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July 04, 2004
New Month and Fourth of July: The Usual 'Survey' of Readers and an introductory note
My "tradition" as it were.
However, as we near the first annivesary of this little commentary, I think I perhaps should take a moment to introduce myself again to the 'new' readers who have had the misfortune to stumble upon my acerbic self.
First, although it is a regretably common misperception, I am not a Colonel nor have I ever had anything to do with the military - best I can do is a brother who was in the Marines. Col is short for Collier. The collounsbury moniker arises from the typical shortening of Collier many seem to prefer.
Second, who am I? Well, some people have met me in person and can vouch I actually exist, but otherwise I am deliberately vague for a number of important professional reasons - which is to say no need for people who deal with me professionally to run into this and read my comments. Yes, by the way, collounsbury is my real name, but only part of it. Vagueness is a virtue in this respect.
Otherwise, professionally I presently work in the financial sector after several years in pharma (although in ip and strategic issues, not the science end, which was only a hobby). I largely work in areas related to risk capital and direct investments, although I have done and do consulting on a broader range of activities, when people unaccountably are duped into thinking I know more than I do. As many have discerned, I have a certain penchant for the region, and I guess about a decade worth of experience in and around the region. I do speak 'fluent' Arabic, several dialects, read and write as well. I put fluent in 'quotes' as one should always acknowledge that an adult learner is never truly 'fluent' in the proper sense of the word, but in the ordinary sense I am fluent. Which is to say, it often takes even native speakers some time to figure out I am not an Arab - and if I am in certain regions I can go a good long time at it.
This aside, I began this "blog" (I hate the word) or journal after getting myself booted off a message board which I tended to express myself rather ... well like I do here. I believe the key event was telling someone they could respond properly or "else, fuck off." Given the person in question was an idiot, I felt it was well-desevered. In any case, the medium has grown on me, although I despise livejournal, but am too lazy to migrate to blogger. I should, and fully intend to do so in some mythical time when I get either the time or the gumption to see about transfering my "archives" - also might drop the collounsbury moniker, it comes to mind that my 'cover' is uncomfortably transparent.
This aside, I should say that I long eschewed commenting on the Middle East in the online world - only sheer frustration and contempt for the idiocies often pronounced on the region led me to do so. I suppose there is a place then for commentary on the Middle East from my own particular point of view, neither academic (although as anyone can tell, I have what some characterised as a moderately academic style, too much education I suppose), nor journalistic, nor political pundit. I like to think of myself as a hard core centrist although I suppose this may put me to the right of many, but in any case, I am I think, correctly, characterised as a pure pragmatist, as for example in the case of free markets and the developing world (for all that I enjoy sincerely castigating the idiotic leftist anti-globos for their naive vision).
Well, enough of this, some substance shortly.
Back to work then.
Posted by The Lounsbury at July 4, 2004 02:41 PM
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Jan-Jul 2004
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