As you may remember from my previous posts re. the HTC TyTn II, I already use a Global Positioning System device when I am in Britain. Although there are of course the usual horror stories of little old grannies mindlessly following instructions and driving their Nissan Sunny into a pond, or of being taken on 250 mile detours, I find the ability to chill out about exactly which junction I need to exit from on the motorway, or the location of speed cameras very useful. According to an article over at BBC News, Europe is planning the launch of a system to offer an alternative to America’s GPS. The table at the end of the article is the sort of thing I really like from the BBC - a neat summary of exactly what is on the table, and in this case at least, who each section will be aimed at.

The rules are pretty simple - register with Overstock’s competition by the 7th December, and you could win a prize from their site. How could it be better? How about five of your friends winning a prize at the same time (up to a total value of $1000)? If you are really lucky and win the grand draw prize, then you and your five best friends (they will soon be your best buddies even if they weren’t before ) get a $5000 pot to spend on your prizes!
So, click the link for the “All I want for Christmas Giveaway“, watch the flash presentation and start thinking which of your friends would most appreciate the gift if you win. You can enter once per day, and your friends can also enter in their own right. (Please see the rules section for exact details).

Personally, I would go for some classy diamond earrings for Irina, and maybe a new digital camera for us. Anyway, ChrisD, AlexC, Oleg, NickM and Seb (who could share with Con :)) would be my 5 nominated friends, if we all lived over in America, rather than Europe. Taking a moment to look at overstock’s inventory, I feel I would probably have difficulty in keeping to the 1K or 5K total, but then again its Christmas, so I suppose I could always dip into the bank account to top up the total budget…

Scottsdale Culinary Institute are based in America, and offer a range of programs, for both the budding chef who wants to learn some of the fine art involved in creating a truly pleasurable experience for diners, to seasoned professionals who wish to branch out or brush up their existing skills. Have a quick look over at http://www.chefs.edu/ and see what may interest you. Apart from the techniques and technologies that any Cordon Bleu aspiring chef needs to master, the actual location of the institute is a big draw for many culinary students, and if your current budget is already a little stretched, you may well be interested in the page on the financial assistance that is available in some cases.
So, check the site out, peruse the course data, and see just what Scottsdale Culinary Institute can do to assist you in your quest for culinary excellence!

American English is commonly accepted to be a dialect of the English language, and while people from Britain and America can nearly always understand each other, the exact words used do differ from one nation to another.
So going on vacation becomes going on holiday, rather than living in an apartment, you live in a flat, opening a checking account becomes opening a current account, a car’s hood becomes a bonnet and then there are of course all the words that change from containing a ‘z’ (zee) to an ’s’ (most certainly not a zed), er becomes re, and superfluous ‘u’s are also often dropped in American English.

We still need to sort a few lighting fixtures in this flat - the hallway entrance light blew up last summer, the main living room light stopped working, and we still have an electrical wire protruding from the bathroom wall. (If you think that is scary, you should see the broken mains socket next to the washing machine! Anyway, having looked through a lot of the selections available at Farrey’s, I really liked the Java wall light fitting from the forecast lighting collection and the
Carthay 2 light wall sconce from the maxim lighting collections, although I’m not sure if they would fit in with our current decor in this flat. Perhaps something to keep in mind for the next time we re-decorate or move?
The site itself offers a lot more than the normal selection of light fittings, from rugged outdoor lighting to the latest in fashionable sconces, to accessories and ceiling fans. All the ranges seemed to be of high quality, and if you happen to live in America, free shipping is available on orders totalling $50 or more.

If you have been the victim of police brutality, false arrest, harassment or simply feel that a justice official failed to carry out their duty, and in so doing caused you emotional, financial or physical harm, then you should look for an organization of police misconduct lawyers. Although I doubt such organizations manage to exist here in Kazakhstan, over in America, there is a lot more awareness of what should be expected from officials working with the law. One section that particularly interested me was on false arrests, for example, I did not realise that American bounty hunters are not permitted to cross international borders to retrieve their bail jumpers, and in doing so are officially taking part in a kidnapping!
Whatever the exact circumstances, it costs nothing to contact the team, who will investigate and let you know if they think your case is worth pursuing. At the end of the day, you have nothing to lose, and could end up with both official recognition of the mistakes police have made, and possibly financial compensation.

