RSSMay 2006 Archives
May 30, 2006
American Memorial Days
Given it is too humide to breathe, some quick thoughts on my fine Memorial Day with my cretinous american cousins. One involving discussions of the Gold Standard and Middle East & North African Infrastructure.
Continue reading "American Memorial Days"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:54 AM
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Perso-Expatedness
Humidity
I am recalling now one thing I had forgotten I disliked about the east coast of the USA. Summer humidity.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:39 AM
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Perso-Expatedness
Dubai - Architecture: "Sprawling" "Soulless" (And....?)
Likely to provoke howls of protest from the paid flacks of Dubai and most residents, FT has an amusing commentary entitled Sprawling, soulless Dubai is an architectural flop by a somewhat prissy architect unimpressed with Dubai.
I have to say as he opens with a comparison with Las Vegas I was not particularly taken with the criticism, but who (besides Dubai's endless PR promoters and the utterly useless lapdog press) can argue that Dubai's architectural develoment is 'coherent'? Especially the utterly weird skyscraper row.....
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:55 AM
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Jazeera-Arabia
May 29, 2006
Outsourcing Peacekeeping - A Return Comment
I thought I would take quick note following on a silly conversation some months back on Dar Fur where some idiot ideologue of a simpleton was pimping the idea of using private contractors in place of proper peacekeepers, to draw attention to this small issue involving private security contractors and a little bit of a coup d'etat plot in Congo. Illustrating some of my observations back in April.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:50 PM
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MENA Region General
May 27, 2006
Economic Progressivism: Left Things to Love in Islamic "Economics"
I ran across a press release from some US Uni by some anthro-sociology professors on 'progressive' features of Islam ironically pointed to by an 'Islamic Investing' website trumpeting it as Study Finds Muslim Scholars An Egalitarian Force For Economic Reforms, a fine illustration of the brainless lack of confidence among certain circles that they take anything with a remotely positive spin on anything "Islamic" and wave it around, saying "See Islam positive, Islam positive!!!!" like five year olds. Witless gits.
The site itself I came across from a decent arty on the diversity of fatwas and the general focus on small things in life although in fact although I am of the opinion that foolish fatwa shopping is a bad sign of a rather brainless 'islamisation' but that is probably my general snobbery and contempt for people running after ill-groomed 'religious men' for advice when half a brain and some reasonable reflexion would suffice.
However, let me get on to the silly stereotypically Left academics' silly PR note on "Progressivism" and Islam:
Continue reading "Economic Progressivism: Left Things to Love in Islamic "Economics""
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:15 PM
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Biz - Policy & Development
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MENA Region General
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Politics - Islam(ic)
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Religion
Patterns of Vein Pain
A queer thing I have noted, my vein pain (from another set of burned veins) becomes worse in the evenings and night.
A disgusting feeling I have to say, which leads to rather horrible nightmares.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:13 PM
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Perso
Whanking Ignorance on Dubai
In writing a little bit on some idiotic whanking about "progressive" economics and conservative Islamists, I reminded myself to return to something I spotted via GrapeShisha
A truly stupid article on Dubai which only deserves comment on these excerpts
Dubai sounds like a fake country. Or an exotic place only vacationing al-Qaida cellmates and CIA spooks know how to find. ..... Dubai's connections to al-Qaida terrorism apparently were accidental, not government-countenanced. But Islam is the state religion ..... So beneath the glitz and gleaming skyline Dubai is a theocratic Islamic state that no American would want to be a citizen of for more than an hour. But it's spectacular proof that the Middle East is not monolithically backward, hopeless or anti-Western. And it shows that relatively good things can evolve in the Muslim world without the United States having to use force to create them.
I honestly am impressed the author could pack quite so many stereotypes, just plain idiotic mischaracterisations (hint having a state religion does not a theocracy make you semi literate git, else England would be a theocracy (and in terms of enforcing 'uniformity would not have been far off Dubai if one rewinds not so far, but no one would think of writing seriously that Elisabeth I was a 'theocrat' ).
