Image credit: Eoin Campbell

Special to Earthpages.org

Welcoming Czech Prime Minister’s “regret” over involuntary sterilization of Roma women, Hindus have demanded fair and adequate financial compensation to the victims.

Hindu leader Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer should offer formal “apology” as the misconduct in this case was very serious and just “regret” would not be sufficient to heal the deep wounds caused. Perpetrators should be prosecuted for the irreversible crimes against these women which permanently deprived them from having children.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that neighboring Slovakia also now needed to acknowledge this blunder and apologize on this issue. Czech Republic should make Roma upliftment her first priority as they were facing apartheid like conditions. Their maltreatment was a dark stain on the face of Czech Republic and Europe.

Rajan Zed argued that Roma people in Czech Republic reportedly faced violent attacks, stereotyping, racism, prejudice, growing gap between Roma and other Czechs, fear, beatings, poor quality housing, systemic employment and overall discrimination, persecution, throwing of Molotov cocktails, social exclusion, segregated schools, marginalization; refused service at restaurants, stores, discos, etc.; municipalities/towns failing to support them; and the state being unwilling or unable to offer protection.

Zed stressed that the country of Franz Kafka, Antonin Dvorak, Jaroslav Hasek, Karlovy Vary, and rich cultural heritage should not continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma apartheid.

References to Roma people in Europe, who are believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent, reportedly went as far back as ninth century AD.

 Τρίτη 24 Νοεμβρίου 2009  [ 15:57 ]

Η κυβέρνηση της Τσεχίας εξέφρασε την Τρίτη μεταμέλεια για την παράνομη στείρωση των γυναικών Ρομά. Αν και η πρακτική αυτή υποτίθεται ότι σταμάτησε το 1990, οργανώσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων καταγγέλλουν ότι καταγεγραμμένα περιστατικά υπήρξαν έως και το 2003.

Σύμφωνα με τον υπουργό Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων της Τσεχίας, Μίκαελ Κότσαμπ, η τσεχική κυβέρνηση έχει λάβει μέτρα για να διασφαλίσει ότι η πρακτική αυτή δε θα επαναληφθεί.

Η Ένωση Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων της Τσεχίας δήλωσε ότι η «μεταμέλεια» της κυβέρνησης δεν είναι αρκετή και ζήτησε οικονομική αποζημίωση για τις γυναίκες που υπέστησαν τη στείρωση.

Ωστόσο, ο επίτροπος της τσεχικής κυβέρνησης για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, Γιαν Λιτομίσκι, δήλωσε: «Η κυβέρνηση δε ζητάει συγγνώμη από τις γυναίκες επειδή αρνείται να επωμιστεί την ευθύνη για ατομικά λάθη, τα οποία σε καμία περίπτωση δεν ξεκίνησε», λέγοντας ότι η ευθύνη για την πράξη αυτή βαραίνει τους γιατρούς που προέβαιναν στις στειρώσεις.

Η καταναγκαστική στείρωση θεωρείται ότι είχε ως στόχο τον περιορισμό του πληθυσμού των Ρομά.

Η πρακτική αυτή σταμάτησε με την πτώση του κομμουνισμού στην Τσεχοσλοβακία το 1990, ωστόσο, οργανώσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων καταγγέλλουν ότι το τελευταίο καταγεγραμμένο περιστατικό σημειώθηκε το 2003.

Αν και δεν υπάρχουν ακριβή αρχεία για το πόσες γυναίκες στειρώθηκαν, μόνο στην πόλη Οστράβα 80 γυναίκες Ρομά καταγγέλλουν ότι υποβλήθηκαν σε αυτή την πρακτική.

Αντιδράσεις για το θέμα οδήγησαν σε επίσημη έρευνα, ενώ το 2005 ο κρατικός επίτροπος προστασίας των δικαιωμάτων του πολίτη παραδέχθηκε το πρόβλημα και ζήτησε να αποζημιωθούν οικονομικά οι γυναίκες που υπέστησαν στείρωση ανάμεσα στα έτη 1973 και 1991.

