Step off the gas!

A lot of folks have been complaining about the recent gas prices in Calgary which are hovering around $1.29/litre (for you Americans who are used to gallons, that's around $3.96/gal). But at the same time, I do not see most people make less use of their automobiles.

We all like to focus on how greedy the oil companies have become and how they are gouging us, but rarely does anyone accept their own bad habits. Yes, there are an increasing number of people using bicycles as their mode of transport, but still, a huge majority is needlessly driving their cars and trucks, (Calgarians for some reason have this love affair with their trucks).

So if the price of gas is too expensive for you, then drive less; stay home on the weekends instead of going to the malls, and spend time with your family in your backyards. Those of you not blessed with a backyard should just take a walk in the park. It can't be any simpler than that.

What's the problem with the Lebanese barbers...?

I have a beef with the Lebanese barbers in Calgary. Everytime I go for a haircut, I am bound to get a lecture on the realities of life and how society is unfair. It's like I'm there for a sermon on human values. I don't mind chatting with the hairstylists - (and they insist on being called that, even though their shop signs say 'barber') - as they are great people, but I would prefer to talk AFTER I have my hairdo taken care of. They stand there, rousing their scissors in the air with fervor, sometimes too close for comfort.

You don't have to tell me that crime in Calgary has increased, I know that traffic is really bad and I KNOW that there are a lot of racist b@$tards in this city who taunt people of other ethnicities, but if you need to vent, then call the Calgary Distress Centre.

It seems to me that these guys need somebody to listen to them about what's happening "back home" or the war that's screwing up their country, or that their kids want to be more western, but seriously, do you think you're gonna get any sympathy by getting in your customers face and decrying the "injustices of society"? All you're doing is agitating us.

I really like the Lebanese folks, but I think I'll be looking for hairstylists of other nationalities, because after all, I'm paying them to tidy up my hair, not mess with my mind. If anyone of you knows good barbers (who don't suffer from verbal diarrhea), let me know.

Rain, rain go away....

The weather in Calgary has been really crappy for the past few days. Persistent rain and cooler temperature has dampened the mood for a lot of folks. Looks like the curse from Vancouver has reached cow town. And the fact that the city is slacking off on fixing potholes in some areas isn't helping either. I guess they're waiting for somebody to "drown", that would be a story...

On a positive note, the Lilac Festival went well.

Howdy...!

...And welcome to Calgary... "Heart of The New West". This is the only blog you'll find on the net - last time I checked, there were none - about CowTown. I am going to give you folks the inside scoop on this city, from a citizens perspective. What's hot, what's not, who's making a difference and who's screwing up, all of that and more, you'll find here.

I believe in giving info in a No Bull-crap, No nonsense manner, and y'all can expect me to be very blunt about things that I find messy in this town. So stay tuned, and be part of the THTNW, this is gonna be a thrill ride!