Ah, that explains the Heisenberg duelling scar, I’m sure.
Image: if Scylla old man wants an image perhaps a sort of run-down half-mad expat in Tangiers will do. It is one of my sincerest aspirations. My dear granddad died in Izmir you know, it is my aspiration to die in a MENA port city with a ruined liver. You may paint in a once fine Italian suit, although I do tend to go native on my time off.
Perhaps I can invite you for rhum and mango - an odd concoction which I developed a taste for - in some nasty bars I know.
As for the invective, the fucking and all that, well…
I recall my first business meeting … oh dear rather a long time ago … in NYC when I was a fresh faced whipper snapper and much to my surprise the Big Cheese tore into a certain -analyst I think, it escapes me now- with a stream of motherfuckers and you stupid fucks and so forth. Fellow had fucked up some data.
As you might imagine, I developed a desire not to be on the end of something like that. And I never was. Fear perhaps? Pride? Big Cheese came to like me - I tolerated his tantrums well.
Well, point was, I guess I don’t notice it as much. Perhaps that should change.
As I recall, I recently used the term “ascerbic” to describe Collounsbury. His areas of expertise don’t match up to areas I’m likely to post in (except on rare occasions), so mostly I’ve been an observer.
And, ‘ascerbic’ fits, IMHO. Could he tone it down a notch? yep. no doubt. Does he always go for the juggler as a bully? I’d have to disagree w/** Manda** in that although certainly I’ve seen some specific threads wherin blood flowed (there’s certain posters who brought that out in ya - like greinspece Sp? and AutumnWindChick, and lately december), the stuff I’d more likely call ‘bullying’ generally comes out after the poster involved has either written some incideriary post or has already demonstrated an inability to logically construct an argument or rebuttal.
as example here with all three of those posters.
If Collounsbury’s area of expertise were Star Wars, he would be insufferable.
As it is, he is an expert on the Middle East. And he speaks the local language. AFAIK, most US Middle Eastern commentators cannot say the same thing.
Since we amateurs are a product of what we read, it is not surprising that this board will contain a preponderance of whoppers. In desperate need of correction. Which Collounsbury graciously [sub]ha![/sub] provides us.
As far as I can tell though, Collouns reserves his full barrage for (1) posts that reflect ignorance and bigotry (occasionally unintentional) and (2) Sam Stone & his “neo-con” sourcing.
I would hypothesize though, that most of the commentators who form the basis of Sam’s analysis probably don’t speak Arabic, clever as they may be. And that furthermore this is a problem in need of a muscular response.
Still I’m biased, as I can’t think of a single instance where I have ultimately parted company with Collounbury’s analysis. His presence may lead me to be somewhat more careful with my Middle Eastern commentary than I otherwise would be. But that, I submit, is not really a bad thing.
I do see in reviewing that … series (when was AWC banned and why?!) that have declined in patience. Obviously I have to move my base back to MENA, the developed world ups me stress level and makes me crankly.
However, defenses or cheering do not build character nor improve one’s game so to speak. I appreciate(d) PLD taking the time, as well as Milo despite our rather fundamental differences to provide some valuable critiques on my game, if I may abuse the metaphor but this bottle of clear liquid has impaired my ability to access better metaphors.
I need not be encouraged to be frank.
Well, I’m drunk and I don’t want to write my motherfucking proposal/report so let me tell a story. I always thought it was funny.
A few years back I had a Leb fencing partner. (Leb = Lebanese) What was his name? Ghassaan. Odd name that.(*) Well, I recall that August, 95 as I recall, it was terribly hot. Now our salle wasn’t, and I suppose this was not surprising given where we were, air conditioned. So, it is perhaps 120 F or something like that. Now, in normally one wears this damned heavy cotton & kevlar protective outfit as well as the mask/helmet.
But bloody hell, it’s really hot. So we, being perhaps a bit too much full of ourselves and bored, decide that we don’t need no goddamned protective gear, other than the mask. Oh yeah, and the cup for the delicate parts, which I assure you is non-optional. You will understand shortly.
So we decide to drill just in the shorts, mask and of cours shoesies. But I find drilling boring, we decide to actually do bouts. Good fun that but let me tell you, when a good steel blade lands on bare flesh, oh man… Well, really oddly it doesn’t hurt, it just goes all numb, then after a while it hurts. First time I thought Ghassan had broken by fucking hand.