From CIJ Awards Czech Republic 2009

Multi Development, Cushman & Wakefield, Waldeck Capital, Europolis, Wilson & Partners, EMCM, ING Real Estate Development, Somerston Olympia and Panattoni: these were the big winners at the ninth annual CIJ Awards, which took place in central Prague last night at the Marriott Hotel. (See the growing Awards picture gallery)

In a year marked by severe financial restrictions and cost-cutting in the property industry, the event proved a remarkable success, with nearly 300 of the industry’s leading figures on hand to witness the ceremony.

But it was the high quality of the nominations in such troubled times that was most noteworthy, confirming what’s become increasingly clear over the course of 2009: only the best projects stand a chance in this market.

Here are some of the more interesting short news pieces in the field from the last few days.  If our international readers would like to add details, it would be greatly appreciated!

Argentina

Crean centro de asistencia a víctimas del terrorismo de Estado | Crean victims assistance center of state terrorism

El Ministerio de Justicia, Seguridad y Derechos Humanos creó el Centro de Asistencia a Víctimas del Terrorismo de Estado “Dr. Fernando Ulloa”, cuyo objetivo es “la asistencia psicológica, orientación y derivación de los afectados y/o sus familiares por las graves violaciones a los derechos humanos”.

(Google Translation) The Ministry of Justice, Security and Human Rights established the Center for Victims of State Terrorism “Dr. Fernando Ulloa”, whose goal is “psychological assistance, guidance and referral for those affected and / or their families about the serious violations human rights”.

European Union

Czech Republic Human Rights Minister wants to tackle domestic violence

Some 10,000 people have sought help in connection with domestic violence in the Czech Republic this year, and at least 92 percent of victims have been women, Human Rights Minister Michael Kocab said yesterday, adding his office is preparing a national plan to prevent domestic violence.The plan should help not only the victims but also children from the families where domestic violence occurs.

Moreover, the ministry would like to support non-profit organisation helping domestic violence victims, Kocab said yesterday…

France to ban ‘psychological violence’ in marriage

France is to pass a law banning “psychological violence within the couple” and study the idea of tagging violent partners to prevent them stalking their victims, the government said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced the measures in a speech to mark the United Nations’ tenth International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, promising legislation in the first half of nest year….

Poland, Spain want EU help for crime victims

Poland and Spain have begun a drive to create EU-wide protection for victims of crimes such as sexual abuse and trafficking, Polish Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski was quoted as saying Thursday.”We want national justice rulings to be applicable across the territory of the European Union, and not just in the country concerned,” Kwiatkowski told the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita.

As it stands, victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking only get legal protection in the country where the perpetrators of the crime have been found guilty.

If they move to another EU member state, the victims therefore face the spectre of cross-border revenge — and starting a new legal process.

UK betrays Mumbai victims (Commentary)
I try to report news, not to comment on it. But watching Will, now 29, and his partner Kelly Doyle on television this morning, full of dignity, with not a shred of bitterness, it was impossible not to feel real anger at how they – and the dozens of other British citizens injured or killed in overseas terror attacks since 9/11 – have been abandoned and betrayed.

The nub of the issue is straightforward. There is a loophole in Britain’s compensation laws. Britons targeted by terrorism do get compensation from the government – but not if they fall victim overseas…

Israel

New plan to aid crime victims excludes domestic violence cases

This week saw other significant tidings for the families of the murdered women: The government approved a program to help families of murder victims cope and get on with their lives. However, this plan will not help those who were merely physically or sexually abused, rather than killed. They will still need to cope all by themselves. Nor will the program help most past victims; it applies only to future victims.

Nigeria

Rights Activist Decries Sexual Abuse

A human rights activist and social crusader, Mrs. Olushola Akai, has frowned at the rampant cases of sexual abuse against the youths in the present-day society

“Make Love Not War!”

