RSSMay 2007 Archives
May 31, 2007
Global Blog Commentary as Twittery
I am sure that if this gets linked I shall endure much flaming, but as I don't give a bloody fuck:
In our Aggregator / Syndicator (depenidng on the terminology) I always find posts from the "Global Voices Online" - some precious bit of ... well wooley headed Leftish oriented Kumbaya sharing preciousness that I suppose serves a purposes (although for the love of fucking I hope it is low rent, or supported by some intellectually impaired artist who has more money than reason) in boosting global communication.
However, things like this post (which is not perhaps the best example... well it is not a good example, it simply provoked my gathering irritation. Plus I have been supporting Castro this evening) irritate me.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:33 PM
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MENA Region General
May 30, 2007
I fear for your children
So said a female collegue - from another firm - after spending a week working with me on a deal.
Apparently I can be somewhat intense.
Continue reading "I fear for your children"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:00 PM
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Perso-Expatedness
World Bank - Zoellick
I have to say this is a pleasant surprise, Bush picking Zoellick, the whinging by "unnamed" Bank officials re "someone close" to Bush being a problem is off-base. The man is a good choice overall.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:50 AM
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Biz - Private in MENA
May 28, 2007
Bloody Holidays
Spent 15 minutes calling home office and then rang a colleague on her cell, to find out it's a US holiday today. Fuckers call me on my bloody holidays, but get all bent out when I call them. Like I'm supposed to recall these stupid holidays.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:19 PM
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Perso Biz Notes
May 25, 2007
Apologies
On the road (or plane as it were), and packed schedule. Conference room to conference room. Massive amount of business to pack in before Summer breaks and my next bit of medical rubbish.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:08 PM
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Blog Notes - Admin
May 16, 2007
Encore Distractions
Afraid short on posting time. Have begun a new therapy regime for the new little problem. Really tedious, this, and cuts into either my work or drinking time which undermines my alcoholism as hobby lifestyle, so also cuts into nerdier things like blog posting.
Continue reading "Encore Distractions"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:27 AM
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Blog Notes - Admin
May 10, 2007
Unique Pleasures
They are a rare thing. Therefore I shall count them.
Continue reading "Unique Pleasures"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:43 PM
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Perso-Expatedness
May 08, 2007
Money Laundering as a Subsidy
Taking a play off of Shaheen's comment on my prior post, I was just thinking about Money Laundering as a subsidy to domestic consumption in MENA.
As I noted in my comment in reply, I don't rely care that much about the drug money laundering myself - although I know the illiberal prudes in the world, most notably the Great Finger Wagging Hypocrite Power, are all up tight about this - although I like it best when it's recycled into semi-productive areas that subsidize otherwise unaffordable consumption.
Sure, not real great for a healthy economy, but hey...
Of course, the real estate observation is key.
Continue reading "Money Laundering as a Subsidy"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:30 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
Algiers, The Tourist Destination
I had one of the most surreal business conversations of my life today, with some... Algerians official who have somehow deluded themselves into thinking that I may be the conduit to foreign money to invest in what I can only characterise as a truly fantastical scheme to create an Algiers Bay tourist destination.....
Abstracting away from the fact that you can't get bloody tourist visas to Algiers without jumping through absurd hoops, and paying absurd fees, who in their right mind is going to visit Algiers, a city with goddamned paramilitary at every round point (and not the weeny under-fed pseudo para conscripts of Egypt, really serious French trained toughs with spanky new assault rifles and equipment) and a palpable sense of fear and malaise?
Now, I am not saying Algiers is not an attractive city, it is. It's just one would have to be fucking retarded to invest in tourism in Algiers. Fuck, the morons who invested in the Tourist hotels in Jordan got fucking raped, and Jordan at least was a semi-sane bet in 97. (this leaves aside the money laundering hotels built recently in Amman; I have a fondness for money laundering actually, it provides ridiculous services like mini theaters in absurd round tower hotels at absurd pricing for persons like myself to enjoy)
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:54 PM
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Biz - Private in MENA
May 03, 2007
Tedium
May be absent again. It seems that I have something funny next to me spinal cord. After this next business trip will have to get some scans again, nice little MRIs to understand what little amigo is impinging on things. I suppose I shouldn't have neglected the numbness in my hand.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:32 PM
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Blog Notes - Admin
May 02, 2007
New Month, Old Tradition - May 2007 Edition
The usual open post.
Sadly I remain insanely busy, and tomorrow I fly into djzair l-beida. Not enthusiastic about that. Then I get to hop back to the other Beida, which is more normal, before fucking off to sub-Saharan lands. In between I have to get some bloody scans for a funny little impingement on the spinal cord that has rendered me left hand entirely numb. Annoying that. Feels weird.
So, there we are. I have a draft item on follow up to Maghreb Bombs in works, maybe when I am sur place in djzair l-beida I will follow up, if the meets go well.
Meanwhile, busy working on idiotically leveraged things that illustrate, if nothing else, that lender perception of credit risk is... well, utterly without reason. That I believe that I can close a deal with a personal equity particip (I mean personal, not firm) of miniscule amounts, and with quasi-equity layering some 70x ... well, all I can think of is "moral hazard." But it's not my job to tell the lender that he's a fucking moron.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:11 PM
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Blog Notes - Admin
