn it to butter, meaning you process it, even if it is originally Olive Oil, which it is not, it becomes a health hazard! I don't really know who eats butter these days or how they eat it but while I'm not very surprised, I'm baffled by the level of dishonesty, lack of care and deceitfulness that these businesses use to empty the pocket of consumers while affecting their health. 

(Photo: The butter section of a supermarket shows different types of butter. From European style to Olive Oil, perhaps flavour and benefit[!]. The latter goes for CAN $5.99 and it weighs 454 g, not even 0.5 kg!)