Greg Mills, author of Why States Recover: Changing Walking Societies into Winning Nations – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, recently spoke to Polity to share what he discovered during his research process. Mills explains that states fail in different ways, a concept delved into in his book. “I see failure pretty much as a continuum, a spectrum as it were, that you can have bits of excellence side by side with situations of failure which you do have in a country like Kenya for example. Even in South Africa you have this juxtaposition of the first world and the third world.” Mills goes on to say that the book “advances this notion that it’s not just Somali-type failure that we have in so-called fragile states or failed states where you see dramatic collapse and the collapse of government services at large, endemic conflict and warfare for example. It’s also where you have the failure of the states’ responsibility towards it’s own citizens, to actually discharge its democratic responsibilities.”

A Brazilian-born Australian man has told how he was denied a job as a barista after a cafe owner told him his customers wouldn't want their 'coffee made by black people'. Patrons of the Forbes and Burton café in Darlinghurst, inner city Sydney, were stunned to hear Nilson Dos Santos, an Australian citizen, had been turned down for the job because the owner 'only wanted locals'. In incredible scenes, after being told by the cafe owner, who would only give his name as 'Steven', that he was not right for the job, Mr Dos Santos, 39, stood up and addressed the other customers at about 1.30pm on Sunday and told them why he had been turned down and asked if they would have a problem being served by a black man. In a sign of solidarity, many walked out - and a staff member even quit on the spot. There was also outrage among other customers who took to social media and urged others to boycott the cafe. Steven, from Shanghai, China, who confirmed he was the owner, admitted to Daily Mail Australia that the fact Mr Dos Santos was black was the reason he didn't give him the job. Angry Facebook users respond to the news of the racist treatment of Mr Dos Santos by leaving angry messages on Forbes & Burton Cafe's Facebook page ‘I generally see white people, maybe people from Thailand. They make good coffee,’ said Steven. ‘I don’t have race discrimination. And I am sorry but I was just being honest, in my opinion, I want to hire local people.’ When asked what ‘local’ means, Steven added: ‘Local means to stay here for a long time.’ Later , when asked if he was sorry for any offence caused, he replied: ' Yes, yes.' Steven said that he is a ‘direct person' who told Mr Dos Santos the truth. But a customer in the cafe at the time said he was appalled by what he had witnessed. ‘He (Nilson) didn’t get aggressive with the guy, which is what I would have done. But he stayed calm, he made the announcement,' the customer said. 'Any average person would have got so angry and rightfully so. But you can tell when speaking with Nilson that he is an incredibly nice guy. ‘The support and love that was there for Nilson was unanimous. Everyone was on his side. There was no on left in the coffee shop afterwards, everybody left. Not one person even just sat their quietly and said nothing. Everyone got up.' Mr Dos Santos said was touched by the support given to him by the other patrons. ‘I am so lucky that there were beautiful people that showed their hearts and helped me,' he said. 'I would have found it so much harder on my own but people were coming up and saying "that’s not what we think, that’s not what people think, that man is wrong". ‘I was sitting down around the corner and a girl that had been working at the cafe came past and was upset. She said to me "I just quit. I’m so, so sorry. That was so unfair. I could not work for a man like that". ‘I wish I could say thank you to her. To stand up to her boss and leave was so brave. I hope she finds a new job soon, she was so lovely to me.’ Talking about his confrontation with Steven, he added: ‘Why did he have to abuse me? Why did he have to make me feel that way?’ ‘He didn’t ask questions. Straight away he told me that there was no way I could be a barista. He didn’t want to ask about my experience. He just judged that straight away I am not good enough for him because I am black. ‘I had my own business in Surry Hills for five years. I never had someone say, "I don’t want your coffee because you’re black". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2727063/Sydney-Cafe-owner-admits-told-Australian-citizen-job-black.html

Tillamook, you have a great sense of humor saxiib. This is the best topic for those who appreciate wit at its best. I know my friend Safferz would have appreciated this if she wasn't sunbathing somewhere in Aruba. I was screaming so hard, my brother thought I was crazy. Coolidge, Churchill, Lincoln and Dorothy Parker (the last one on the list) are just hilarious.

