Sorry, all, for the paucity of posts. I've been trying to cram about six columns and four features for the magazine where I freelance before my May departure date. I'm also teaching again, and that takes up some time in preparation. Finally, i try to study my Arabic as much as I can. I'm also researching a story on the hawala money-trading system. Something has had to give and frequent posts was the victim.
The upside is that with so much freelance work crammed into a short amount of time, it will bring in a fair amount of scratch. The downside is obvious: I don't have the time to write so much about stories such as the United Nations nixing the plans for early elections and whether there are circumstances under which NATO might help out in Iraq.
So, again, my apologies. I wish I could write more often. I will write as often as I can.
Thanks for your understanding.
Very busy
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About me
Hi there! Thanks for stopping in. I'm Christopher Allbritton, former AP and New York Daily News reporter. In 2002, I went stumbling around Iraqi Kurdistan, the northern part of Iraq outside Saddam's direct control, looking for stories. (Some might call it "looking for trouble.") In March 2003, I made it back in time for the war, becoming the Web's first fully reader-funded journalist-blogger. With the support of thousands of readers, we raised almost $15,000. You can read my dispatches here. It was one of the moments in journalism when everything worked. It was a grand -- and successful -- experiment in independent journalism. In 2004, I moved to Iraq, where I would spend the next two years. It was a raucous, scary and exciting place with a lot of news going on. But I've since moved on to Beirut and the wider region. I now report for a variety of outlets.
Chris,
Consider yourself blessed for having all of that work to do. You convey your ideas well and I can wait till you get to Iraq. Relax a minute and take a deep breath. The folks here wouldn’t be sending their money if they didn’t feel you had something to offer them, regardless if the frequency wavers at times.
Good Luck my Friend
Connie
Your post made me remember a good article on hawala written by J. Orlin Grabbe, who writes from Dubai. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the URL-
In Praise of Hawala
http://freedom.orlingrabbe.com/lfetimes/hawala.htm
Also, I put a post and link up about your email from the redeployed Marine’s wife on my blog.
UnFairWitness
http://unfairwitness.blogspot.com/
I always enjoy reading your blog.
Best,
tex