With Move One's Uzbekistan office pitching in a hand, Big League dreams are becoming common in the most uncommon of places.

The title given to Major League Baseball's crowning tournament - the World Series - has always been a little misleading given the fact that all the competing teams are located in North America. However, with names ranging from Suzuki to Rodriguez becoming commonplace on Major League Baseball rosters, the World Series may finally be starting to live up to its name.

Yet the outer frontiers of baseball are no longer limited to Japan and Latin America. In fact, the game is gaining a small but fiercely devoted following in several European countries, Australia, and even Uzbekistan.

That's right, Uzbekistan - probably the last place one would expect America's favorite pastime to gain a following. The game has gained a foothold at the grassroots level thanks in no small part to a program initiated by the American Embassy in Tashkent with additional sponsorship provided by Move One International Movers, AES Cargo, Texaco and Zeromax. The sponsors all helped Tashkent's Little League get off the ground by supplying bats, balls, uniforms and other equipment.

Of course, Little League in Central Asia is on a smaller scale than its American cousin. Tashkent's Little League boasts competition between just 5 teams so opposing clubs get to know each other quite well. The greater issue is simply getting a field to play on. With no proper baseball diamonds to speak of the league has had to make due by using a football field located at the local Foreign Languages University.

Future Yankee prospect?

Not that these obstacles have dampened the kids' competitive spirit. Each club maintains a rigorous schedule, with practices on Tuesday and Thursday and league games taking place on Saturday. According to Sarah Tatrallyay, co-manager of Move One's Tashkent office, the dedication has paid off. "The players totally improved over the season.... (W)hen they started most kids didn't even know the rules of the game and, by the end, some coaches were keeping batting average statistics. The competition was great and the kids have an amazing time."

The interest that league games have provoked amongst other local youths is an indication that the sport may be catching on in a bigger way. "There's always a group of Uzbek kids sitting by and watching, wondering what's going on and what sort of crazy sport this is," observed Tatrallyay.

Indeed, if enthusiasm truly breeds success, it shouldn't be long before Uzbekistan starts to produce some clutch major league hitters of its own. Until then, it looks as though the residents of Tashkent will have to get used to the crack of the bat and the ever-present danger of a stray foul ball crashing through the front window....

To help you stay on top of the latest developments in international shipping regulations, In Motion features regular updates of new laws and amendments that may affect your move or shipments.

PBOs no longer acceptable

Security remains a high priority as the moving industry continues to adjust to new customs regulations designed to heighten the transparency and safety of shipments.

This month we remind our customers and partners that PBO (packed by owner) cartons are strictly prohibited in air shipments bound for the US.

As Curt Clements, Move One's Managing Director, explains, the reasons for implementing this measure go far beyond concerns over improperly packed containers. "We've discovered almost every firearm imaginable in our shipments. Grenades, rocket launchers, flammable liquids - you name it. One guy even tried to ship his rifles inside the living-room couch."

Shotguns aside, most items that prevent shipments from being cleared are seemingly harmless. Seemingly benign items such as nail polish remover and lighter fluid are commonly found in PBO containers, despite the fact that these flammable liquids are considered too dangerous for most cargo holds.

To address this problem, Move One takes an extra precaution with its household goods shipments by having every container undergo x-ray screening before being delivered to the airline. This ensures that Move One customers will not experience unnecessary delays due to the inclusion of prohibited items in their shipments. Furthermore, it's part of Move One's commitment to make an important contribution to the safety of our airline partners and international air traffic in general.

As one of the largest moving/freight forwarding companies in Central/Eastern Europe, Move One International Movers offers licensed customs brokerage and is well acquainted with the obstacles posed by the international shipping environment. With longstanding contacts and experience in the North American market, the company is an excellent source of information on US-bound shipments. Your Move One representative can be reached at moving@moveone.info.

Initially viewed as being accessible to computer geeks only, Linux is now being adopted by pioneering companies the world over and Move One has joined the pack. For Move One's customers the big payoff is Linux's ability to increase capacity in two areas often overlooked in the moving industry - flexibility and security.

Coming to soon to a PC near you

The old adage that 'the best things in life are free' has recently gained new relevance with help from the least likely of places - the tech sector.

While Bill Gates' Microsoft monopoly is the dominant image many have of the tech industry, a revolution has quietly been taking place that has given computer users an alternative to Windows. It's called Linux, it has a penguin for a mascot and, yes, it's free.

