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December 2007 Archives


December 29, 2007

American Idiocies & Reasons to Fear Left Bollocks

While I await with impatience the end of the current American administration, as its gross incompetence and sheer idiocy are in themselves reasons to see them off, this bit of blogging nonsense and the coverage from the Financial Times reminded me that the American left has its share of incompetent posturing morons, and not merely in blogging land. Leaving aside the blog partisan, whose silly ranting on about Mr Guilani's having done business with Qatar, and oh horrors a "Qataran" [the same author mocked 'poofed' up hair as an expression...] or rather Qatari minister of the responsible ministry having supposed connexions to al Qaeda. Insofar as the fellow is the Interior Minister of Qatar, and member of the Royal family which runs Qatar (a close US ally), the posturing is idiotic.

Or more directly, the harmlessness of the supposed measure which pretends to allow private American citizens to attempt to sue Sovereigns they pretend are state sponsors of terror [presumably defined by Americans] (never mind the potential of it having been overlooked, which does not strike one as impossible) is clearly false proposition.

The Iraqi government was quite right to object, and the US Presidency was right to veto this idiocy.

Continue reading "American Idiocies & Reasons to Fear Left Bollocks"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:50 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Economics , Iraq , MENA Region General , Politics - US FP

Two years

Already 2 years. Why only another two and the watch relaxes.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso

December 24, 2007

Finally in perso electronics observations

After endlessly whinging on about phones, and constantly dithering, I am happy to say I found my perfect phone - PDA. I went for a Nokia E61i, which I find absolutely indispensable now, and at 400 euro, not bad. Unfortunately I had to bribe the chica with a ridiculously overdone phone for her, despite knowing that she'll use nothing besides SMS.

Continue reading "Finally in perso electronics observations"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:14 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso Biz Notes

December 23, 2007

Two years ago

I promised I would not this experience and despite its lack of interest, I shall keep to that.

Continue reading "Two years ago"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso

December 22, 2007

Eid Moubarek - tardily

Having just gotten back, literally just, to my fine home after more than a month on the road (and with another bloody march through hotels and meets starting in a week), let me wish all readers the usual Eid Moubarek, Happy Xmas, Holidays, etc.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso

December 18, 2007

Sorry bloody underwater

This sort of rubbish is keeping me busy, so afraid I may not surface until apres New Years. Trying to close a major financing deal and the fucking credit mess has made this a literal nightmare. Dumb fuck clients should have move sooner, we would have closed say in July, but no, typical emerging markets pissing and moaning about trivia (do you really care about my expenses if I bring you a nice financing package literally 100 times larger than your damned country has ever done in your sector? Yes, apparently pissing and moaning over a trivialities, habitude du souq....)

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

December 14, 2007

Two years encore

A small note recalling another 2 yr anniversary of little more than perso importance.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso-Expatedness

December 11, 2007

Alger la Blanche: Takfiri Nihilism & Murder

The takfiri nihilists, mutaslimine, have struck again in Algiers, I was just in those neighbourhoods on business a day or so ago, and at present can only hope my dear Algerian friends were not by chance caught in this bestial bloody mindedness. (English reporting here).

The report indicates that the nihilists of "Al Qaeda in the Maghreb" claimed responsibility this evening.
(Ce double attentat suicide a été revendiqué sur un site internet islamiste par Al Qaïda au Maghreb islamique, l'ex-Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (GSPC).)

Sadly these scum make the Algerian government look preferable, which is a real achievement in a negative sense.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso , Politics - Islam(ic) , Religion , The Maghreb

December 09, 2007

At the Request of Ibn Kafka: Political Compass Again

I retook that somewhat silly test again, and again came out as a classic liberal (or neo-Liberal as they put it. Not a wooley anarchistic libertarian nor Left twit):

Continue reading "At the Request of Ibn Kafka: Political Compass Again"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:34 PM | Comments (19) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Perso

December 08, 2007

Illustrations on why one should not read Right Bolsheviks blogging on MENA, they are gullible dupes

The disgrace of one of the NRO's writers, (as discovered via Mr Sullivan's Daily Dish) although easily much of what I read among American Right Bolshy blogging on MENA borders on the fictitious if not the delusional.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Sham-Levant

December 07, 2007

New Month, Delayed & A Comment on Brass Crescent

corrected cut off version
Afraid I am on a brutal travel schedule on business with limited connectivity. Nevertheless I saw that Aqoul was nominated again for the Brass Crescent Awards and I suppose this is a good thing. My hesitation is that three years ago when Eerie and I had a convo about this we had rather wanted to be .... what?: a portal blog of accessible but not oreintalist - a term I detest in many ways - commentary, not necessarily Muslim but able to speak in an informed 'grass roots" manner to counter on one hand Friedmanism and Right Bolshevism (separate phenomena), and speak critically of the "altermondialiste" Naomi Klein rubbish and simple minded "Ummah" masturbation.

Continue reading "New Month, Delayed & A Comment on Brass Crescent"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:31 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Filed Under: Blog Notes - Admin