Booster Juice Stats

Here's a success story we could all hope to emulate!

Separate Calgary Bike Lanes

I loved this article I found in the Calgary Sun. It was written just after a major snow dump in December. There were 5 foot tall drifts and people couldn't even get out of a parking lot. The article  pretty much sumed up exactly how I feel about this bureaucratic nonsense of improving Calgary's bike-ability. They are constantly  wasting our money and resources placing additional signs and road paint trying to make it a more bike friendly city. And that's fine, I love biking,  but a lot of what they are doing is just nonsense like placing "single file" signs every half block on side streets, or "share the road" signs in other areas. Not to mention the latest rounds of removing actual parking and road lanes in favor of permanent bike only lanes. Maybe someone in city hall will read this and finally realize what a waste of our tax dollars all this is, just to please 1% of the population.

Cursive a Dying Art

Schools slowly removing cursive writing lessons from their curriculum. I had to learn it and still to this day can remember it, and am grateful for it. I think with the prevalence of technology the need to keep some regular writing lessons is more then ever before. One must remember that it was the only way major documents were written hundreds of years ago. When you lose the ability to write it you also lose the ability to read it. 

Capitalist Suzuki

Me and my father really enjoyed this article talking about Suzuki. In it is talk about his multiple houses, and even an island co-owned with a large oil company. That is all fine and dandy until you set your life's goal to preaching and teaching the whole world how to save the planet. He would be so much more respectable if he just lived more of a simple life I guess. You make your own decision, here is the article for your perusal.

Stampede Boys Ranch Alberta

A few people I grew up with as a teenager went to this ranch. And one of them was my best friend at the time who ended up taking his own life in his early twenties. I had heard so many stories of this place from that group of people but had never really seen it or could barely imagine it. So when I saw this article I thought I would post it for everyone to see, and also in honor of my friend who passed on so long ago.


This is for you Steve Doyle

Algae Free Aquarium

Been running this tank for almost 15 years. Made a video for youtube a few years ago and someone was asking why so much algae. I'm not sure why because I haven't changed anything but now a days, as you can see, it is algae free.

Pacifiers Contain Lead

I'm more curious about exactly what is the "higher-than-allowed" level of lead?!

Google Lists Calgary NE as "The Properties"

I've been living in Calgary since I was four years old and I have never heard of the north east section of Calgary described as "The Properties" but yet here on Google it is labeled as such. Has anyone heard of this term or maybe knows of its origins?

Nickel Charity Campaign

I received this in the mail the other day and was pretty blown away. I haven't even opened it yet: it is such a piece of artwork already.

The MS society apparently thinks it's a good idea to send out an ACTUAL nickel in the mail with a line above it written "Can a nickel really help end MS?"

Well I guess it can as it must be helping them as I write this. They must be super rich. (UPDATE 11/16/2013: Received another nickle in the mail from a different charity)

And while I'm on the topic, I once received some letter address stickers and holiday cards/envelopes from a charity. And over the course of a year I used some of them. Then one night I saw their plea for a donation on the back of the address stickers and felt a little guilty using their stuff and not donating. So I wrote a cheque and sent them a small donation. That was a huge mistake(Or maybe not?) Since then I have received more holiday envelopes, pens, letter address labels and such than I know what to do with: from dozens of different charities!! My guess is they sold my address to all these other charities and now I actually have an ENTIRE drawer FULL of holiday cards, stickers and more! I won't be having to buy a birthday or Christmas card again for a long long time...

Here is a photo showing how much they have been sending me as of late...

Unfit Soldier Trend Rising

I've seen a couple articles similar to this in the past few months so I thought I would finally cut one out and post it. It's a sad state of affairs when your army is over weight.

Pharma Humor

Good 'ol Bizarro.

Induced Birth Could Raise Autism Risk

Wiki: Knoxville Tennessee Vs Foreign manufacturing

Found this paragraph in the Wikipeda Knoxville Tennessee page.

Research laboratory at U.T. in the early 1940s

"Knoxville's textile and manufacturing industries largely fell victim to foreign competition in the 1950s and 1960s, and after the establishment of the Interstate Highway system in the 1960s, the railroad—which had been largely responsible for Knoxville's industrial growth—began to decline. The rise of suburban shopping malls in the 1970s drew retail revenues away from Knoxville's Downtown area. While government jobs and economic diversification prevented widespread unemployment in Knoxville, the city sought to recover the massive loss of revenue by..."


I thought this was interesting and found it while researching the Detroit bankruptcy situation.

Prince Gopher

I'm not even sure how I drew these resemblances.

Pedophile Deserves Death Penalty?