I honestly wonder at the literacy and rationality of American commentators on Islam, the Islamic world and... well just the outside bloody world in general. Theocracy....
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:09 PM
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Biz - Policy & Development
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Jazeera-Arabia
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Politics - US FP
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Religion
The Agency - Clandestine Operations, MENA and Amusement
Via our friend Zenpundit, and a post on A New Clandestine Service: The Case for Creative Destruction by Reuel Marc Gerecht which is a PDF article on Gerecht's observations on the American clandestine service and its supposed short comings, I was quite entertained and intrigued.
I have zero idea if Gerecht is right (although the article reads in a generally non-ideological fashion, which is a pleasant change of pace from Left and Right axe grinding in this area - in this sense Gerecht may be wrong about what he is writing about, but I at least came away with a sensation he would be honestly wrong, and not due to ideological whanking), but a number of his observations on field practices rang some bells. And entertained. As I have known a number of Agency people over the years (doubtless more than I know I knew), it was interesting.
Continue reading "The Agency - Clandestine Operations, MENA and Amusement"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:25 AM
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MENA Region General
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Politics - US FP
May 25, 2006
On Being Scum
You know you work with scum when you do some Biz Dev, you make intros, you do legwork, then when in a spot of cancer that exiles you from your home and office, your own management goes behind your back to contact the Jefe of the target firm, and tries to launch the effort without (i) involving you, (ii) informing you, (iii) using your name and rep to do so. Funny though, I gave said Jefe a call and we had a fine convo where this came out. There's a bridge I am not building for them.
Scum, and clumsy stupid scum at that.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:29 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
Enron
A quick comment, while Enron is not something normally in my "beat" as it were, I'd like to say I am pleased that Lay and Skilling were slammed today. Enron set a rather bad example of incompetent scumminess overseas (as well as in the US), and I have no patience for the ideologues complaining about it being taken down. Scofflaws need to be punished if markets are work.
[Edit Added Thought]
Reading the accounts of the jury at NYT and Washington Post I was impressed. The entrepreneur spoke best to me, but I found overall this trial speaks to the best things in the American system: tolerance for risk, tolerance for trying, but punishment for making a mockery of both. The Sr management of Enron (as any honest business person should admit given the facts in the record) made a mockery of that. I will add as an expat working in emerging markets that these kinds of lessons and punishments are invaluable for making markets really work. Never forget that.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:56 PM
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Business
Sometimes one has to hang one's head in shame
I do.
I was just having a touching base chat with my assistance back in country who kindly told me of the latest sign of really mind numbing incompetence in my firm.
They wired our office rent to the driver. Who seems to have spent it or part of it, thinking it a bonus.
Continue reading "Sometimes one has to hang one's head in shame"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:04 PM
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Perso-Expatedness
Lebanese Logic - Iraq's slide
Since the end of 2003 or perhaps early 2004 I have been stating that Iraq had entered "a Lebanese logic" where the dynamic of amred groups, with incentives and means to settle inter-ethnic disputes (or disputes that could be spun to be so) by violence, would slowly but surely tip the country into warring clans. Now, two years later, it appears that people are catching on to this development. Why in six months... (sorry, snide jab at Friedman and the Moustache of Wisdom)
Almost mechanical really. My personal evaluation is that a cynical power would pick a side and arm it to the teeth, and get the messiness over with quickly. Relative to what will happen.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:58 AM
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Iraq
On Reading Arabic
An article from the FT Arts section had something that caught me eye:
Almost 40 years ago I learnt to read Arabic. I can no longer remember what it was like not to be able to read it and I find it difficult to imagine what the exotic squiggles might look like to someone who is incapable of interpreting them.
While not 40 years, the phrase was evocative.
One does lose context after a while. Being out of the region for the first sustained period in a long time, it's a bit queer. Rather like being a foreigner in one's own... cultural landscape.
As to the subject, pity I am not back in London, it would be a pleasure to stop by the British Museum to take this in.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:53 AM
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Perso-Expatedness
Interesting Things One Learns from Chemo
New forms of pain mainly.
