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August 2006 Archives

August 29, 2006

Development as Follow Through or Under-Development As Attention Deficit Disorder

Doing a bit of macro-economic research to justify some lies I am about to tell with respect to a financing project - well not lies, maquillage, some beautifying and promoting, and having the occasion to reflect on one of the great failings of MENA region governmental services - the sustained production of useful information.

Note the word sustained. I am .... well not surprised but irritated, frustrated and otherwise unhappy ... given my expectation that last years useful updating of statistical series X has not been followed through. No, the Attention Deficit Disorder Statisticians have decided to do an utterly different series (of fuck all utility to the investor, although I guess some academic might find it useful).

Continue reading "Development as Follow Through or Under-Development As Attention Deficit Disorder"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Policy & Development

In applying for positions in a financial firm

Electronically, do give your CV a name besides "mycv" or something else generic. I get pissed off looking at the files trying to discern which is which.

Continue reading "In applying for positions in a financial firm"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:35 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso Biz Notes

August 27, 2006

Nasrullah - The real untold story

I was just reflecting on the truly scandalous untold story behind our chubby mate in Leb Land. No one ever wants to talk about his speech impediement, which renders him so cute and endearing when he sneers (quite effectively really, he's got quite the sense of humour) at Iswa eel. Nasrullah Fudd.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:42 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

The Fox Conversions

Frankly bizarre. Just saw the videotapes.

The forced "conversions" to Islam smell a tiny bit fishy. It's not the typical neo-Salafi thing. Either the captors were complete ignoramuses (which one can never exclude, above all in Ghaza) or there is something of a whiff of agitprop manipulation there.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

Published: World Bank's MENA Econ Dev and Prospects 2006 "Financial Markets in a New Age of Oil"

Perhaps I will make this a tradition, but let me draw your attention to The semi-newly published (June, hey I didn't notice) World Bank report on MENA economic prospects, for 2006.

Last year's got me all inspired to rant on a bit and otherwise criticise a noble if somewhat flawed effort. It also inspired some parties to suggest I write "Development Porn" - I suppose writing the following engendered this:

Continue reading "Published: World Bank's MENA Econ Dev and Prospects 2006 "Financial Markets in a New Age of Oil""

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Policy & Development

August 26, 2006

German Steel & Transaction Costs

The operation buying my new German Steel is taking far too fucking long.

First, there was the idiocy of the American correspondant that froze my funds when some semi literate bank functioniary panicked over the cash being transferred to a suspect country.... Once resolved, now I am lost in the intricate idiocies of the local bureacracy which render any transaction 30 times more complex than necessary.

It's the sort of operation that underlines the idiocy of the Stiglitz's in their ivory tower attacks on globalisation and celebration of statism.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:49 PM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA , MENA Region General , Perso-Expatedness

Market Demand (expanded)

Today I had confirmation of a suspcion of mine regarding my favourite Halag, haircutter.

Summertime and Khaliji tourists means more fetching young Leb Sluttish assistants and expanded "services."

I had long suspected, but today (with me first haircut since the hair came back - pleased to say roots are going dark again) had confirmation.

I shall not be able to understand the very special scalp massage that comes with my haircuts in the same way. I am not sure if I am disappointed or not, however at least I don't wear a gold and ruby pinky ring heavy enough to dislocate said finger. It is, however, apparently a useful tool, but sadly my particular scumminess requires a certain image.

Continue reading "Market Demand (expanded)"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

Blogging Ideas

While it is not yet end of month for my usually abusive engagement with my readers, whatever dwindling number there may be, I wanted to pitch a thought or two and see where current interests are.

Continue reading "Blogging Ideas"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:56 PM | Comments (18) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Blog Notes - Admin

Speech Recognition [Software, Thoughts & Qs]

A Question that has nothing at all to do with MENA or whatnot - well not directly at least.

I recently started playing around with XP's speech recognition, which is not that bad but not really that useful. A toy. It did provoke a search and I see many writers indicate that the Dragon Naturally Speaking software has become worth one's while. Wondering if any readers have recent experience with Speech Recognition Software and have observations. Nota bene, my particular situation leads me to have a penchant for potential multilingual applications as I regularly write in 3 different languages. Arabic, I am sure, remains a disaster of course. Goes without saying. I would also observe that I tend to have to use rather complciated financial jarbon (i.e. phrases like "embedded optionalities in mortgage based cash flows" sadly are regularly used despite their ugliness).

