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March 2006 Archives
March 29, 2006
Losing a client
Happening right now. Just pow wowed with me comrade. I feel for him. Key client, Home Office badly overpromised in initial meetings and now is trying bait and switch.
Why?
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:17 PM
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Perso
At least theatrical
Well, it strikes me as unfair, but but calling the US Ambassador 'a chiseling little crook' and a 'used car salesmen' is pretty funny. Unfair and likely uncalled for, but it's pretty funny.
Livingston is of course a nut as well.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:19 AM
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Politics - US FP
March 28, 2006
Chimpanzees & Foreign Documents
The slide of America into chimpanzee like worship of mob-rule via internet whinging on and whanking dressed up as popular check on, ... well I guess the evil of actual knowledge and considered thought, contininues. The dear Abu Aardvark has been noting on his blog the idiocy that is the real to the barely educated masses a trove of captured Iraqi documents apparently in translation.
This is possibly the stupidest waste of resources I have seen in at least a week. According to the links I read, the howling semi-educated chimps have already siezed on various random pieces of paper to "prove" all kinds of inanities and irrational obsessions.
Well, it is a brilliant move to keep the intellectually impoverished obsessional whankers in the "blogosphere" whooping and hollering over nothing at all, as well as a fine way to keep weak-minded conspiracy theories alive (as in e.g. the Iraqi Nuclear-Biological-Chemical weapons program being magically transported to Syria).
Sad and pitiful spectable, otherwise.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:52 PM
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Politics - US FP
March 26, 2006
Observations on Media
My JV partner, on the first North American tour, etc. observed the following, which I found oddly profound (well not oddly): "Why do Americans only watch their own TV?"
The context of course would be the massive selection of Sat TV one gets in most of the developing world (and the eclectic viewing habits that come with it I would say).
It would be cheap to simply beat up on the US for its monolingualism and navel-gazing, but it was an interesting point of reflexion.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:44 AM
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Offline
Sadly mates, the little issue in re work I mentioned earlier continues to grow. I may save the bloody client for my chimpanzees, but bloody hell.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:06 AM
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Perso
March 21, 2006
A new title: Islam & Mammon
An unidentified benefactor (why is it a spot of potentially fatal disease encourages people to send me books?) has sent me Timur Kuran, Islam and Mammon: The Economic Predicaments of Islamism. It looks interesting, I may have commentary later.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:32 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
March 20, 2006
Egypt: Retail Empire Privatised, Omar Effendi thrown to the winds of savage liberalism
Catching this article in The Financial Times brought a fine warm glow to my heart. Omar Effendi, the Queen of the Nasser Era, the down-home slut of Mubarek (Omar is of course a male name, which simply means you should be flexible) era retailing.
I recall fondly the first time walking into Omar Effendi and encountering the brilliance of Eastern European School retailing that I had last witnessed in the Alexanderplatz (except the Cuban place that used to be around the Palasthotel area, my memory has faded now as to where): the dusty cliques of bored and hostile clerks, the broken and/or dirty merchandise. (My favourite being the dirty lingerie on the mannequin that looked to have been subject to some kind of slasher attack.
But enough of my reminscing, let's talk about Egyptians in revolt as faded diva of retail is put on sale.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:10 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
Sorry, some issues
Sorry comrades, readers, etc. Some little chemo issues fucking with me. I have a neat new side effect that while unpleasant at least has some colourful aspects.
Continue reading "Sorry, some issues"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:56 AM
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Perso Biz Notes
March 16, 2006
Well, some quick points: Bourses & Chad
The Gulf region Bourse corrective picked up (our friend Secret Dubai has an amusing note on the reactions of the neophyte investors - as fun as it is to laugh, the governments have to take careful steps so as to (i) not destroy the equity investing culture, (ii) not set up a bail-out system that would eventually blow up equity investing.
Meanwhile, the Maghrebine bourses were untouched. Given their rational valuations and lack of speculative hot cash, this is no surprise. Plus, in the case of Casablanca, they already experienced something similar in 98. Once burned, twice shy.
Finally, and I'll link when I find something in English, the Saudis are suddenly talking of opening the Bourse to non Saudis.
So bloody transparent. The "Oooops, well, let's call in the foreigners to bail us out" response.
The KSA government has the mentality of 12 year olds.