Now that I have burned veins in both arms, I have to say that the unique feeling of chemical burns inside one's veins running up from the arms into the body is something I am not going to miss.
That and bone pain.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:37 AM
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Perso
May 24, 2006
Opinions and the Evils of Authoritarians
Inspired in part by the accidental reading (in between my suppressing a homocidal rage directed at the Pekinese, whose unbearable yapping today led me to be uncharacteristically mean) on "Islam and its need to reform" and the boldly stated opinions on the part of people who clearly know fuck all about the religion, on what it "needs," I am pondering writing about the need for reform in Confucian thought.
Or Reforming Confuciasim and Protecting The West
Continue reading "Opinions and the Evils of Authoritarians"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:31 AM
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Politics - Islam(ic)
May 23, 2006
Six Months
Since I started the coughing up of blood thing that led to the fine Drs finding I had a nice tumour friend in me chest trying to kill me.
Still not dead.
However, I do have a greater appreciation how long six months can be.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:53 AM
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Perso
Relationships
Today was another day confirming that in what I do, it's relationships. Not Knowledge Management software and other rubbish that my idiots think can substitute for the relationships and depth, its relationships. After two days of fucking around with the irritating fucking little Asian Bitch Pekinese know-nothing grad who thinks fucking agenda points and her "really understanding" by forcing me to irritate my clients is business, I ring up the old Battle Axe and she gets me 2 names at one of the big boys on the Street, I make a couple calls and bingo.
Relationships.
And my fucking management thinks their KM software is a substitute for the loss of blood. "Institutionalising" they call it.
Idiots. At least in MENA we don't pretend it's anything but relationships.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:59 AM
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Perso Biz Notes
May 22, 2006
The Wisdom of the Egyptians: US & Egypt
While many 'Aqoul readers likely are aware that Egypt is passing through some rather severe political tensions at present, as disgust with the vampiric Mubarek regime seems to be bubbling up like a half-suppressed urge to vomit, I thought I would depart from my normal Egypt aversion and comment on The Financial Times's piece on PM Ahmed Nazif's Wisdom, Egypt ‘not under US pressure’ over political freedom (reporting by Mr Wallis paired with the esteemed Roula Khalaf who hopefully can impart some street smarts to the man so my precious FT space for MENA is not taken up with announcements that Egypt supports "Arab Unity").
Continue reading "The Wisdom of the Egyptians: US & Egypt"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:41 AM
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Egypt
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Politics - Local
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Politics - US FP
Bloody American Credit Cards
Dating from my NYC days I have a wonderful credit card I've always liked - rewards and all that - quite attached to it after all these years. Now I find, however, that they have imposed a 3 percent fee on all non-US purchases.
Now, this card is supposedly a "World Traveller" card, aimed at... well I guess me. Why the fuck would they impose an absurdly large fee such as this? Well, I well understand the reasoning at some level, I am simply irritated by the move. Certainly a fee is understandable on some level (although the absurd usurious rates on balancesI would tihnk gives them a fine margin, although not for balance payers like myself), but 3 percent is overreaching.
Rather obviously I shall stop using it - I suppose I shall have to move on to an overseas card.
Well good old American credit card, fuck off now. I'm sure I shall not be missed, being the bad sort of customer who carries not balances and charges things in strange locations....
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:52 AM
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Perso
May 21, 2006
A Personal Note on Islamophobia, Lies, Spin and Whanking
Thanks to insomnia brought on by Chemo side effects (ototoxicity and feeling one's ears go wrong, just some thoughts for the odd reader), some personal thoughts on my small rant about Islamophobia and recent idiotic and/or gullible whanking and hysteria.