Prague, Czech Republic

June 11, 2006

Taken by Adam Groffman

(flickr/agroffman/all rights reserved)

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new global version of Amazon’s Kindle for Christmas, be aware that there are still quite a few places that the global version will NOT work.  I was disappointed to find that the new version still will not work in my country.

Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.   I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in (below).

It’s also interesting to note the PATTERN of groups of countries where the Kindle doesn’t work–some countries probably lack satellite coverage or delivery systems, while others probably don’t WANT readers to be able to download whatever they want by satellite.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,  Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S.,  Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009) the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan,  Yemen.

Remember the old  good days when Czechoslovakia still existed and tons of gipsy girls were sterilized without their consent?, yeah yeah, the old communist era………ahhh i miss that.

Well apparently  the Czech government its not giving any indemnification to all those gipsy girls that suffered the sterilization…. yeah…… but hey, its not all lost at least they apologized….. that would be enough right? I mean, at the end they made them a favor….. who wants tons of children? ….NOT………

So the Czech government is saying….. sorry girls…. we were not in power……this has nothing 2 do with us…..2 bad for them….. WTF those that mean…. come’ on guys, no one is accepting those apologies… give em some money… that will replace all psychological and physical trauma …….. I think the Czech government should do something about it, i mean the communist era ended in early 90’s but according 2 some human rights this beautiful practice has its last case in 2003…. that has to mean something isn’t it….

I wonder what the Slovakia government will do?, or the sterilization only happened in ugly Czech republic?

Go and fight for ur rights romani people  don’t let them get what they want…… make tons of babies….. and be happy

off to Prague.

Once again I’m leaving Denmark to explore the great vastness that is Europe.  This is the last of any major travel breaks for me.  I am leaving this evening for a hour’s flight to the capital city of the Czech Republic.  I arrive back to Copenhagen Monday afternoon, a few hours before my Monday history class.

I am pumped and totally excited for this mini, yet somewhat long travel break in Prague.  Five full days exploring, what I’ve hear, one of Europe’s most picturesque cities.  This trip comes at the perfect time as well, since the Christmas season begins this weekend in Prague.  The Christmas markets open up and the city is filled with lights, a large Christmas tree, and supposedly lots of carolers.  Should be really pretty and lots of fun.  The added bonus is that Prague is one of Europe’s cheapest cities (our hostel cost $9 a night!), always a plus for college students.

So long for now, I’ll be back in less than a week!

http://kl.am/54Ot

 Oh hello, didn’t see you there. Anyway, this is my first video:) Whooooo mee:) Prague, Czech Republic and a neighbouring city, Pardubice. I was there this past August with my dear friend, and photographer Christine Novak. Some of the photography is done by her, and some by your’s truly. It’s a bit blurry at first but the ending is perfect so if you have any tips of how to fix it, I WILL GLADLY ACCEPT THEM. Otherwise, not saying this video is very informative, but if you wanted to get to know me a little bit better, to understand the beautiful culture of the Czech Republic, and to get a small taste of what I would say is perhaps one of the craziest party cities in Europe… Then this video is for you:) Enjoy!

P.S. BEWARE OF OBSCENE BRITISH BOYS… Ladies you will enjoy this more than the men:)

I will answer any questions regarding the touristic attractions, the history, the nightlife- touristy and locally, as well as where to find the best beer:) Even Toronto Star agree’s on that one!

Happy Travels

Move over big brother, here we come. That is what a tiny nation of a little over 5 million people will be saying to the Czechs. In the summer of 2010, Slovakia’s footballers will be in South Africa playing in the World Cup for the first time as an independent nation. Qualifying top of Group 3 in the European zone, ahead of traditional powerhouses like Czech Republic, Poland and Northern Ireland, Vladimir Weiss’s men have done themselves and their nation proud.
There is an immense need in Bratislava to stop being the little brother to the big shot Czech Republic, especially in sport. The two countries used to be one and after their split in 1993, the Czechs have been a powerful force in European soccer. The very fact that the neighboring countries had been drawn together in a qualifying group was an exciting chance for the improving Slovaks. It had happened in qualifying for World Cup 1998 and Euro 2008, but Slovakia was always an also-ran. This time they made sure that things were different. With seven wins out of 10 and the most goals scored (22) in the qualifying journey, the Slovaks proved all their doubters wrong. Not to mention beating the Czechs in their own den, 2-1. A corner had been turned in Slovak football.

