Mar 11 2008

Buzz Off

Category: In The MediaChrisM @ 1:31 am

OK, time to catch up on some of the news articles that have caught my attention recently. First we have a piece on a device called a Mosquito. The premise is simple; if you have groups of young people hanging around your home or business, and they are causing a nuisance, the device emits a noise that is unpleasant. Obviously this has become a little controversial, as one someone from the Liberty organization noted – “What type of society uses a low-level sonic weapon on its children?”

Click here for a video clip of the device, with the frequency lowered to ensure adults can hear it (as well as your soundcard being able to produce it 🙂 )

Mosquito Anti Youth Intimidation Sonic Weapon

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Feb 21 2008

Tickets Are Arriving Soon :)

Category: Amsterdam,Kazakhstan,PersonalChrisM @ 1:23 pm

For our upcoming trip to Britain and Amsterdam, we ended up finding the cheapest deal was to buy tickets from two separate suppliers (travel o city and ex pedia (without the spaces, but I’m not giving them free keyword advertising without knowing how their service turns out first 😉 )).
Anyway, one supplier just sent an e-ticket, as is normal, however the other decided we couldn’t pick up the tickets from our airport, or have handy e-tickets, so we had to pay an extra 60/70 pounds to get them DHLed. DHL have just phoned Ira, and stated that the courier is on his way, so in a few minutes, I’ll hopefully have the tickets for TSE>FRA>AMS AMS>AMA>TSE (Astana – Frankfurt – Amsterdam and the return trip of Amsterdam – Almaty (the old capital, still better served by international flights) – Astana) in my hands. The AMS – CDF and later CDF – AMS (Amsterdam to Cardiff, Wales and return) tickets were electronic, so they are already sorted.
As the apartment owner in Amsterdam has already confirmed receipt of the required deposit via PayPal, this trip is slowly coming together 🙂 Just Ira’s visas for Britain and the Netherlands (a schengen visa) left now. If only Kazakhstan would accept dual citizenship, such holidays would have been so much simpler if we both had UK passports. There you go

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Jan 16 2008

Not Again… Please

Category: In The MediaChrisM @ 10:32 pm

After last year’s infamous flooding in England, it looks as though some areas are in for more of the same, though most experts are predicting that river levels will not rise as high, meaning even though some properties will be effected, the scale and devastation will not be as large. Check out the BBC article for further information. To all our friends and family in Gloucestershire and Wales, I hope your houses escape the waters, and at the very least you get a day or two off work, with flooded roads or something. Just so long as your cars don’t get flooded again
Anyway, if things get bad again, I’ll try and source some more live webcams and recent photos, as last year’s problems seemed to attract a lot of visitors to this blog…

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Jul 22 2007

Britain Suffers From Flooding

Category: Friends,Personal,WeatherChrisM @ 1:13 am

No, not a general warning to all travellers thinking of visiting the UK, but I am instead referring to the current problems afflicting many areas in England and Wales (not sure on Scotland). Although Mum in Wales is in an area that is marked as effected by some maps I’ve seen, they live quite high up, so unless there is a river close to them that bursts its banks, they should be OK. I tried calling Dad at home, as his area has problems with all the rain, but as the phone was ringing, it can’t be too local too him, as the phone lines are working, and considering his answer phone kicked in, I can safely assume that the mains electricity has not been cut off; anyway I hope his and Jan’s houses are OK. I’ve spoken to Alex today, who said parts of the Forest of Dean were cut off, and that other places more local were effected, but that she was ok, and that just leaves Nick (in Falmouth) – if you ever get round to reading this Nick, and have not yet e-mailed, leave me a comment so I know you are not needing to take a dinghy into Uni 😉

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Jun 20 2007

Gas Pipe Disruption – Though Not Where You Think

Category: In The Media,PersonalChrisM @ 9:03 pm

Police take action over attempts to disrupt the construction of a gas pipeline.
Just another day in Iraq? Not a very surprising head line to read perhaps?
Well, this is not regarding terrorists/freedom fighters in Iraq. No, this concerns my home countries – England and Wales!

Around 30 people have been protesting about the construction of a pipeline between Pembrokeshire and Gloucestershire (the county Cheltenham is in, where we lived prior to Astana), and the A40 (that eventually leads onto London) has been closed around Brecon, as the authorities attempt to evict the protesters.

Grab more info at the BBC article on their web site.

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Jun 15 2007

Back to Swansea Again

Category: In The Media,PersonalChrisM @ 3:53 am

Came across this article on the BBC website.

A girl in Swansea who suffered appalling burns has received a novel treatment to try and help her recover.
They basically inserted a medical balloon under her healthy skin, and inflated it to create excess scalp, and an area for hair to grow. (Her skin never fully recovered from the burns, and in some places she was bald.) The idea is that once complete, they can deflate the balloon, and farm the skin and hair to use on her affected areas.
Pretty damn impressive!

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Jun 13 2007

Congratulations….

Category: Friends,Personal,PicturesChrisM @ 4:01 pm

On the new arrival to Anthony and Lisa. Baby Amelia was born in Bridgend hospital, and we (Ira, in-laws, friends etc.) would all like to pass on our congrats to the three of them. And of course to John, who is now an even grander dad 🙂

[edit]
Shortly after posting, I received an e-mail from John (Anthony’s Dad), with a little more info and some pictures…
Amelia weighed in at 4lb 10oz, but is doing well.

Anthony Lisa Amelia Wales Amelia John Wales

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Jun 11 2007

First Anne Robinson Now Thomas Cook…

Category: Kazakhstan,PersonalChrisM @ 3:24 pm

The UK Travel Agent Thomas Cook has sent out a memo to staff in Bangor, dictating that any business related conversations should only be carried out in English. The Welsh Language Board have stated they are disappointed with the company, and the Commission for Racial Equality in Wales are investigating the situation, asking Thomas Cook to explain why this edict was issued. They warned that the policy may be in breach of the Race Relations Act.

The company told their staff that they must use only English for business conversations. In the North of Wales, Welsh is often the primary language used – in the same way that many Kazakh families only use Russian if someone who can’t speak Kazakh is present.

A Thomas Cook spokeswoman stated that their policy applied to all non-English languages. A company statement read “Thomas Cook requests that all staff speak English when discussing work-related matters in the work place.”

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May 12 2007

My Brother Hits The Front Page…

Category: Personal,PicturesChrisM @ 8:06 pm

and not even for a student prank back firing or anything!

I should probably explain he is on a Journalism course down in Cornwall, but has spent a week working at the Western Mail in Cardiff for work experience. Last week they had elections in Wales, and Nick wrote an article for the paper, that made it to the main page. (The front page itself was just the results in large print, no actual articles).

He is now in Bristol for work experience at the GWR radio station, so good luck to him there.

This is a recent photo of him and Roz, his girlfriend.
Nick and Roz

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May 08 2007

The Eyre Affair

Category: BooksChrisM @ 2:30 am

The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde

This is the first in a series of 4 novels – The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots & Something Rotten.
The main character is a woman called Thursday Next (I better go and check that, I’ve read a few books since this one).
She ends up finding a portal between the so called ‘real’ world, and a universe/alternative reality inhabited by characters from novels in the ‘real world’.
Mum & John might like this book, as in the real world of The Eyre Affair, Wales is a fully independent state! The other main things that jumps out from my memories of this book is Thursday’s pet – a dodo! There are a lot of literary references in this novel, and although you’ll still enjoy this book without knowledge of past masters of English Literature, it certainly enhances your experience if you can get some of the in-jokes.
Right thats enough for now, more on the other three books in this series tomorrow 🙂

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