A confession: such things (as the discussions, such as they are, highlighted, or the Dhimmitude rot) actually rather seriously get under me skin in a very personal fashion. I indulge then in a semi personal blithering on of no particular profundity nor even originality:
Continue reading "A Personal Note on Islamophobia, Lies, Spin and Whanking"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:47 AM
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Politics
May 19, 2006
Dar Fur - Intra-African Bloodshed or Why I have been banging on against the idiotic "genocide" spin
I was surprised and pleased (in a way, although in another way not pleased, given the subject, i.e. bloodshed) to find in The New York Times an article illustrating why I have been banging on about the idiocy of viewing the Dar Fur situation as a 'genocide' rather than a nasty case of ethnic warfare between sedentary and nomadic peoples in a region fast running up against an ecologic/demographic wall.
I will expand on this later, but this is a perfect illustration of the problem of simple minded declarations, like Kevin Drum's that arguing over Dar Fur is hair splitting. No, it is not, for if you charge in with simple minded ideas of the nature of the conflict, the actors involved, you are going to end up fighting the wrong battles - just like in Somalia, where Black Hat - White Hat American simpletonism fucked their own project.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:40 AM
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MENA Fringe
May 18, 2006
Hot News: Egypt urges greater Arab integration
I am beginning to have a sensation that someone needs to send William Wallis of FT some news clippings before he writes more .... well waste of time articles such as this one Egypt urges greater Arab integration.
I suppose a short brief might be merited, but a full length arty? We have little enough proper news reporting on MENA economic issues, do we really need to waste valuable space repeating tired and worn out Egyptian attempts to distract from their domestic crises?
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:04 AM
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Business
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Economics
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Egypt
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North Africa
May 16, 2006
MENA PE: Note
Something to return to FT has a note on PE firms in region: but a quick note, don't take Abraaj's self-serving spin for fact. Their count as well as self-description are entirely self-serving. Good illustration, however, of the utility of objective data.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:05 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
Possible Asset Bubbles in Gulf, Moody's explores the art of understatement [Updated]
The ratings agency, Moody's is issuing a report today that warns of "possible" asset bubbles in the Gulf, as reported in The Financial Times. Possible.
Well, to be fair to Moody's, given their position, they can't say definative things.
Rather, they're issuing a useful but likely to be ignored (in the region) warning. It does come at a bad moment generally with today's "flight from risk" with all signs of a bit of old fashioned emerging markets contagion rearing its ugly head.
I have always been of the opinion head-long flight from risk is idiocy, but on the other hand it's sensible if you've placements in places not well-known.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:58 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
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Business
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Jazeera-Arabia
First, The Amusing or How Carpets Bomb
The ludicrous generosity of my JV partner, who as some may recall, came over to the US for a small visit to see for herself how fat Americans are, etc., provoked an entertaining crisis on the part of some of my ignorant American cousins. She sent them a carpet. A very nice Perso-Turkish style one. Having noted theirs was not real. A bit largish as well.
Sadly this was partly my fault, I really should have warned them but surprises can be nice.
The rather bulky package with Arabic on it, however, rather put off the husband who rang his wife and told her that there was a suspicious package delivered. The woman in question reads French..... well it all worked out in the end.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:29 AM
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Perso
May 15, 2006
Saudi index soars after removal of regulator
There's a title you just do not read every day in finance.
Regulator. Removal. Index. Soars.
No, just a string of words that do not typically strike one as going together.
It's the very really. Soars. No, indices just don't typically soar on such news.
But we are talking here about KSA and it's strange little fantasy world of hydrocarbon income fueled pretend economics.
However, before moving along, I would draw attention to a fine book I am perusing The (Mis)Behaviour of Markets : A Fractal View of Risk, Ruin and Reward , very much worth consideration.
Continue reading "Saudi index soars after removal of regulator"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:00 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
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Business
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Economics
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Jazeera-Arabia
May 14, 2006
On Lenovo T Books
On the off chance the readers here have wisdom to import on the IBM / Lenovo T Books, I am planning on buying one for personal use (such as my consulting side lines) in the next week.
Anyone with wisdom on the particular optionalities available with Lenovo.com on the T-Book line (which I have come to consider to be the perfect business note book, tough, lightweight, good performance overall), warmly welcome. Given upcoming uncertainties, I am of a mind to be frugal.