They earned their place in football’s grandest stage by beating Poland 1-0, fighting blizzard conditions and fevered expectations of a nation. “I love these players,” said Slovakia’s Coach Vladimír Weiss after the victory, earned after a third minute own-goal by the Poland defender Seweryn Gancarczyk. He said, “In these qualifiers we have played well and had a little bit of luck. Everybody made a contribution and we made the whole of Slovakia happy. This is a fantastic feeling. He added, “Several people maybe didn’t believe in us. But we succeeded. I am proud of these guys and this triumph.” The team’s achievement can best be quantified by looking at the opposition they will now face in South Africa lining up against the likes of Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, France and United States. With not many marquee players in the squad, this team has been a revelation throughout the qualifying campaign. The likes of Marek Hamsik, Martin Skrtel, Stanislav Sestak, Marek Cech and Vladimir Weiss Jr. will rub shoulders with the very best of the world in South Africa.

It has been a qualifying campaign full of surprises and magic. With as many as five debutants in 2010 – Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Honduras and North Korea and countries like Algeria and New Zealand qualifying after long gap -, it will be a tournament to watch. The countdown to an exciting summer in South Africa has just begun.

Argentina 4 v 3 Belgium HT 0-2 | 2009-11-22 14:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

The final match of the tournament between Argentina and Belgium, the all-important fight for the last remaining ticket to Delhi, was an expectedly fiercely contested battle between two worthy teams.

Belgium worked their way to an early advantage when Cedric Charlier sunk a field goal in the 14th minute and Jeffrey Thys added another ten minutes later. Two goals up at the end of the first half, it looked like Belgium were going to run away with the match, but Argentina were not defeated just yet. With Pedro Ibarra sinking a penalty corner just after the break, Argentina first got on the scoreboard, only to see Jerome Dekeyser re-establishing the two goal lead ten minutes later.

A penalty stroke awarded to Argentina five minutes later turned the tide however, Pedro Ibarra displaying the same reliability as ever, which eventually made him the topscorer in the competition. Fuelled by the goal, Argentina played more and more offensively, attacking continuously, and getting in the equalizer a few minutes later.

With the scores level, it was all open battle between the two top teams in this competition, but to the great joy of the stadium-filling crowd at the Quilmes stadium, it was the Argentine team who edged the Belgians out for the elusive ticket to Delhi with a goal from Mario Almada eight minutes from the end. A fierce final phase of the game, in which both teams played their hearts out, saw no further goals, and the Argentineans erupted in cheers after having ended up defeated at bthe last three occasions it really mattered.

Argentina thus took voctory in the match and gold in the tournament, while Belgium took silver. Ireland ended up with Bronze, ahead of the Czech Republic, the USA and Chile. Individual awards were presented to Argentina for Fair Play, Pedro Ibarra of Argentina as the topscorer, Filip Neusser of the Czech Republic as Best Goalkeeper and Felix Denayer as Best Player.

Ireland 1 v 1 Czech Republic HT 1-0 | ET 2-1 | 2009-11-22 09:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Chile 1 v 2 USA HT 0-0 | 2009-11-22 09:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)
Final Standings

Argentina
Belgium
Ireland
Czech Republic
USA
Chile

Here are the Top 10 least religious countries in the world:

1. Sweden (up to 85% non-believer, atheist, agnostic)
2. Vietnam
3. Denmark
4. Norway
5. Japan
6. Czech Republic
7. Finland
8. France
9. South Korea
10. Estonia (up to 49% non-believer, atheist, agnostic)

The one that surprised me was Israel, ranking 19th, with up to 37% claiming to be non-believer, atheist, agnostic. Compare that with the United States, ranking 44th, with 3-9% non-believers, atheists, agnostics.