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:49 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso Biz Notes

August 25, 2006

Attention to Detail as a Barrier to Exports

As a favor to a local private equity group, I have been consulting with an investee on their marketing program for UK and Canada. Although the little company has some interesting products, they should thank Allah that I am reviewing their materials. For example, indicating instructions have to be adjusted according to the fatness of the user is... well... not a great marketing move.

Attention to detail - were I not imposed in a way on them, they would have sent this rubbish off without bothering to check the language.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA

August 24, 2006

Real Challenges - Competing With Hezbullah

I had another convo with the American group on the US Gov propo regarding Lebanon reconstruction.

The thinking is going in the right direction, they realise on reflection that rushing in to compete with Hezbullah is a great way to do CPA bis, but now the question is "How do you compete with Hezbullah to mitigate its wins?"

Regardless of American stupidity in regards to its FP, the question is a real one.

How indeed does the US compete with Hezbullah?

Continue reading "Real Challenges - Competing With Hezbullah"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Policy & Development , Politics - Local , Politics - US FP , Sham-Levant

Joint Ventures & Coops: Reflexions in real estate and coops in MENA

My side Joint Venture has given me the keys into experience and personal fashion the intricacies of communal property practices in MENA, and outside the context of a multinational with all kinds of influence and the like to throw around, but rather in the context of being a weak foreign investor without corporate structures. While surprising, the experience has highlighted the sometimes incredibly irritating but always illustrative of under-development incentives and practices in ways that have been somewhat intriguing.

Continue reading "Joint Ventures & Coops: Reflexions in real estate and coops in MENA"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA , MENA Region General , Perso Biz Notes

August 23, 2006

Pimping Giddiness: MENA Private Sector & New America Foundation

In reading the first paragraphs of a Washington Post Op Ed by a fellow at the New America Foundation, entitled The Real 'New Middle East' I thought I was going to be pleased, sadly though the author took real observations and mixed them in with simple-minded swallowing of corporate and governmental PR spin to produce absurd tripe typical of the wide-eyed neophyte or the paid propagandist.

A pity as the author's main thesis in a less over-done and gullible form has merit.

Continue reading "Pimping Giddiness: MENA Private Sector & New America Foundation"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Policy & Development , Biz - Private in MENA , Politics - US FP

August 22, 2006

Capacity

Afraid my commentary shall be slightly restricted, I am working on several fund proposals and the wave of resignations following my firm's cretinous penny-pinching idiocy (although nicely illustrative of their complete incomprehension of the emerging markets) has rather dumped a lot of work on me.

All quite bollixed up, but I shall make a quick note on a few items shortly.

As for the Fund proposals, none involve continued employment with the Titanic, but these things take time.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:37 PM | Comments (33) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

August 21, 2006

Schadenfreude

Pursuant to the recent note re some utterly scummy changes in compensation regional (as opposed to expat) employees, one entire office has resigned. I loved the bland "resigned to pursue other opportunities" namby pamby rot. I myself wrote a longish note on chapter and verse as to how this was a completely bollixed idea.

Meanwhile, I have been at the beach returning myself to a more fashionable colour than post-chemo fishbelly dead. However, I am forced to note that my hair is coming back in vaguely blondish, which is most disconcerting.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:37 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

August 18, 2006

Hezbullah's Victory: Roy - Clearheaded as Usual

It is worth drawing attention to Olivier Roy's commentary piece in The Financial Times, entitled Hizbollah has redrawn the Middle East

The perceived victory of Hizbollah in Lebanon may be short term but has highlighted some new and important developments. For the first time, the Israel Defence Forces were unable to prevail in an all-out war. More significant, the winner this time is a Shia Muslim, non-state, armed movement supported by Syria and Iran. In Israel’s previous wars, from 1948 to 1982, the challengers were Sunni Arabs.

Again, returning to punching above their weight.

But the most important issue is who is going to grapple with this issue realistically - rather than throw tantrums that US "largesse" is not "appreciated" as the cretin in power in the US has done.

Continue reading "Hezbullah's Victory: Roy - Clearheaded as Usual"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:35 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Politics - Foreign Policy , Politics - US FP , Sham-Levant

August 17, 2006

MENA Trade, Business Culture & Americans

While I confess this note is in part motivated by my desire to have an excuse to share this cartoon from the Moroccan business daily, l'Economiste from yesterday's - 16 Aug edition. This was emailed to me yesterday, and is worthy of a good laugh, I thought it also worthwhile to undertake some reflexions on both the subject matter and some generalisations about practical issues.