But back to the point, this bouting – aside from the parts where we had to stop because one or the other of us got a bad whack and lost feeling in the hand – went much better than wearing the whole get up. No heat exhaustion.
So we make it a habit for a while – although I confess that explaining the welts and odd impact-cuts to S.O.s and colleagues was, ah, awkward.
But as they say, it’s fun until someone loses an eye. Or something like that. Now the last time round we had a rather intense bout, at one point I really beat his blades point faible hard with my forte. Really a waste the effort I put in, bad form too.
Too much effort put my blade too far out of ligne, lost the riposte and he made the counter riposte, but hit my leg. Thankfully. Went on a bit, then Ghassaan called a halt - I thought he was being a weiner, but lo and behold I’m bleeding all over the piste!
I had broken the tip off of his blade and his riposte had slashed my damned leg open. The odd part was I didn’t really feel it. But damn did it bleed, I guess really from the movement. Left a nice white scar down the inside of my left calf.
Ah well, after that we changed our habits. Lots of water.
I guess I am not going to unseat Fenris and Scylla as story tellers, eh?
[sub]
(*: as I recall it means to have long attractive hair. I told you it was an odd name)
[/sub]
No, no, C’bury. Not quite.
See, you put a joke in a box with a bottle of rum. Now, at any given moment, the odds that the rum is all gone is exactly 50/50…
Collounsbury said:
[celestina gets her virtual paddle and smacks Collounsbury’s virtual bottom a few times.]
This is absolutely not correct, and you ought to be ashamed for spreading such ignorance around here! Lots of folks don’t pay good money for an education. They pay money for credentials so that they can get jobs and/or get pay increases. If they do happen to get an education by some fluke, then fine. Just ask my distant cousin what bought his Ph.D. of Divinity. I believe it took him a few months (or was it weeks?) to get it. When it arrived, he was so excited he brought his diploma over for my folks to see, but we discovered he couldn’t pronounce some of the words on it! :eek: I believe in recent years, he’s now taken to calling himself “Bishop”; however, I cannot verify whether or not he paid out more money for this extra credential or just decided to add it on and hoped that no one would ask to see the diploma for that title. If folks really want an education, then all they got to do is open their eyes and look around. Talk to some older folks and listen to the stories they can tell you. Pick up a book and read. Sit and stare at the stars and the trees. Ask questions. Think critically. Be at peace with your mind, and trust your instincts. You may know more than you think you do. And, if you don’t know, then look at that level of ignorance as an opportunity to learn.
As far as Collounsbury being a bully, I don’t think he is. I don’t understand why some folks are scared or whatever of him as he’s not going to jump out of their individual monitor screens and bite them or anything. If he’s rude or whatever, folks can either be rude back, counter his arguments to further the debate, or ignore him. Since he’s not really trying to educate folks, I would imagine he wouldn’t really care if folks ignored him. Would you, hon? I do think that a lot of his cussin’ and rudeness is ineffective at times, but he says he likes it, and it does provide entertainment/amusement for some folks I suppose. [shrug]
That’s a filthy lie and you know it.
I still have the marks on my arm…he’s a savage animal, I tell you, a savage animal…just like them Ay-rabs
[celestina gets out her virtual paddle and smacks Neurotik on his virtual bottom.]
Neurotik, are you callin’ me a liar! Is that what you’re sayin’? :mad: I’ll have you know that I do not lie. I’m honest and truly an ignorance fighter. 
I was recently crowned the SDMB genius a few threads back somewhere in the Pit. [sniff] So you’d just better watch it with those accusations, sir (It is sir, isn’t it?), or I may just have to demand satisfaction. And how can I tell if that’s really a Collounsbury bite[sub]TM[/sub], or a bite from some other kind of creature? I can’t really see your arm, now can I, hon? 
I for one learn a lot from Collounsbury.
However (there’s always that however), I do think sometimes he can belittle his opponent in a debate.
Now, since I’ve only been here a handful of months, that seems extreme to me. But, then, I’ve not had to deal with posters who speak out of their asses about subjects they know nothing about for as long as he has. Is his language always appropriate? Probably not. Does he get his point across? Definately.
FWIW, I also speak Farsi! Does he? I didn’t know that. Now I do. See, one can even learn things in The Pit.
Collounsbury, halletoon khoobeh?
