Would you like to go to Kazakhstan?

According to the commercial I saw yesterday during Headline News, we all should go to Kazakhstan. In case you didn't know where it is, they posted a map at the end of the commercial. It's the "Heart of Eurasia." Because I know every American immediately pictures the exact area of the world when someone says "heart of Eurasia." I think these countries have more faith in Americans than we do. I assume that these ads aren't really meant to encourage Americans to visit their countries as tourists - what American wealthy enough to afford plane tickets to a foreign country is going somewhere other than Paris? No one in Hinsdale, that's for sure. (Our interesting wrestling trip to Eastern Europe aside - it didn't count because it was subsidized and because we stayed in what I think is quite possibly the scariest, nastiest "hostel" I've ever seen.) I'd imagine these countries want you to know that they are stable, happy places waiting for American companies to invest in them and hire their workers for low wages.

Speaking of things made in countries with low wages, I just watched an ABC.com video about the difference between Nikes, Addidas, and running shoes from Target and Walmart. Apparently your $ is well spent on the name brands if you are a serious runner (ie, let's prevent injury), but if you're just wandering around the city in them, go with the cheaper brand. And who is buying $95 t-shirts from Nieman Marcus?!