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July 11, 2005
Various items of little import
First, having just fielded a call from the other side of the great Atlantic, I am irritated at the monolingual morons bizarre habit of making up their own names for dfis here, usually via bad translation, and then creating an acronym in English for it. I'm getting ask (as an example not the actual question) about the NEDB and blah blah, and my first reaction is "what the fuck is this person talking about, there is no NEDB bank." After some probing, I discover it is actually the BNDE. What the bloody hell was the point in translating the name and then making up your own bloody acronym off of it, that no one the fuck else uses.
Idiots.
Second, friend in town, excellent fellow, known for years. American convert to Islam, right-headed fellow how never fell into what we often refer to as "convertitus" (or being more Muslim than your average Mohammed). He's travelling around this fine country, came into town to visit his corrupt dissolute scummy expat amigo (me of course). Late. Explanation was properly amusing, but also reflects on current events. Being a conniesseur of fine mosques, he had been making rounds in the prior city, made the mistake of rapping with some bearded types (perfectly innocent by his account, which I trust given his experience) when our local Mukhaberat came round to inquire as to the cut of his jib. Four hours of detension and questioning followed for all involved. He was properly put off by the experience, but after rapping with him yesterday I pointed out the emerging network issues in re London - doubtless local authorities are under much pressure to look for strange Euro looking convert types. (Actually he's rather whitebread and preppish, none the of hippy wearing oddball "genuinely Islamic" pastiche wearing silliness one sometimes sees, nor Ikhouane-esque Wahhabite style clothing). Close call, although lacked much deep entertainment value like my last detension - what's a detension if you don't have a gun pointed at you, I say.
I should, when I get back, speak to thoughts on the North African connexions and the like.
Added, for Pratike: there is no Morocco-UK animosity. Moroccan or wider Maghrebine involvement would be entirely on the al-Qaedah thesis of Dar al-Islam at war with the Dar al-Harb / infidels, and in particular the Iraq invasion angle. You know, imperialist dogs and all that.
I should note that Moroccans I know (and I confess I know more than my share) have been universally horrified. For them, brought back rather bad memories of their Casablanca bombings.
Posted by The Lounsbury at July 11, 2005 01:18 PM
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Jan-July 2005
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Perso Biz Notes
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