T 43 has my eye at the moment, although a question remains regarding add ons such as extra battery and the like. Certainly given my use of Excel maxing the memory is a nec.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:17 AM
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Perso
May 12, 2006
Comparing Sex and Jihad
This was brought to my attention by David Weman of Fistful of Euros one of 'Aqoul's oldest friends and in some ways one can say, responsible for inspiring us to take the leap: Google Trends.
His link was to the search term sex, which had some interesting results, and which I reran with Jihad.
The search and reference may be found here
The chart is ... well interesting although if one reflects not surprising on some level.
Rather surprising is the regional break-out, which shows in the screen capture.
Continue reading "Comparing Sex and Jihad"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:44 AM
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MENA Region General
Iran & 'Aqoul - Opportunities Lost
After Our Man Hogan's latest foray into Pun-Dit-Try with the Ahmadinejad letter, it has crossed the mind of the editorial collective (well there really isn't one but the idea is creepy enough to amuse me) that 'Aqoul is a bit impoverished in the area of beating up on Iran.
I suppose Raf Bey could do in a pinch, but he seems as averse as I to the subject. Shall have to recruit a Farsi speaker gullible enough to put up with me.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:00 AM
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Blog Notes - Admin
May 11, 2006
A Moussaoui Project: Translating and Comments
Inspired by comments in my very brief comment on Moussaouie, my 'Aqoul colleagues and I have been batting around the idea of actually doing a reverse "Wafa Sultan" project as it were.
However, before trying that, let me see about Lounsbury reader feedback, for all that I am personally reluctant to become unpaid propagandist.
Also, I tried running a search on مايو موساوي to see what I would find via google re commentary, it does seem to me that there really hasn't been much commentary on Moussaoui since sentancing. However, I confess my online search skills bil Arabi suck.
That and my cretins have made my life horrible in the last few days through gratititous stupidity with clients. I frankly am amazed I am able to convince anyone to stick with me. Maybe my clients are stupider than I thought.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:58 AM
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Blog Notes - Admin
In the futility department: Iraq Investment
Running across this note in the FT, US urges investment in Iraq and finding the same idiotic promo agitprop re investing in Iraq that I was hearing back in 2003.
Longtime readers of course know that I was involved in various investment projects focused on Iraq then. Including a heartbreakingly beautiful steel project that dripped away into the sand thanks to the CPA-Iraq incompetence. I should be thankful of that on some level, I would have lost money.... Although on the other hand, I strongly feel that had CPA-Iraq not been so painfully incompetent and corrupt (in an incompetent way), Iraq might have turned out far better. Not the Bush Administration's utterly unrealistic vision, but not the utter disaster that it is now.
But let me share the part that really irritated me:
Continue reading "In the futility department: Iraq Investment"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:18 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
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Iraq
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Politics - US FP
Is it an insult or merely lack of awareness
A convo I found amusing today, call from one of my silly cousins. A rather older one, who is very tedious and tends to tell long, convoluted stories or extreme right-wing conspiracy theory - I believe he was once a John Birch Society member. He's queerly fond of me, however. Perhaps because of my natural patience and politeness.
This particular call was of the same nature as the usual. However, the highlights - besides his racist diatribe covering my woman's ethnicity - were moderately amusing in the abstract.
First, I found it entertaining to hear the fellow ranting about the stupidity of the Bush Administration, as not one year ago he was telling me the insults against the President of the US' intelligence were a Commie something or other. It appears he has realised that Ibn Bush is actually a bit on the dim side and not competent. Good for him. I shall not have to listen to painfully incoherent defenses of the current US Administration.