The survey concluded that “high levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health, such as low homicide rates, low poverty rates, low infant mortality rates, and low illiteracy rates, as well as high levels of educational attainment, per capita income, and gender equality. Most nations characterized by high degrees of individual and societal security have the highest rates of organic atheism, and conversely, nations characterized by low degrees of individual and societal security have the lowest rates of organic atheism. In some societies, particularly Europe, atheism is growing. However, throughout much of the world — particularly nations with high birth rates — atheism is barely discernable.”

And now for the Top 50:

So let’s compare. Here are the nations with very high human development (developed countries).

1	▲ (1)	Norway	0.971	▲ 0.001
2	▲ (2)	Australia	0.970	▲ 0.002
3	▼ (2)	Iceland	0.969	▲ 0.002
4	▼ (1)	Canada	0.966	▲ 0.001
5	▬	Ireland	0.965	▲ 0.001
6	▬	Netherlands	0.964	▲ 0.003
7	▬	Sweden	0.963	▲ 0.002
8	▲ (3)	France	0.961	▲ 0.003
9	▲ (1)	Switzerland	0.960	▲ 0.001
10	▼ (2)	Japan	0.960	▲ 0.002
11	▼ (2)	Luxembourg	0.960	▲ 0.001
12	▬	Finland	0.959	▲ 0.004
13	▲ (2)	United States	0.956	▲ 0.001
14	▬	Austria	0.955	▲ 0.003
15	▲ (1)	Spain	0.955	▲ 0.003
16	▼ (2)	Denmark	0.955	▲ 0.002
17	▬	Belgium	0.953	▲ 0.002
18	▲ (1)	Italy	0.951	▲ 0.001
19	N/A	Liechtenstein	0.951	▲ 0.001

All I really wanted were a couple dozen eggs and the butcher down the street has free-range chickens and eggs so I always try to buy them there, but as I stood there looking at the meat I couldn’t help but feel kind of repulsed by the sight of it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love meat and I eat meat, just not a lot of it; but now, after having gotten so much of it off the farm by killing it and portioning it myself, seeing it sitting in the butcher’s doesn’t seem to make it all that fresh and yummy.

Hold on a sec, this has nothing to do with the eggs I went in for in the first place, or the fat that this is supposed to be about.

One of the more important things that we divvy up amongst the families when we kill a pig is the fat, which is then taken home to be rendered. First of all, nothing is wasted, and I mean nothing. And secondly, pork fat is still used a lot here in cooking, baking and snacking. Yes, I said snacking. I’ve read that the Germans have a similar culinary delight called Griebenschmalz, but what my wife used to do before I introduced her to vegetables was simply to slice a piece of bread and slather it up with cold, homemade lard. She didn’t even bother with the little crunchy bits!

So staring me in the face at the butcher’s was a lot of unpleasant pieces of meat, but for some reason the cold, white stare of the pork fat sitting there seemed irresistible. So, here I am now in the kitchen finishing up with my rendering of pan upon pan of fat not only for the quart of fat it will produce but also for the small pieces of “škvarky” or as the Brits call it, “cracklings”. I’ve no idea what this is in American English to be honest, something akin to “pork rinds” I imagine. Hey, I grew up at a time when lard was on the out and no one used it except my grandmother in her awesome Angel Food Cakes. I’ve come to find more recently that it’s a great substitute in my Bran Muffins etc. whenever there is a call for shortening. It’s basically the same thing, no?

So what was it about those slices of white pig fat that was so enticing? I’ve no idea. Maybe the purity of it and the knowledge that within about 30-40 minutes of slicing and slowing frying, I could have something pretty simple and natural to cook with (or let others snack on) and I cannot fry eggs in anything other than pig fat, no way. And as for the “simple and natural” side of the argument, it seems that more and more, some of the old ways might have been the better ways, at least in terms of health.