This guy is sick and unfixable. And to think this guy had a hand in shaping our sex-ed for Elementary children. Why would there even be sex-ed for elementary schools is beyond me.

Pickled Chutney Blows Door Off Fridge

Wow, that rhubarb chutney packs a punch. Blew the fridge door off its hinges and actually lifted the ceiling in the kitchen!

Russian Spy Plane Studies Canada

There exists a Treaty on Open Skies in which Canada and Russia are a part of. And if you are a State Party in this treaty you may fly over another State Party's air space with a military plane, as long as it is unarmed. And it is allowed to have an array of imagery systems and spy equipment so it can observe any objects or places of interest or concern.

Countries who joined the treaty are:  Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States

160 Year Telegraph Service Comes to End

I was surprised to hear that Mumbai just stopped sending Telegraphs this past week after more then 160 years. But I guess it was a cheap and efficient method of communication for the poor masses around India and that's why it lasted until 2013.

Facebook Censuring Businesses

It seems no matter what I post on Facebook under our family's restaurant account barely anyone sees it. And after one of my most recent posts I actually txted 50 friends on my cellphone asking them to go to the restaurant page and share the newest post I just added. Of the 50 people I asked I have only been able to see 5 people actual share it. And the weirdest thing? My sister-in-law is one of the five people to share the post, but my brother can't see that she shared it on her timeline at all, and he can't even find the post on our restaurants timeline either!   I guess the reality is that if people don't boost or promote their posts for the suggested $5-$30 it won't reach the possible audience of 12000 people, even if the post is good. In-fact I'm wondering if it would even reach an audience of a dozen people. Anyways, here is a screen grab of what I see when logged in on our restaurant page.

Here is another screen grab. Notice the "paid reach" section?

World Population 8.1 Billion 2025

I love how at the end of the article they group America in with some 2nd/3rd world countries.

Rihanna & Katy Perry Pose

Wow, do these two use the same photographer/publicist or what?

Tattoo Modern Social Mullet?

Saw this article in the local university newspaper, Calgary Journal. This man named Karamazov posts his personal views on the subject of tattoos and their cultural impact and perception, then his posts go viral and from the looks of it he was harassed enough to have to close his account. Here the author of the article points out some of what this guy said in his blog, and then she goes on to defend her stance on the subject. And I don't know why but she seems to fixate on the sexual promiscuous aspect of his post more then anything.

The Straight Dope: Are transsexuals mentally ill?

Tonight a person whom I know in real life came out on Facebook that he is changing from a man to a woman and has created a profile to match. It reminded me of this article I read at the Straight Dope awhile back so I thought I would share it here tonight.


The Straight Dope: Are transsexuals mentally ill?

Almost Radar Note

Literally one number off of a two digit radar note. So close.


9996998

Some Say Big Brother is Here

"Big Brother is here say many Americans" reads the headline from an article I found in the newspaper the other day. It goes on to say that sales of the George Orwell book, 1984 written in 1949 have gone up recently, probably as people find parallels between their current existence and the story in the book. If you haven't yet read it I highly suggest it, as it is an amazing and thought provoking book, with huge foresight of the different possibilities for a future. Now in my opinion Aldous Huxleys book Brave New World written in 1931 has a greater possibility of eventually playing out in real life. What an amazing book written about a future where everyone is genetically engineered in test tubes to be of a certain caste and job. And everyone is happy. And if your not happy, you take a government approved drug to give you happiness. Anyways, there is a lot more to it and it remains one of my favorite all time books. A third book worth checking out while we are on the subject is Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury in 1953. In this book since the world in the future is built fireproof firemen are no longer needed to put out fires. Instead they now start fires, and their job is to burn books, and any houses they are contained in, down. Instead of books everyone has whole wall televisions, the poor have one wall TV, while the rich have all four walls turned into TVs. And the favorite show everyone watches is an interactive soap opera that talks to you and uses your name and involves you in the plot. Anyways, another great read, and in my opinion a good look at another potential future that awaits us all.

Road to World War Three

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP7L8bw5QF4


I watched this video titled The Road to WWIII a few months ago and was surprised how it all made more sense then maybe it should of.

Fast forward to today: I stumbled upon this article and read it with keen interest.  When it came to the part about the "Georgia Guidestones" I thought I would investigate further. Here is the wikipedia on the Georgia Guidestones. Well what I found out surprised me: how is it that stones with engravings like these actually exist? And on public land no less! The stones lay down ten commandments for the future, and the first one is chilling to say the least.

The first commandment is described best in this article of Secret Societies.