The text, by the way, reads roughly, "Let's go, don't be so timid." I presume everyone gets the allusion.

The subject matter is the fairly substantial non-impact of the much ballyhooed - in US circles - and much feared -in Maghrebine circles- Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

Utterly unsurprising, I may add, despite the rather overdone expectations on the American side (based on painful conversations with earnest American officials I have had from time to time) and fears on the Maghrebine side (who delusionally feared the US was going to come in and buy everything. If only.)

Continue reading "MENA Trade, Business Culture & Americans"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Policy & Development , Biz - Private in MENA , Business , North Africa , Politics - Other FP , Politics - US FP , The Maghreb

Bollocks - Stupid American AML rubbish

My fucking wire to pay for my fucking Hadide Alamani Djdid from my USD account has been fucking blocked by some cretinous moron system in the Land of Delusional Pants Wetters as possible Money Laundering.

Fuck, I hate these people. now it's going to take a week or more to get some cretin to undo this.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso Biz Notes

August 16, 2006

The Lebanon Debacle First Lessons

Lessons may be to big a word, perhaps "preliminary observations approaching lessons" would be better.

The most remarkable item from this fiasco is the manner in which the current American administration unerringly executes near-perfect bicycle-kick own-goals. It's breathtaking in its consistency, and the sheer deluded pig-headedness of it all. Only a year or two I passed over in polite silence or sneered at American Left whinging on that the Bush Administration is the worst in living memory; I confess I am sliding towards a similar opinion now in light of the simply extraordinary incompetence on display and the bizarre inability to learn from its own goals. The "Neo-Con" block is truly Bolshevik in its elevation of its ideological precepts over all fact and ample evidence of failure of its most radical precepts.

The night before last in particular in watching on one of the arab sats the Bush speech with my partner and friends I was Almost taken aback by the depth and intensity of the reaction to his speech, and this among, as I noted at Lounsbury, a crowd tending to the liberal (free market) and not typically anti-American (my JV partner being the sole person who I might characterise as "pro-American" at some level) but certainly typically pro-West. Bankers and the like.

Continue reading "The Lebanon Debacle First Lessons"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:14 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: MENA Region General , Politics , Politics - Foreign Policy , Politics - Other FP , Politics - US FP , Sham-Levant

Kind Requests not to get whacked

Embassy got around to its latest round of asking its Registered Expats to do their best not to get blown up, kidnapped or otherwise whacked for political reasons on their watch, as it is very bad for business, causes much paperwork and generally is terribly inconvenient for the diplo on duty. They note in their kind announcement that intelligence indicates that rising anti-American feeling in the region puts foreigners (they probably should have said all those tending to be confused with Americans) at risk. Bloody hell, never occured to me, that.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

Guilt, Economics and Residency

Among the items that motivated my work to renew my residency was my recent launching of a fine acquisition operation, that is acquiring a new car. It has also been an opportunity to reflect on the economics of several things.

Continue reading "Guilt, Economics and Residency"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:13 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

Inconvenient rot

Ah, the bloody neorologist feels these stupid little siezures of mine might indicate that I could be one of those unlucky bastards for whom chemo damaged certain cerebral interconnects. Have to go get me head scanned. Goddamned inconvenient rot.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso

And I was beginning to miss this sort of thing

A fine announcement regarding air travel, bloody scared rabbits will soon have people flying naked - and now it's London flights as well:

Continue reading "And I was beginning to miss this sort of thing"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:11 PM | Comments (18) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

August 15, 2006

Redoing Residency, An Opportunity to Test Waters

I will have some extended comments on this later, but I just started redoing me residency, which had lapsed during the Great Cancer Exile. A fine time to see the impact of the "Anglo-American Israeli Aggression" Fiasco, given can't hide citizenship, emplyer's citizenship or the like on such forms.

(I've already had the experience which I will elaborate on in today's unpleasant encounters to judge the waters. I can only say from personal interest, thank God for the ceasefire.)

Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

August 13, 2006

And a short echo on cluelessness and navel-gazing

While were I not obliged to spend my time this weekend working on investment performance whanking (obliged meaning, choosing to as the said performance is not in any way related to me Titanic), I would have some amplifications on this note by Billmon with respect to a fine Op Ed in The Washington wondering why US military can't achieve the same street cred as Hezbullah on the ground.