And if you’re interested in how to do it yourself (it’s better than buying it), then here’s a quick run-through on how. Don’t forget to Eat Wild.

Gotta go, I’m making Avocado Soup with home-made chicken broth, and my wife is home so I think I’ll surprise her with some škvarky!

1,350,000 Euros Villa only or 1,500,000 for the Villa, cruiser, jeep and berth

Sitting proudly elevated above Elounda with glorious views is this Architect built villa, with four bedrooms. The property is detached and in its own grounds of over 2,750 m or just over half an acre. Built as a permanent home ,for the English owner to North European Standards, and with quality fixtures and fittings throughout

Amazon's Global Kindle Reader

I heard that Amazon now has a global version of Kindle. I was disappointed to find this morning that the new version still will not work in my country.

Since I’ve wanted one for some time, but have been waiting until they got a version that would work in my country, I checked out their website this morning, only to be disappointed again. Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new Global Kindle for a Christmas gift this year, since the new version will only work in SOME countries, I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

“We’re Not Working with Anybody, Ever, Anymore!”

November 22nd, 2009

When we get this close to the end of The Amazing Race, the show’s interest in its characters begins to shift. At certain points, the show allows the racers to appear as comrades, laughing together and competing against the race itself more against each other. However, by the time you get to the final four teams, the show wants every chance to pit the teams against one another in a fight to get to the end, trying to breed the sort of competitive fire that you want to see at this stage in the game.

And while most of the google hits from last week’s post seemed to indicate that the biggest piece of news from the leg was crotch censorship, the real story was the way the producers turned Dan and Flight Time’s altercation into a sign that, from this point forward, things are personal. In reality, the clip was only really edited this way (Big Easy clarified, as they did at the start of this leg, that they had no personal vendetta), but what it does signal is that all bets are officially off.

And this week, as the teams head to the Czech Republic, we realize that this season these teams are perfectly built in order to enter into this competitive stage. There is no team in this race that is what one would call a “feel good” team, and the result is that we’re effectively watching to see how well these teams are able to embrace this competitive spirit. And while this might not fit into a narrative of personal achievement or self-realization, it does fit into what makes these final legs of the race suspenseful: all of these teams are both ultimately capable of being competitive (athletic and strong-minded), but they also tend to create an enormous amount of drama in the process.

As someone who likes this competitive side of the race, I’m pleased by this, but I can see how someone looking for more of a fan favourite finish to the race may be disappointed.

Some of my favourite moments on the race are those where a team becomes divided on an issue as integral to the race as competition. You start to see how people choose to ignore certain realities (like, say, teams not losing sleep over taking someone’s taxi in a race for a million dollars) in an effort to rationalize this crazy process: at this point, they’re suffering from killer fatigue, someone like Brian actually expects that Sam and Dan should apologize to him for stealing a taxi. Perhaps months later, as they share a lunch over all their adventures around the world, they can get together and clear the air, but in the context of the race this behaviour would make no sense.

But it’s the sort of behaviour that emerges when you have teams interacting with one another as the race gets more competitive. Meghan and Cheyne get into a fairly heated argument over whether or not they treated the Globetrotters poorly after the detour, and you can sense that the two are thinking about this race very differently. Meghan is thinking in the short term, feeling that they agreed to work with the Globetrotters and they should continue honouring that agreement. However, Cheyne is thinking in the big picture, believing that the Globetrotters could have just as easily taken the taxi, and that any advantage is a key to staying in the lead and staying in the race. Perhaps not surprisingly, Cheyne is in the right here: heck, if Meghan was able to see what we saw, she would know that the Globetrotters have intended to simply follow Meghan and Cheyne anyways before they agreed to work together, so this isn’t exactly some sort of long-term alliance that both teams are really devoted to. So much of the sense of an “alliance” on the race is convenience, whether in the form of a calculator or in the form of someone who has directions from a local, so to expect those sorts of relationships to remain sacred is inherently false.