I like Collounsbury’s posts, and have always found his opinion to be insightful.
I’ve often been surprised by the sheer stupidity, hatred and bigotry displayed in some posts on MENA topics, for example
Faced with this sort of nonsense on a topic he’s obviously very fond of, I’m not surprised he can be a bit acerbic at times.
Oh, and Allessan is right - definitely a pithe helmet. Probably carries a Webley service revolver too.
I imagine Collunsbury posting in a rather nice italian short sleeved shirt and tie combo, but wearing a beanie hat with a propellor on the top.
Yeah - so Collounsbury is unshamedly arrogant on his subject. But so what? His knowledge is pretty flawless, his insight well-informed and unbiased.
I am happy to put up with (quite a bit) of pomposity and sarcasm if it contains interest and truth, far more than a load of bigoted inaccurate crap dressed up in pretty words.
Your response was clear. My critical faculties got dulled and distracted by the mélange of insults.
Thanks Manda Jo, but your comment made me simultaneously smile and wince - I’m just a little uneasy being held up as being an archetypal “good example”. 'course it’s rare enough perhaps I should revel in it ;).
At any rate Collounsbury is obviously a favorite of mine around here and I do think the targets of his ire are frequently deserved.
But since he said he isn’t looking for a lovefest - Mellow the fuck out Coll. You do skate a little close to the edge sometimes.
But don’t mellow too far, as a bulldog is useful to have around here sometimes. Also, sit up straight - What did your mother teach you about slouching? Get me some coffee. Detail my car. My yard needs weeding. My dishes need washing. Get rid of those Italian suits, they make you look like a mafioso - Time to go grunge. Buy me a new 61" HD TV - You owe it to me for setting such a good example.
And when you’re done with all of that, I have some other constructive suggestions.
- Tamerlane
I’d like to chime in and say that I find C’bury’s material hugely informative and a significantly positive contribution to the boards, his overindulgence in venomous invective aside.
And regarding that, I think we can all agree that the last few months have seen a regular infusion of new posters who bring with them the same common misunderstandings that are ubiquitous in the general population – e.g., the actual definition of “jihad,” which I freely admit I didn’t know until the “Ask the Muslim Guy” thread a few months ago. This has resulted in the serial repetition of several asinine arguments, requiring the redundant refutation of same. C’bury’s mistake is to treat these informational transgressions as cumulative, and to behave as if each poster’s ignorance is less and less forgiveable due to the foregoing corrections; hence, he has less and less patience.
Call it a character flaw, if you like. I fear only for the day his patience snaps and his trembling-in-anger typographical errors make his posts entirely illegible.
P.S. Definitely a pith helmet. And jodhpurs.
“The all American bullet-headed saxon mother’s son”?
A few words for I feel profoundly self-indulgent.
Elucidator:
I am puzzled.
Wring:
How oddly accurate. Yes, I do get rather upset when I feel that relevent data has not been integrated.
Tamerlane:
Yes, yes. I am trying. I feel somewhat vaguely badly about being somewhat excessively mean to Sam and PLD, for example.
However, my character has always been to go right up to the edge. How do you think I managed to dive into the region? What normal person takes vacs in Yemen? (Oddly I was thinking I might get kidnapped on purpose for a nice bit of leave. Yemenis treat their guests, even forced guests with painful hospitality. However the thought of ‘rescue’ and getting shot -by one’s ‘rescuers’- in the odd case that the holey cheese people wouldn’t ransom me turned out to be something of a dissuasion.)
I still don’t like this pith helmet thing --I did own one once but it turned out to be too much of a conceit even for me, pity I always thought gramps looked damned interesting in one. Now I only can aspite to a worn suit and lots of rhum in my old age.
That’s ok. I am puzzling. Schlemiel, Schlmozzle
Anyway: Beatles, White Alblum, Bungalow Bill
Self-indulgence is ok, it does not, in fact, lead to blindness or hairy-handdeness. Care should be taken that it not reach a level that might be describled as “profound”.
Well, as long as I have both Collounsbury and Tamerlane’s attention…I would like a good primer on the region. Something not too difficult for a novice and that costs under $25 at Barnes and Noble (I have a gift certificate). Any suggestions from either of you?
I have a pretty good understanding of the general history and such, at least, prior to the 1300s from a series of courses I took in college. But yeah, anything you guys can suggest would be helpful.