Cost-effective to be sure, but there are far more compelling reasons to switch to Linux and some forward-looking businesses are beginning to see the light. Still, old habits die hard and the switchover to Linux can not yet be described as an exodus.

For example, while Move One International Movers has adopted Linux as the standard operating system for its offices, the switch to Linux is rare in a moving industry not exactly known for being on the cutting-edge of technology. Needless, to say the switchover is more evident in tech driven sectors. Where media giants such as Dreamworks and the BBC news service have both opted for Linux over Windows. However, the fact that some governments (usually the last to catch on to change), such as the civic administrations of Munich and Frankfurt, made the jump to Linux suggests that the momentum for change is growing.

While the prospect of lower operating costs is undoubtedly an attractive feature, Linux's ability to deliver greater flexibility and security are its main selling points. For the uninitiated here is a quick overview of the advantages of Linux:

• Linux source code is freely distributed. The Linux source code is reviewed by thousands of users on a daily basis to improve performance, eliminate bugs, and strengthen capacity. No other operating system has ever undergone this level of review.
• Linux has the best technical support available. Linux is supported by a broad community: commercial distributors, consultants, and an enthusiastic set of users and developers. With this level of support potential problems can be nipped in the bud - an attractive feature in a moving industry where system slowdowns can create headaches for the customer.
• Linux is exceptionally stable. Properly configured, Linux systems will generally run until the hardware fails or the system is shut down.
• Security is second to none. Linux is less prone to being affected by viruses and hackers for a number of reasons. Again, the fact that Linux operates on an Open Source system means that any viruses or hack-in attempts are easily detected. As Move One takes the security of company and customer information seriously, this is a big advantage.

* Written with information taken from http://linux.iguana.be.

As a regular transporter of pets and recognized member of IPATA (Independent Pet a nd Animal Transportation Association) Move One has a wealth of animal transportation experience. In order to give advice and address the many pet transportation questions we receive on a weekly basis, In Motion will now feature this FAQ section on a regular basis. For our first installment we address a timely topic:

"Batch", the mascot of our Afghanistan office

I am relocating from Canada to Poland over the summer. Are there extra precautions I should take during the summer months with regards to transporting my dog by plane?

In general, one should avoid flying with their pet during the summer months. There are two reasons for this. First, the summer holidays tends to be a hectic travel period and this increases the chance that your dog will undergo rough handling before, during, or after the flight. Secondly, extreme summer temperatures can make flying in this season very uncomfortable and even dangerous for your pet as cargo holds are not temperature controlled.

If you must transport your pet by air during the summer, your best option is to take it on board with you. If your pet is a cat or small dog, some airlines will allow you to take the animal on board for an additional fee. Check with your airline to see if this is possible.

If your pet must travel in the cargo hold try to book a flight that flies in the early morning or late evening to take advantage of the lower temperatures.

Regardless of the season, there are many things to keep in mind when transporting your pet by air. A good resource covering a range of pet transportation issues is IPATA's home page at www.ipata.com.

Natasha Filatova
Move One's Uzbekistan office

Having a local perspective is a big advantage for any company operating in unfamiliar territory and the growth of Move One's Uzbekistan operations is a case in point. Some of our expertise comes in the form of , a native of Tashkent who brings enthusiasm and a firm grasp of local business culture to the company.

Having completed her university degree in English Natasha utilized her language skills to get involved in Tashkent's growing international business community. One of her first assignments was working as a translator at a seminar hosted by Heineken, a trying experience that tested Natasha's mettle. "I was running late and so they assigned me to the management training portion of the seminar which wasn't exactly ideal," recalls Natasha. "There was a lot of technical language that I had to simultaneously translate but I somehow managed. Besides, the beer marketing executives were an easy-going bunch."

While it might be a stretch to characterize logistics professionals as an "easy-going bunch", Natasha clearly enjoys the challenges of her chosen field. Not only that, Natasha's operations work at the US Army base in Tashkent has introduced her to a culinary delight known to military men the world over - the MRE. The MRE -short for 'Meal Ready to Eat'- is the standard military ration used by the United States Armed Forces. It essentially amounts to an entire meal packaged in a highly compressed and condensed form but for Natasha its haute cuisine. As Randy Gabrielson, our roving Central Asian operations specialist put it, "If you want to bribe Natasha, give her an MRE." Bon appetit, Natasha.