Brian and Ericka’s beef with Sam and Dan is even more intriguing when you consider that, when Brian and Ericka are eventually spared by a non-elimination leg (get to that in a minute), Brian argues that he is out to prove that you can win this race honestly. This is noble, certainly, and makes for a nice sort of “good vs. evil” narrative for the show’s producers, but it’s also something that ignores the balance of the material (the million dollar cash prize) and the immaterial (personal satisfaction) that exists in the race. There is no one way to win the race, and in some instances dishonesty has triumphed over honesty, just as blind luck has triumphed over skill. While the taxi theft is something the producers like to be able to build up to create tension between the teams, it’s less about the tension between individuals and more the tension between competitive and non-competitive within each individual racer, within each team, and in the teams’ relationships with one another.

So I love moments like Cheyne losing his temper (and dropping an f-bomb) with Meghan over her conscience getting the best of her, or Ericka proving the voice of reason by pointing out that Sam and Dan aren’t likely detouring to the nearest confessional to wipe away their sin. As the teams begin to grow more and more competitive (with the finish line growing closer in each leg), they begin to either buy into the sense that this is a race or resist turning into “one of those racers” and losing some sense of their humanity in the process.

And one of the things that has been so interesting about the Globetrotters is that they don’t seem to care about any of this. Yes, this is a team that wants to win, but I don’t think that Flight Time was purposefully slowing down Meghan and Cheyne at the Detour. Sure, I may be naive for believing him to be telling the truth, but to this point in the race they’ve shown no sense of being coy with their strategy: while Meghan and Cheyne briefly plot to mislead other teams about what the “Vintage Praga” might be, Flight Time and Big Easy are more blatant when they try to “game the game.” You notice that they never debate about whether or not they should be competitive because they’ve always agreed: this is a game, and they want to win, whether it means freaking out a terrified southern belle in water wings or getting into a physical confrontation of sorts on a boggy boardwalk.

I guess it’s no surprise that players on a team that never loses are willing to be competitive to keep from losing, but I think it’s the kind of attitude that the other racers seem more reticent to employ. Sam (who initially insisted “No, we can’t” when Dan suggested they bribe Brian and Ericka’s cabbie), Brian and Meghan all tend to resist these attempts at being cutthroat or competitive, which creates tension in a way that doesn’t seem to exist between Flight Time and Big Easy. And while it’s true that competition between the teams can create plenty of tension this late in the race, like Big Easy nearly throwing a guitar at Meghan for yelling “Cheyne!” in the opera house, it is the tension between racers that will eventually bring you down. And while Meghan and Cheyne argued in the cab, and Ericka’s attitude has proven difficult in the past despite Brian’s supportive stance, and Dan and Sam had a hay bale-style meltdown on the rapids, the Globetrotters have stuck together through both stupidity (the briefcase in Dubai) and sloth (Big Easy in this Detour) in a way that could take them a long way.

As for the leg beyond this particular theme, though, it was actually pretty much killed by the non-elimination. I distinctly remember them saying that all but two legs were non-elimination earlier in the season, but I likely misheard; accordingly, Brian and Ericka earn their third life (they would have been eliminated in Holland too, if not for Tiffany/Maria’s struggles) and live to fight another die, which sort of flies in the face of the spirit of competition. In the case of the Hay Bales, where Gary and Matt were saved just two weeks ago, I thought it worked because of how much that Roadblock inspired a sense of personal achievement that could be celebrated by being saved. Here, though, Brian and Ericka made a critical mistake inspired by an effort to be more competitive (taking the train/subway as opposed to a cab to the first clue in Prague), and it put them behind for the rest of the leg – there’s nothing unfair about this, so there’s something dissatisfying about them remaining for another week.