Second, and this part amused me immensely.he ranted on about Bankers controlling the world, etc. I rather liked the incoherency (I should mention the fellow is actually quite intelligent, simply when his ideology kicks in, critical thinking seems to cease. It's interesting), as well as the fact I was the audience. Perhaps the target? Well, the man inexplicably likes me and does have some property to inherit.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:17 AM
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Perso-Expatedness
Translation - rather more difficult than monolinguals think
Working on polishing a docy translated for a project. We spend serious dinero on translation, but my idiots keep trying to 'save' money by not going to more expensive financial specialist translators.
So, to have something usable, I end up polishing (because I work for monolingual semi-literate Americans) which if one costs me in.... rather eliminates the supposed savings.
The problem here is that monolinguals - well also people who've not had to focus on the issue for professional real money implications if there is a miswording - just don't get how hard it is to get idiom right in translation, above all for texts that are jargon / specialty language intensive. You can really fuck up meanings and say the exact opposite of what is meant in such situs. I've gained a lively appreciation since my present cretins have more or less obliged my semi-converstion to translator (and interpreter from time to time when the hired interpreter falls flat - although frankly translating things like "mortgage linked cash flows with embedded optionality" on the fly makes the brain hurt) of how much meaning can be destroyed in this manner. As well as how much the monolingual who's unaware of such challenges really thinks they are getting full meaning. After all, its been translated....
Besides my personal rant, I think one might reflect on the American efforts in its 'War on Terror' and how much poor language facility is handicapping that. Certainly in Iraq besides incomptence, lack of linguistic competence (and awareness of the same) I think plays a role in handicapping.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:11 AM
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Perso Biz Notes
Pondering Morality
Cancer.
I am pondering the morality of talking about cancer. Or mentioning it rather.
Continue reading "Pondering Morality"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:51 AM
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Perso Biz Notes
May 10, 2006
Cretins - Oh Cretins.
My Cretinous Colleagues have truly fucked me. I knew we shouldn't have gone for that big local guv advisory bullshit. I just read our product. It's so stunningly bad, off-target, completely inappropriate for the market and just plain dimwitted I am actually taken aback. Even the cretinous fool who commissioned us to do this is not likely to be taken in.
I feel ashamed even being vaguely associated with this sub-standard piece of idiocy.
Why do my cretinous idiots think, still, that after almost two years or so of trying to penetrate this market that foisting off complete junk is going to work? They've already observed that the local (financial) market is more sophisticated than they expected, requires different things than the other emerging markets where they've supposedly successfully done business (although I understand we're shutting some offices....) I guess they can't just change their vision of anyone in emerging markets fin sec as gullible fools like the Khaliji bastards.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:58 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
May 09, 2006
Why 'Aqoul - Muslims can't be good citizens
Well, there is the About page, which I wrote and find amusing, but this is really why 'Aqoul exists (thanks to The Glittering Eye for the reference and Dean's World where an excellent and patient commentary is on a piece of tripe entitled Can Muslims Be Good Americans?. Dean did an excellent job.
One can read the same thing in Europe as well.
'Aqoul is here to fight this sort of thing.
And indulge in my expansive ego.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:43 AM
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Politics
American News Media
An amusing observation from Greg Djererian that matches my own feelings since my American exile began, oft expressed: watching domestic CNN is a painful, nightly train-wreck, lacking even the brasher theater of the absurd comedy Fox affords... (See http://belgraviadispatch.com/ - post has fuck all to do with the Media overall)
I confess at some level I am puzzled at how truly mediocre and painfully tabloid American media has become. I hardly liked it the last time I was in country, but bloody hell I don't believe it is merely my snobbishness.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:28 AM
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Politics
Moussaoui Asks to Withdraw Guilty Plea
In case you needed further proof the man is completely delusional.
It appears he's disappointed he's not going to get to be a martyr so he wants to reboot.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:08 AM
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Politics
Bollocks
They bloody made an offer to a cretin.
Hopefully the cretin will reject.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:19 AM
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Perso
May 07, 2006
On the CIA and Goss
While not typically something I would comment on, David Ignatius of The Washington Post had a few interesting comments on the surprise resignation of the Director of the US intelligence service (well one of them) that provoked some reflexion on my part on the few friends I have had in this area over my years in MENA and the fiasco that appears to be the US' redoing of its foreign intel service(s).