I almost forgot, a near coup d'etat in Tchad. That will get the attention of the French. I suspect movement on Dar Fur.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:08 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
MENA Economies & Investment: Your Views
In comments, a newcomer who I have likely frightened away expressed the following sentiment: why are you trying to convince us to bring money into the region's economy? Is it because you know where the MENA economy is heading? I'm no expert, but I'd guess that buying Arab stocks right now is equivalent to buying a timeshare on the Titanic.
Let me leave aside the charming misapprehension that I personally am pimping MENA securities (although of late I wish I were), and simply see what those who read here think.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:02 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
March 15, 2006
Well, this is unpleasant
Have to contact the Drs, I'm hallucinating.
It's the pain meds I suppose, perhaps took one too many?
In any case, now by 11 EST several hallucinatory episodes. Thank god not on a client call. Were I a teenager this might be fun, but at present it is merely annoying. I really have to concentrate to write this. Stupid drugs.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:09 PM
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A Round Up: Gulf Markets, DPW & Related Matters
While it has been mooted here (well at 'Aqoul in all liklihood, but no matter), that the Gulf Markets were due for a bit of a tumble, this week, perhaps tipped by the DPW dust up, perhaps by an unheard of bit of sense penetrating the neophyte Khaliji day trader..... they tumbled.
Most interestingly, however, is the reactions, not the fall. Picking through the serivicable FT arty "Gulf markets fall amid crisis after bull run" covering the nice digger the Gulf markets took Tuesday and what the journos called " a deepening crisis of confidence after a three-year bull market" we find early rumours of State support to share prices. First some detials, Dubai equities were down nearly 12 per cent, Saudi Arabia equities 4.74 per cent, Abu Dhabi’s 4.44 per cent and Kuwait’s, 3.67 per cent. What caught my eye was "Markets in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon were also hit." Sure enough Casa bourse was down last two sessions. That's a surprise. Well it's overbought and needs to take a break for a buying opp.
DPW was cited by some as a trigger, which I suppose works for Dubai and KSA markets, but given months of warnings that the markets were over-bought, the slightest ripple was set to reset them. What's more interesting, as I noted, is the fall-out and interventions. .
Continue reading "A Round Up: Gulf Markets, DPW & Related Matters"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:31 AM
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Business
March 14, 2006
Whinging on: Gotham Blah Blah
It appears that the author of Letter from Gotham was wounded by my off-handed comment on her stupid bigotted little bit of racism. She's really blithered on quite a lot on the deluded thought that a string of anectdotes somehow creates data.
Well, profoundly uninteresting. The sole point of this note is to correct one small point, 'Aqoul is 'Aqoul and Lounsbury is Lounsbury.
Continue reading "Whinging on: Gotham Blah Blah"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:09 PM
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Reproducing a comment at Reason: On Why one should not be impressed (per se) by the Wafa Sultans
From the thread Speaking the Truth to the Barbarians (nice sentiment)
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:38 PM
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Politics - Islam(ic)
Cheap MENA Markets: Get Yer Cheap Stocks Here
John Dizard offers an ironically timed article on the MENA markets in The Financial Times, telling the American investor that The Middle East offers fertile soil for value hunters (yes this is subscription only, get a fucking subscription you lazy git, best fucking paper out there).
Well, yes. Although given the timing I hardly imagine the US investor is going to overcome his fear of The Average Mohammed and buy MENA securities.
On the other hand, there are these cretins speculating on actual physical Iraqi dinars, so .... As an aside regarding the same cretins, I wonder how thy've handled the utter collapse of their dreams. Well, no matter, MENA securities and the Investor in You.
Continue reading "Cheap MENA Markets: Get Yer Cheap Stocks Here"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:34 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
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MENA Region General
Islam & Moderation: Dimwits Missing the Point
Thanks to the fine services of Technorati, I ran across this post on our very own 'Aqoul and in particular The "moderate Muslims" strike back ... yeah, right. by Raf Bey. Unsurprisingly, the commentators did't get the fucking point. One in particular proved particularly dimwitted. I shall entertain myself explaningContinue reading "Islam & Moderation: Dimwits Missing the Point"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:48 AM
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Politics - Islam(ic)
March 13, 2006
On Cold Calls & Bone Pain
I have decided after a modicum of experimentation that business calls aiming at client development of one kind of another, in my particular context, are best executed while on my meds, rather than off. I should also have a good solid slug of cafe in my to insure I am able to follow a train of thought.
