Winter has appeared to set in for the long hall. There is already quite a bit of snow on the ground with more to come in the next 24 hours. I have been in some cold weather, but never this cold and never for this long. Over the last couple of days the temperature has gotten up to the low teens F. We have had several days that have gotten down to the low teens below zero F. They say it is not uncommon for it to get down to 35 below here.
Worst of all, the streets and sidewalks are turning into ice rinks. I fell pretty hard yesterday walking from church to work. After I get paid next week, I will try and get me some shoes with some decent treads on them so I don’t have to ice skate all winter.
Good things continued
The news and media
One noticeable difference between here and the States is what is broadcasted on the news. Here, bad news does not exist. On any given day the news channels report on the country's economic development, the presidential visits to Western nations to stimulate interest in investment in the country, the elimination of corruption in the local government, etc. One might argue that this is one big propaganda stunt since the government is said to have more control over news agencies, but all that is said is true as far is I can see. This is in stark contrast to the constant barrage of bad news that we hear in the U.S. When was the last time we did not hear about how many murders took place last night or about some sensational scandal that some actor or politician got into? I think that our culture has a lust for blood, violence, and sensationalism that is most disturbing. Perhaps our news agencies could learn a little about balanced reporting from their Kazak counterparts by trying to focus a little more on the good things that go on in our country and in places where American troops are serving, even if the talking heads don’t agree with the policies of the current administration. And maybe the local news agencies should focus on what measures are being taken to fight crime instead of just dwelling on crime itself.
Worst of all, the streets and sidewalks are turning into ice rinks. I fell pretty hard yesterday walking from church to work. After I get paid next week, I will try and get me some shoes with some decent treads on them so I don’t have to ice skate all winter.
Good things continued
The news and media
One noticeable difference between here and the States is what is broadcasted on the news. Here, bad news does not exist. On any given day the news channels report on the country's economic development, the presidential visits to Western nations to stimulate interest in investment in the country, the elimination of corruption in the local government, etc. One might argue that this is one big propaganda stunt since the government is said to have more control over news agencies, but all that is said is true as far is I can see. This is in stark contrast to the constant barrage of bad news that we hear in the U.S. When was the last time we did not hear about how many murders took place last night or about some sensational scandal that some actor or politician got into? I think that our culture has a lust for blood, violence, and sensationalism that is most disturbing. Perhaps our news agencies could learn a little about balanced reporting from their Kazak counterparts by trying to focus a little more on the good things that go on in our country and in places where American troops are serving, even if the talking heads don’t agree with the policies of the current administration. And maybe the local news agencies should focus on what measures are being taken to fight crime instead of just dwelling on crime itself.
posted by moskovki inastranets at 2:53 AM
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