I have mentioned it before, but if we were ever to take a holiday in America, there are two states I would particularly like to visit. First would have to be New York, for all the obvious touristy reasons, as well as to say hello to a couple of friends over there. Second would be Florida, though preferably not when it is too hot. For people considering visiting Orlando rental homes can make a lot of sense - all the necessities (and luxuries ) you come to expect in your own home, without any of the hassles normally associated with living in a home - so no hoovering, dusting etc. - the best of both worlds…

OK, this is one of the last posts I will make whilst in Kazakhstan, so I intend to use it to catch up with a few articles, videos and sites I have been meaning to post about in the last few weeks. Otherwise I will return in a little under a month, and forget all about them probably…

BBC article on the growth in high tech online crime.
Article on 50 Cent’s promise to quit, which he gave prior to his album being beaten to the UK#1 spot.
Related article on fiddy postponing his European tour.
Cool article on speech to sign language translation software. Most impressive.
Another article, this time on how DNA data could be at risk if funding organizations succeed in twisting researchers’ arms.
Article on how Chernobyl is to receive a new steel cover.
Were they pushed, did they jump, or were they stage managed dives? Check out a little background info here on the continuing political family soap opera that is Kazakhstan…
Article on beloved uncle Pres Nazarbayev not being nominated for the Nobel prize. Never mind, he got a consolation prize.
From 3 weeks ago, an article on arrest warrants being issued over the Aliyev case.
Piece on two bodyguard’s return to Kazakhstan and their confession live to the media. (Related to Aliyev’s alleged criminal activities).
VOA (Voice of America?) summary of the recent elections held in this country.
Is Kazakhstan to follow Russia’s example by moving in on, or at least re-negotiating contracts with, Western oil and gas companies? The International Herald Tribune’s website has a report on the goings on.

Reports from foreign diplomats/govt workers on Astana and Almaty. I had especially wanted to give these two pages their own post. Some of the information is incorrect, some is simply out of date, though there are some gems in there for those considering moving to this country. I may remember to make a more detailed post when I get back half way through October.

Finally a couple of YouTube vids that caught my attention, both from members over at the channels.nl forum I believe. The first is on a man with a lot of vision, and quite a variant on the static art you’ll see in most galleries…

Secondly, we have a video that will have little cultural reference if you are not in the right age band, but is about who would win if all the super heros and villans had a big scrap. Hmm, not sold that too well, sorry. Unless you have tight bandwidth restrictions per month, trust me, it is worth listening to

(USA Relevant)

One of the attractions for visitors to Amsterdam is the opportunity to see many diamonds on display. Sadly not everyone can make it to the Netherlands. Although I will be there shortly, I am not sure if Alex, ChrisD and myself will be able to make it to any of the shops there. With Amsterdam prices, I think I should probably confiscate Alex’s cards before allowing her there However, all is not lost, as Katz Imports are on hand to help you obtain the best diamonds. As a première diamond importer, based in Jeweler’s Row (in Philadelphia). This area is one of America’s biggest, as well as the oldest Diamond district. Within this sector, there dozens and dozens of jewellery shops, all facing the brick paved streets.
With such a huge variety of styles available, with great sales prices year round, anyone is guaranteed to find something that not only matches their dream of an ideal stone, but also suits the size of their wallet.
A short distance from Independence Hall, Jewelers’ Row is situated on Sansom Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and just a moments walk from the Pennsylvania Convention Center. There is another branch based on Eighth Street between Walnut and Chestnut Streets.
Most occasions can have a touch of class added to their memory by the presentation of a nice rock, such as proposing, the actual marriage ceremony, a special anniversary, or even just to say ‘I Love You’ in the time honoured traditional way. Do a little research yourself about Katz Imports, and I am sure you will soon see that their stores have had no complaints regarding sales in the last few years at all!
The company itself has been running for nearly thirty years now, and as such their experience in the industry means a great deal… A great deal to the staff who want to keep such a reputation, and a great deal for you, with such quality diamonds at surprisingly affordable prices.

Today Tom, of LifeOf2Me fame has his birthday. I don’t know how old he will be, so lets be nice, and assume 32? I hope today brings you the company of many friends, and that they all remind you what a great person you are to have around.
For newer readers to this blog, Tom spent some time in Astana this and last year, before moving back to America, and then taking some Afghan kids to Kyrgyzstan on a summer camp, with Walton.
I hope we manage to meet up again some time soon, in any case, don’t work too hard, and keep on being your brilliant self