Continue reading "And a short echo on cluelessness and navel-gazing"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:17 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Iraq , MENA Region General , Politics - Local , Politics - US FP

End Game or maybe not

As our very own Tom Scud has summarised, the UN 1701 fig leaves and the online world of whankers reaction, I have little to add at the moment, having spent part of this weekend trying to rebrown myself (as camoflage) and internalise the new recommends GIPS guidelines as I write a profile for a fund. However, I do have a question for the more asture observers out there. The Sixth War is one of the monickers on the Arab Sats (at the moment I can't recall if it's al Jazeerah or al Arabiyah, things tending to blend at the moment). Anyone want to breakout the war accounting there for me as I can't get Six wars - depending on how I break it up I get one more or less. Oddly this irritates me.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:06 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Politics - EU FP , Politics - Foreign Policy , Politics - Other FP , Politics - US FP

August 11, 2006

Amplifying A Review

Today our comrade Tamerlane put up a quick little review of the new edition of the classic survey of Islamic societies, Lapidus' A History of Islamic Societies, a highly readable survey and overview of the scholarship on Islamic societies' history from inception through the modern era, explicetely covering not only the core Middle East, but also giving effective and substantial attention to the 'fringes' in Africa and Asia.

I think it worthwhile to expand on his very brief note to observe that this edition greatly expands on 19th and 20th century history - the first edition effectively broke off with the 19th century although it contained some overview of materials on 19th and 20th century. This edition summarises the history and the scholarship right up until 2000 fairly effectively, and while in terms of the 20th century coverage one can complain of a tinge of the standard academic left illiteracies with respect to business and economics, this are faint and clear enough.

For readers seeking a single tome overview of the MENA region and its environs, they can't do better than this. It is a far better choice than either the favourites of the academic left or Bernard Lewis.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:55 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Society & Culture

As a rough guide, Xian Leb emails I have rec'd

Just as a guide to sentiment, part of a parcel of increasingly ... well motivated.... emails I have received from Xian Leb amigos, the writer of this one having the first name Pierre.

Continue reading "As a rough guide, Xian Leb emails I have rec'd"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

August 10, 2006

Lebanon: In a Hole? Dig Deeper

As expected, although not hoped, the Lebanese tar-baby has induced Israel to keep punching in the queer expectation that the same strategy that failed ten years ago (North to the Litani!) will somehow work this time. As the impossibly dim American administration appears to be utterly indifferent (and perhaps unaware) of the damage it is doing to its own agenda, its own allies, and the truly idiotic nature of this conflict, we can expect more clumsy American posturing about "root causes" and some fantastical, magical international peace keeping force with marching orders to lock in Israeli interests without consultation with the other guys with guns. It may be the French are actually self-deluded enough to want to play that role, although one suspects not so much as to sign up for the utterly deluded American "conditions".

Meanwhile, weeks after predicting that Hezbullah would be destroyed in two weeks, Israel remains engaged in 'secured' border villages. I recall some commentators questioned the rationality of Arab perceptions in region that Hezbullah was and is punching above its weight. Well, afraid the questioning was based on the same faulty perceptions as that which led to those two week predictions.

Continue reading "Lebanon: In a Hole? Dig Deeper"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

August 09, 2006

Further to Frothy: Business Week notes Lebanon has not scared off The Men in Blue and Chalky Pinstriping

Following up on my note, a quick bit of attention to this piece in Business Week noting "fighting in Lebanon and Israel hasn't scared off financiers. Deals are being made in Dubai and Cairo, and Western firms are moving in..."

Not all that different from The Financial Times items highlighted, but interesting for its own insight into the attraction of liquidity.

Continue reading "Further to Frothy: Business Week notes Lebanon has not scared off The Men in Blue and Chalky Pinstriping"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA

Frothy: Fund Developments, Private Equity & MENA

A queer indicator of the amount of froth that characterises the MENA capital markets at present, my very own self got a call from an American firm looking to enter the MENA market for the first time and raise a private equity fund. Looking for a "face."

Quite frankly, they need someone grey-haired and I told them that right out, for the kind of investment they're thinking of; but on the other hand, I would be a decent face to give an image of.... "best practices" given me rep as Mr Clean.

This being said, this is not really about me, but the froth. With oil at nearly USD 80 and likely to remain well above USD 70, the amount of money flowing into the Gulf - and to a lesser extent places like Algeria and Libya - is astounding and looking like a replay of the 1970s.