Off the meds, I'm afraid the pain really gets in the way of concentration and one's desire to actually talk to other human beings really falls off when the bone marrow pain really picks up. On the meds, of course, concentration becomes a bit of a challenge. Mapping out thoughts, notes helps a bit, but in effect, not really on the fly. So the cafe.
This, is, in short, a pain in the ass. For a simple damned call, I gotta first kill off the bone pain with some nice kicking narcotics that put me off in lala land, then boost meself up with some shots of caffinated goodness.
Exhausting.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:44 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
Pondering the CFA
I go back and forth about this idea, but given a somewhat enforced "hermitude," I am thinking perhaps my new hobby, besides pointlessly abusing readers of this blog and 'Aqoul, is going for a CFA. Any collected thoughts? If you don't know what I am talking about, by the way, fuck off.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:39 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
Bloody Goddamned Useless Financial Times website
As any regular reader knows, I consider The Financial Times to be among the best bloody papers out there. Consistently liberal (in the proper sense of the word, not US Left), sane and well-balanced. A fine companion to The Economist, its quasi-sister weekly.
However, FT's website remains one of the most atrocious, hard to use, idiotically set-up irritating pieces of rubbish this side of the millenium. Perhaps, just perhaps, the design made sense c. 1997 or 1999. Now, in 2006, it's fundamentally annoying.
I pay good extra money for "third level" (or something like that) "membership" for advanced features and access to its databases and the like. The databases, etc. are fine in terms of actual content, but bloody fucking hell, the interfaces and ease of manipulation (and I say this as someone who taught himself a modicum of UNIX during the days when my employment was in Pharma and involved db) are possibly the shittiest utter crap this side of hell itself. What could possibly be possessing the FT and its benighted IT spending managers to continue to indulge in such clear and profound idiocy? Their step-sister, The Economist manages a clean, well-laid out and above all fucking functional site. Why does FT have to have a site that is not only irritating to use, it is positively maddening? Are they not in competition with the Evil Ones based in Manhattan, whose site is somewhat less irritating?
I am at a loss. And I fear for my dear FT as it is gratitiously losing readership, I am sure, due to its Neanderthalic incompetence in the area of website functionality.
I may add that my letters to this effect to FT "Help" have gone unanswered or have merely received mechanical pen "blah blah blah."
I despair. I hope to save the brilliant FT from its clear IT incompetence, but how?!?!
Signed,
A Pained Lounsbury.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:23 PM
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Business
March 09, 2006
Chemo, a random post on the unpleasantness of cancer therapy.
It just doesn't get any better. I was told it might, that I would get used to it.
Nope. After four gruelling months, (approximately), I can report that I am heartily sick of chemo. But no fear, only about as long left. Maybe a little more. Yeaha.
The grinding nauseau isn't so bad, my years in emerging markets, living with suspect cleanliness all around, have no doubt made me somewhat resistant to buckling under the mere generic feeling that one's entire body wants to vomit. Bah, I say. I hardly need my special no-vomiting medicin.
It's more the other special effects that get at one - and as character building as they may in the abstract, they just don't grow on you.
Continue reading "Chemo, a random post on the unpleasantness of cancer therapy."
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:09 PM
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Perso
March 08, 2006
Arablish, most annoying usage
While internet provides a fine access to online media, and a chance to keep up on the region's radio, etc., listening to the fine radio from Dubai of late has reminded me of the most annoying Arablish usage.
Fresh.
Where this word came from and how it came to be the all-purpose hip Arablish word for "cool", but I nominate it as the most annoying Arablish usage current.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:09 AM
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Ah rotted expenses
It appears US authorities have relented and granted the JV partner a visa on the basis of my regurgitating far more information than I think the ignoramuses are entitled to, but no matter. Expenses and planning now.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:03 AM
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March 06, 2006
More Lounsbury irritating inanities
A guest commentator at The Washington Monthly has a post that pefectly illustrates why clueless if well-educated and otherwise intelligent gits can write such utter complete rubbish about foreign lands.
Continue reading "More Lounsbury irritating inanities"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:45 AM
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March 02, 2006
Offline again
Afraid I shall have to disappear. My morons have completely fucked one of my clients, so completely fucked my client I am going to be lucky to be able to rescue this. Stupid fuckers, goddamned stupid fuckers. I knew these idiots were going to fuck this up, fancy fucking idiots.
Continue reading "Offline again"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:26 AM
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Perso Biz Notes