Continue reading "On the CIA and Goss"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:46 AM
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Politics - US FP
Al Qaeda & Media, a quick reflexion on Bou Aardvark
Aqoul's fine friend, Bou Aardvark has some interesting reflexions on the recent blithering on about Al Qaeda, the recent tapes and like from Bin Laden and Zarqaouie and communication strategy that I thought I might make a superficial comment on.
Both Some jihadi perspectives on the al-Qaeda tapes (although after perusing the source material I realised why I don't amuse myself with Jihadi internet boards) and the more American domestically oriented AQ's media strategy: strength or weakness? are one of a piece in a sense, and I think together a necessary reminder for the sharp observer that one really knows very little about what is going on with the organisation, al Qaeda.
Continue reading "Al Qaeda & Media, a quick reflexion on Bou Aardvark"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:15 AM
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MENA Region General
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Politics - Islam(ic)
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Religion
Bloody Annoying Whanking Morons
My dear friend and 'Aqoul quasi-colleague, as well as Dubai commentator extraordinaire, Secret Dubai has done a terrible thing.
Abusing her privs (well not really, but I indulge myself), she linked to a Totten piece on Libya on our main page via the 'Picks' function, without any warning or sign, leading me to innocently click through and afflict myself with my least favourite idiot's article on the country.
Now that I have polluted myself, I must purge. Which means a quick comment on this contemptible superficial git of a monolingual fool's typically impoverished comment on Libya.
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Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:38 AM
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MENA Region General
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Society & Culture
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The Maghreb
Inspiration
I have been reflecting today on how much Chemo has knocked the living hell out of me.
This is the fifth month now, and there is more to come, but bloody hell.....
I have to say, trying to keep up working full-time, plus working on side projects, plus blithering on here, plus other life things, well it was all much easier without Chemo.
My level of inspiration and activity has really taken a hit.
Of course, the recent emergence of this quasi deafness side effect is just inspiring.
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Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:30 AM
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Perso
May 04, 2006
Ears and Lungs
The fine Drs have liberated me from one of the chemo drugs, it was apparently fucking up my lungs a bit.
When I say a bit, I actually mean a lot. Not unexpected, actually tolerated the toxicity for a good long while, but the good old lungs gave out this last round. Pity.
Although it did make Chemo shorter and easier. The stuff they took me off was clearly kicking the fuck out of not just me lungs.
On the other hand I seem now to be developing some ototoxicity (a fine word I just learned meaning something is fucking with me ears; that is a reaction to one of the little cocktail of anti-tumour blah blah drugs).
I confess to being mildly paranoid about permanent hearing lost. Low chance, but then my cancer is pretty fucking rare and low chance too.
I also confess it fucking hurts and to boot, I feel like an old man. I am now bald (well patchy bald, in a freekish sort of way, were I not shaving), borderline deaf, achey, and more ill-humoured than I am naturally.
What I can't recall is if the bloody toxin (I suppose I should say drug) that I was taken off is the one that dissolves me gums. I'm really getting tired of that. It just feels so very unpleasant for so many days.
Only a few more sessions though, and then I get to have more fucking bloody tests. I think I may ask for a break. This has begun to wear.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:05 AM
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Perso
May 02, 2006
The Traditional New Month Whanking On About This Blog Thread
A long standing tradition, although admittedly rather empty as its sole purpose is to allow readers to ask direct questions which I tend to ignore, make requests (which I tend to dismiss), complain (in which case I merely abuse them), and the like.
But tradition is tradition.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:35 PM
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Blog Notes - Admin
Retarded
I have to say, this is completely retarded. An American congressman, "Chris Smith, Republican chair of the House of Representatives committee on human rights, ... called on the Bush administration to categorise Germany as a “tier three” country that would make it eligible for US sanctions under anti-trafficking legislation" tied to German preparations for the World Cup including dealing with entirely legal prostitution.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:27 AM
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Politics - US FP