"The ever stranger Georgia Guidestones were created in 1980 by a mysterious gentleman named R.C. Christian. They are huge granite columns, which have new set of 10 commandments etched into them. These are new rules for the future. While most of the new commandments appear reasonable enough there is one commandment that makes one wonder what is really happening in our world and what these secret societies are really after. That is new commandment - number one, of course - commands that the population of the world be reduced to 500,000,000 people."



More info on the Georgia Guidestones

Here is a quote from the article linked above:

"the structure would serve as a compass, a calendar, and a clock, that it would be engraved with a set of guides in eight of the world’s major languages, and most tellingly, that it would have to be capable of withstanding any major catastrophic event, so that what remained of society after such an event, would be able to use those guides to rebuild a society better than the one that they had survived."

Codeine a Risk to Children

I like the second last sentence, just a nonchalant comment on how you shouldn't give children any cough medicine at all "in fact"... Seems like a pretty important fact to me. Maybe it deserved more then one sentence of recognition.

Iceberg Homes. Restrictions Building Up? Build Down.

This was a great article I found talking about some new fad for the ultra rich. Certiain people living in London where the city imposes restrictions on how big they can build their houses have decided to begin to build ultra deep basement complexes sometimes affecting the foundation of neighboring rich homes.

Drink Vodka. Kill 5 People. Want Freedom.

This guy ran a red light on the edge of town and plowed his cement truck into a Toyota Camry full of a family of 5. All the people in the car died. He then jumped out and threw a bottle of vodka into the back of the cement mixer before the cops arrived. That was just a few years ago and he is already eligible for parole. It's sad how little a life means to the courts system, even when there is 5 lives involved.

Update 6/18/2013: This guys been freed.

My Urban Dictionary: Mousin Contribution

Since I was young I use to always ask people what side of the family their cousin is from, just out of curiosity. It wasn't until I was older that I realized there are actually different words for this same thing in Farsi. So with a little brainstorming I came up with these variations of our modern word "cousin". Hope you enjoy the definitions and maybe even start using them.



Urban Dictionary: Mousin

Urban Dictionary: Fousin

Preparing for Disaster

Here is a pretty good list I found in the newspaper giving some suggestions on how one should prepare for any kind of disaster, natural or otherwise. I am sharing it today because I think it is actually important to be at least a little prepared for the possibility of a catastrophe! Simple logic dictates that if only 1/3 the population is actually ready for a disaster that when it hits that section of society would not be able to shoulder the weight of the rest of the people who are unprepared. Now if you look at the reverse side, if 2/3's of everyone was at least somewhat ready for a disaster, then if and when it actually happens they could easily support and protect the remaining 1/3 of the people until the danger passes. But if the first scenario prevails, which it does right now, chaos would ensue as the 2/3 of unprepared people would wreck havoc with panic and crime and the remaining 1/3  would have to hide and protect themselves.

Washington Warns of Zombie Apocalypse

What else can I say?

F-Minus Comic: Sharing Ultrasound Photos

This F-Minus comic sums it up perfectly.

$3 Billion Lost in Anti-Terror Funding

How do you misplace $3 billion dollars of our tax money without holding someone accountable and making sure it doesn't happen again? This loss, however, barely makes them flinch.

Boston Tragedy

My heart goes out to those affected by the Boston bombing. I have family that live around Boston but  thankfully they weren't around the ill fated festivities that day.
I still however fail to understand how they can't catch things like this before they actually happen considering their heightened state of security in that country. One man from Alberta even mentioned he saw sniffer dogs near the start line of the race. That's the part that I found most interesting and I have highlighted it for your viewing pleasure. Why did the sniffer dogs at least not notice one of the four bombs located at various points of the race?
What a tragedy and I hope for the fastest recovery to those victims affected.

The Stingy Tree

A few years ago at a Christmas party I got "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein as a gift for a Secret Santa being held. Later in the night I ended up sitting with someone on the couch casually reading through this children's book. Astonishingly simple art adorns each page, all Shel's own personal drawings, topped with a simple sentence or two. A very short and well-written book about a tree that gives everything it has to a little boy throughout his life but never asks for anything back and never receives anything either. By the last page or two I can never stop myself from crying. If anyone has the opportunity they should pick this book up and share it with their loved ones. What a perfect message and what a great artist.

Then I came across this Bizarro comic in the local newspaper, and as usually I love Dan Piraro's comics and his sense of humor. Enjoy :)

My Father on CTV News

A Calgary landlord is calling his experience with a teenage tenant ‘disgusting, destructive and devastating’ as he continues to clean up after the rented suite was trashed.

Kius Pahlavan was talked into renting his suite to the teen by the government and, when the suite was severely damaged by the tenant, the government turned a blind eye.