Personally, I like these kinds of episodes because they’re a sort of psychological experiment, but I can see how they might not be quite as engaging for some viewers. There’s no one left that you can really root for unconditionally, and that’s an integral narrative for some viewers. What will be interesting is seeing what happens next week when we really do get down to the Final Three, and we see whether Meghan and Cheyne’s domination to this point can extend into a finale regardless of their competitors. This won’t be the most emotional of conclusions, but I think that there’s a chance for a real race to be had here, and personally that’s all I hope for in the end.

Cultural Observations

• I also hope for teams that are capable of creating some enjoyable comedy, which Flight Time (and his graceful dance moves and operatic serenade) and Sam (who knew the Opera in question, and who was hilariously humming it in the taxi as they drove to the pit stop) are able to offer. Brian and Ericka are also capable of this, don’t get me wrong, but they were a bit tied up with the competitive side of things this week.
• In case it’s confusing to have this as Episode 10, when it’s likely labeled as Episode 9 in some circles, the two-hour finale threw things off, so this is technically the 10th leg.
• Always fun to see how the times work out when the teams leave the pit stop: while last week’s editing indicated that Brian and Ericka were fairly far behind the front teams, they were actually right on top of the Globetrotters (and were likely just out of the camera shot when they went wide on the showdown between the Globetrotters and the brothers).
• The Don Giovanni challenge felt like it was trying to create a memorable character in the laughing opera singer who insulted the contestants when they brought him guitars and instruments which clearly do not qualify as “tiny,” but I don’t think it really worked. The show is best when its hilarious facilitators are inadvertently hilarious.
• And, maybe it’s just me personally, but I’d much rather have a final leg with no team I hate than one where there are teams that I both love and hate: whoever wins this race, I don’t think they’ll be an undeserving or dissatisfying winner, which is better than if that remains a possibility even with one team I enjoy still in the running.
• Thank you, Amazing Race, for no more crotch censorship.

The last day of pool play at the BDO Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Quilmes saw the Czech Republic defeat Chile, the USA forcing Belgium to a draw, and Argentina securing their place in the final with an easy win over Ireland.

Czech Republic 2 v 1 Chile HT 2-0 | 2009-11-21 11:05
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Belgium 3 v 3 USA HT 1-0 | 2009-11-21 13:05
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Ireland 0 v 4 Argentina HT 0-3 | 2009-11-21 15:05
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Irelands chances of reaching the World Cup in New Delhi in March 2010 were dashed this afternoon after they were defeated 4-0 by Argentina in Quilmes, Buenos Aires. However the score-line does not reflect a game in which they played hard and never gave up. Ireland opened well in the first 10 minutes, retaining possession, good two touch hockey and controlled movement but once again by line defence let them down in the 12th minute when the Argentines slipped past 2 defenders for a tap in from close range. Argentina took a 2-0 lead in the 18th minute with a well taken penalty corner just inside the right post and went 3-0 ahead in the 23rd minute from a deflected penalty corner. Half-Time: Ireland 0  Argentina 3 Ireland regained composure in the second half and were unlucky not to reduce the deficit in the early stages. Argentina were a awarded a penalty stroke in the 49th minute when a forward was alleged to have been fouled on a goal scoring opportunity. The stroke was calmly taken to make it 4-0 Ireland played the remainder of the match all out with every player giving 100% effort but it was to no avail. Ireland finish on equal points with Czech Republic but with a +8 goal difference and will play them tomorrow for third place. The match will start at 1505 hrs (Irish time) tomorrow.

Todays final games are as follows.

Chile v USA 2009-11-22 09:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Ireland v Czech Republic 2009-11-22 09:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

Argentina v Belgium 2009-11-22 14:35
No Venue | 2010 Men’s World Cup Qualifier (National Mens) | Match Report(s)

After more than a week fighting off a fibro flare, I’ve finally gotten around to adding the photos from Prague and Cesky Krumlov. Austria and Vienna will be the final installment of photos, coming soon…

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Veletrhy Brno
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Vystaviste Flora Olomouc
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