Continue reading "Frothy: Fund Developments, Private Equity & MENA"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA , Perso Biz Notes

August 07, 2006

Public Opinion in an Image

Regarding Leb Land:

Continue reading "Public Opinion in an Image"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:25 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: MENA Region General

August 06, 2006

A Comment on The Bolshy Right: The intellectuals have taken over the asylum

I am not normally given to quoting entire op eds at length, but I found FT's America's editor-at-large, Jurek Martin brilliant on Friday: capturing as he did the special type of idiocy when theoreticians, aka intellectuals of a certain kind - or better, ideologues - run things, in "The intellectuals have taken over the asylum" The Financial Times, 4 Aug. 06.

A note of warning for the humourless and those prone to the same, Jurek oft writes tongue in cheek, so no, not everything stands to close scrutiny. However, it is an amusing and close comment on the matter:

Continue reading "A Comment on The Bolshy Right: The intellectuals have taken over the asylum"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:49 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
Filed Under: MENA Region General , Politics - US FP

August 05, 2006

A Long Comment on Incentives in Sham-Isr. Land

I thought I would reproduce here a long comment I made chez The Glittering Eye on Israelo-Arab incentives for doing deals in part over irritation at the rather typical blind-spots Americans have with respect to the conflict and incentives, as it were.

Continue reading "A Long Comment on Incentives in Sham-Isr. Land"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:15 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

August 04, 2006

Unbelievable

My local staff is quitting it appears, last sec. just resigned on the spot.

The completely idiotic scum that I work for uniltateraly changed their compensation from USD to local currency (which is not fixed against USD). Despite the fact of contracted salaries in local, and did not bother to inform anyone. My assistant (who's leaving anything) happened to notice despite an augmentation, she got less in the account. And then they came clean.

First, it suggests more serious financial problems than I had previously suspected. Second, it's simply illegal.

I'm now literally trembling with anger on their behalf. I have never, ever seen anything quite like this. (Well, not w someone I draw my salary on).

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso Biz Notes

August 02, 2006

Another rotted MENA day, various in region notes

Although I was tempted to comment on BBC World's delicious (semi) new lineup of chicas, however that seems trivial in some ways given the continued madness in region.

I would note the headlines in the papers, whatever the language (excluding the delusional US media) and whatever the political orientation all revolve around the same story line: "The American-Israeli War / Aggresion against Lebanon." Depressing for someone drawing salary from a US firm, but understandable for the sheer idiocy and magical thinking characterising Israelo-American positioning.

Continue reading "Another rotted MENA day, various in region notes"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:10 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

August 01, 2006

Reflexions Economic & Practical - MENA During Times of Conflict

If I may (and of course I can, as this is my bloody bloggy and I do whatever I bloody want) some indirect comments on the current environment in region. Sitting in region, I will nevertheless note that spending evenings watching (as this evening) imagery of shattered children's bodies (headless even, on Al Arabiyah) is not precisely cheery. Even my JV partner, normally an almost pro-Israeli type said this evening something along the lines of "They want to impose their rule over all their neighbours like tyrants." Utterly out of character. And certainly the Arabic for tyrants carries a lot of meaning.

But on the environment, I spent this evening between popular (working class) beach and consular parties, an interesting contrast on some level, and an occasion to reflect on the diffent worlds, perceptions and understandings of crisis. Best of all, plenty of American diplos showed up at the later, I suppose needing to mingle with people less likely to tell them straight out their employer is a stupid git.

Continue reading "Reflexions Economic & Practical - MENA During Times of Conflict"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Biz - Private in MENA , Economics , MENA Region General , Sham-Levant

Very good to know that KSA is so generous

I'm so happy Al Arabiyah is showing its colours.

And I am treated to this fine "interview" with the Director of KSA support, Mubarek Said [Chaihaja] celebrating KSA's generous support to the Shahide population of Lebanon. Hard hitting journalism this.

Mind you, I normally like Al Arabiyah, but really....

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

An Ongoing Tradition, New Month, New Open Comments & Suggestions Post

My long standing tradition, since my Blog that preceded this one is to start every month with an abusive note about letting all my readers pose questions about matters of substance or trivial matters, request information, etc. etc.

I typically abuse or ignore all such mendiants, but tradition is what it is.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:40 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Blog Notes - Admin