The damage to Pahlavan's one bedroom suite is shocking.  There are holes in the drywall, vomit in the sink and a knife piercing a bedroom wall.

PHOTOS

Extensive damage to the drywall surrounding a doorway in a rental suite owned by Kius Pahlavan

Knife in wall of rental suite

"The damage they did is like a horror movie,” says Pahlavan.

Three months ago, the suite was immaculate and available for rent.  Pahlavan hosted an open house to find a tenant for the property.  That’s when, according to Pahlavan, a man from social services attended and talked him into renting the suite to an 18-year-old kid that needed a leg-up.

"He really kind of convinced me that most probably there'll be no trouble," says Pahlavan.

The social worker said he'd check on the kid regularly and paid the $775 damage deposit in cash, but the social worker didn't sign the lease or leave any documentation showing which agency he was from.

"The phone number, a cell phone number, that's the only thing we’ve got."

Pahlavan says the tenant troubles started as soon as the teen moved in.  The landlord says the suite hosted parties which included fights and illicit drugs.

The social worker continued to pay the tenant's rent in cash but the teen’s poor behaviour continued.  Pahlavan evicted the teen in March. 

When Pahlavan asked the social worker to help fix the damage, the unknown agency sent a truck to haul out the garbage but the group wouldn't accept responsibility for any additional repairs or cleanup.

“That was the surprising part of the whole deal, that suddenly they (the unknown social agency) say, sorry, we are gone, you go and deal with it," says Pahlvan.

A frustrated Pahlavan contacted CTV Calgary’s Consumer Watch reporter, Lea Williams-Doherty.  Lea determined the social worker was with Hull Services, a Calgary agency that works with troubled young people between the ages of 16 and 22.

The social worker was hired by the Child & Family Services Authority, a provincial agency, to help the teenager transition to independence.

Lea contacted the Child & Family Services Authority and asked if they would pay for the damage to Pahlavan’s apartment.   A spokesperson for the agency said landlords do not have any recourse against the government since damages are the tenant's responsibility. 

Lea reminded the spokesperson that a lease was never signed, and the landlord dealt solely with the social worker, never the teenage tenant.  The Child & Family Services Authority spokesperson referred Lea to Hull Services, and Hull Services took responsibility for repairing the damages to the suite.

“I've seen the apartment there last week and I've spoken to the landlord and we're looking at covering the damages that were done to the apartment," says John Dahl, program director with Hull Services.

Hull Services' "Youth Transitioning to Adulthood Program" is intended to help teens and young adults pursue their education, obtain jobs, find a place to live and open a bank account.

The social workers are meant to assist the clients, but in challenging cases, the agency workers may take on a majority of the work in the hope the kid takes over all the responsibility down the line.

In this case, the social worker obtained the rental suite but it was supposed to be in the kid's name, not the government, and that's why there’s no documentation.

Lea asked both the province and Hull Services “If this kid couldn't do these things for himself, was he ready for you to go out and solicit private landlords on his behalf?”

With files from Lea Williams-Doherty

Read more: http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/government-approved-teenage-tenant-destroys-rental-suite-1.1232772#ixzz2Q8nFDc00

Best Ever Olympic Games Design Goes To...

1964 Tokyo Japan Summer Olympics. I love the color and the simplicity of it.

Obama the "Sexist"

I posted a while back that Obama smokes cigarettes, which on it's own isn't so bad I guess, unless of course you are in control of the most powerful country in the world and at the same time a role model for 300 000 000 people... But now he is making pretty offensive and sexist remarks at other female politicians. And at the same time his wife made a comment on a talk show about how hard it is being a "single mother".... hah, wow. Seems to me that they are just highly paid actors and this sounds more like a marriage of convenience, or a bad Hollywood movie. Also when you have time youtube Michelle Obama Dancing. Very unprofessional. Doesn't she have better things to do with her time considering she is helping run the USA and raising two children? Comedy skits and handing out anti-Iran propaganda Oscars for shitty movies like Argo... Seriously?

Chance at Immortality Certificate Exchange

I had never heard of Kristian Von Hornsleth until this article about him in today's Calgary Herald newspaper. A very eccentric man who has done quit a few off the wall "art" projects. Some of them playing with peoples human dignity; like the time he had more then 300 Ugundan poor people change their last name to Hornsleth in exchange for a pig or goat. This, as well as a few other stunts of his are detailed in this article, along side the most recent project of his; collecting  drops of blood and hair samples from over 5000 people in exchange for a certificate that  states they have a chance at immortality through this project. I would be interested to know exactly what is written on these certificates and how it was worded. Here is the article in full for your viewing pleasure.