Latest posts by Nathan Hamm from October, 2006
Kazakhstan: Dirty Atyrau
The Atyrau Informant gives a tip on what shoes to wear to make it through Atyrau's winter mud.
Kyrgyzstan & Azerbaijan: Pollution
Ben Paarman notes that Kyrgyzstan's Mailuu Suu has been listed as one of the ten most polluted sites on earth by a US environmental group. Elsewhere in Central Asia and the Caucasus, a site in Azerbaijan makes the list.
Turkmenistan: Monument to Irony
Registan.net notes that Turkmenistan's president has unveiled a building shaped like a book that is a gift to the country's media and dedicated to free media. The author notes that this is quite an irony as independent journalists are a rarity in Turkmenistan.
Kyrgyzstan: Kochkor Rodeo Journal
Peace Corps Volunteer Trent Milan posts a journal detailing the planning for the upcoming rodeo in Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan.
Armenia: Vostan Hayots Reunion
Onnik Krikorian reports that Vostan Hayots, the “Armenian Metallica,” is reuniting for a few shows.
Central Asia: History of Japanese Relations
Leila writes about the long and accidential history of ties between Japan and Central Asia.
Kazakhstan: R&D
Ben takes a look at Kazakhstan's pledge to boost research and development spending to 5% of GDP by 2012 and says that for the spending to have its promised impact, it will have to be accompanied by structural reforms.
Afghanistan: Getting There
The latest edition of “Ask Carpetbogger” informs readers on how one gets to Afghanistan. As an added bonus, there's a post on buying carpets in Kabul that also discusses the deteriorating situation in the country.
Mongolia: Drinking Water
At A Year in Mongolia, Alexa discusses an impressive-sounding World Bank proposal for increasing access to and affordability of water in Mongolia only to find out that the same plan tried elsewhere achieved little.
Central Asia: IMT Phony?
A Tajik official has claimed that the Islamic Movement of Turkestan is merely a fabrication of the Uzbekistani government. Sean Roberts analyzes the news and whether or not the IMT likely exists.
Tajikistan: Corruption Permeates
Alexander Sadikov reports that Tajikistan's Prosecutor General announced that corruption afflicts all levels of the Tajik government and he discusses corruption in the country.
Armenia: Anti-Corruption
At Oneworld Multimedia, Nessuna reports on a presentation of a report on Armenian anti-corruption policy and anti-corruption public service announcements in Yerevan.
Kyrgyzstan: Monuments for Mobsters
Yulia discusses the criteria for having a monument built of someone in Kyrgyzstan in light of the news that authorities in Balykchy plan to build a monument to a slain criminal.
Armenia: No Visa
Notes From Hareinik reports on what it calls “corruption…in play” possibly leading to the denial of visas to those behind Yerevan's popular New Delhi restaraunt.
Armenia: Genocide Roundup
Onnik Krikorian rounds up posts on the Armenian genocide from across the blogosphere.
Kazakhstan: Adoption Blogs
KZBlog takes a look at Kazakhstan adoption blogs, a significant sub-section of the English language Kazakh blogosphere.
Mongolia: Dragon Walk
Dean details effective strategies for crossing Ulaanbaatar's busy streets while avoiding strategy.
Georgia: Making Their Case
Registan.net discusses the savviness of Georgia's president in making the country's case and gaining sympathy in the West that enhances its power in its ongoing conflicts with Russia.
Kazakhstan: New Party
Sean Roberts reports on the probable emergence of a new political party in Kazakhstan that would serve the interests of businesspeople.
Georgia: Social Impact of Russia Conflict
Dan O'Huiginn reports on some of the social impacts of the Russia-Georgia conflict.
Armenia: Genocide Bill Fallout
Blogrel outlines some of the impacts and consequences of the passage of France's law against denying the Armenian genocide. While the author is happy the bill passed, he hopes that it ultimately fails in the interests of free speech.