1. Calvin Coolidge Vs. Some Random Lady At A White House Dinner 2. Oscar Wilde Vs. Lewis Morris Morris had just been passed over for the Poet Laureateship. 3. Winston Churchill Vs. George Bernard Shaw 4. Winston Churchill Vs. Lady Astor 5. Calvin Coolidge Vs. An Opera Singer 6. Muhammad Ali Vs. Joe Frazier 7. Winston Churchill Vs. A Member Of Parliament 8. Winston Churchill Vs. Bessie Braddock 9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Vs. An Admirer 10. Miriam Hopkins Vs. An Anonymous Singer 11. Ilka Chase Vs. An Anonymous Actress 12. John Wilkes Vs. John Montagu 13. Mohandas Gandhi Vs. Western Civilization 14. Edna Ferber Vs. Noel Coward Coward was remarking upon the fact that Ferber was wearing a tailored suit. 15. James McNeill Whistler Vs. Oscar Wilde After Whistler had made a particularly witty observation. 16. Pierre Trudeau Vs. Richard Nixon Upon hearing that Nixon had called him an asshole. 17. Thomas Reed Vs. Henry Clay 18. Earnest Hemingway Vs. William Faulkner 19. John Barrymore Vs. A Woman In The Lady’s Room Barrymore was drunkenly urinating in the wrong bathroom, and turned to face his accuser, penis in hand. 20. Robert Benchley Vs. A Man In Uniform 21. Niels Bohr Vs. A Reporter 22. Groucho Marx Vs. A Contestant on “You Bet Your Life” After the contestant revealed that he was a father of 10. 23. Henry Clay Vs. Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster After seeing a pack of mules walk by. 24. Alcibiades Vs. Pericles 25. Abraham Lincoln Vs. Stephen Douglas After Douglas called him “two-faced” during a debate: 26. Bill Clinton Vs. Dan Quayle After Quayle revealed that he planned to be “a pit bull” in the 1992 campaign against Clinton and Gore. 27. Reverend Edward Everett Hale Vs. The U.S. Senate When asked if he prayed for the Senators. 28. Senator Fritz Hollings Vs. Henry McMastor When challenged by his Republican opponent during a televised debate to take a drug test. 29. NY Mayor Ed Koch Vs. Andrew Kirtzman After the reporter insisted on pressing a point about an inconsistent statement Koch had made. 30. Abraham Lincoln Vs. A Foreign Diplomat After the diplomat found Lincoln polishing his boots in his office. 31. Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller Vs. An Attendee At A Church Conference After the man ranted against university education and thanked God that he had never been corrupted by going to college. 32. Dorothy Parker Vs. New Yorker Editor Harold Ross Parker had been on her honeymoon, when Harold Ross interrupted her to ask why she was late with a book review.

Xaad is not nabadoon. He is a clan-baiter with a habit of pulling the clan-card whenever his personal interests are threatened.

Muhammad, that is a great list saxiib. One day, I wish to visit Mogadishu, the birth place of my parents.

Black America needs to get its acts together and find purpose in life. Having said that, shooting someone who is already running away should not be ignored by the community. It could have been a Somali kid walking around these government housing complexes. It could have been your own brother chilling in the neighborhood. Looters must be brought to justice. These animals have no right to pillage someone else's property.

Miyir, this was not my translation. It is SOL's translation. I speak very good Somali and my writing is good thanks to my parents. I was talking about SOL translation engine on top after I clicked the Somali flag and got that funny translation.

This is terrible. When they were interviewed, some of the sex workers said that during the day they engage in businesses like retail shops, tailoring and house-keeping, while at night they sell sex. The women also said they can earn anything from 5,000 shillings to 100,000 shillings ($US 38) per night, depending on the client and whether or not they use a condom. "Getting a client who pays 100,000 shillings is extremely rare and it is mostly Somalis who pay such huge amounts of money - insisting on no condom use," said Annet*, aged 35. "Due to poverty, I had been accepting such money but, with the increasing AIDS risk, I no longer accept it." Eighteen year old Rhoda* said that one truck driver can visit around three sex workers in a night without using a condom. "Since we share our HIV status amongst ourselves, I no longer want to risk my life, so now I protect myself," she said. Sarah,* aged 25, said she and her colleagues had been wondering why condoms tear during sex, since their clients put them on properly. After thorough investigations, they discovered these men put Vaseline on their penises before putting on the condoms, knowing well that during the act they would tear, so they could have unprotected sex. However some of the truck drivers who visit female sex workers accused them of deliberately removing the condoms during sex, so they can be paid a higher fee. Abdallah,* a Somali national who speaks with pride about visiting female sex workers, said he would never use a condom. "Where is the enjoyment if I use a condom?" he asks. "I have my money so I can pay for any charges. I am also assured of antiretroviral treatment if I get the virus." Musisi,* who works with a local manufacturing company, said that it is the sex workers who determine whether condoms should be used or not. "If the sex worker uses a female condom I will pay 5,000 shillings. Without a condom, I will pay 10,000 shillings," he explained. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408151374.html

He was a misguided youngster who was perhaps crying for help but no one picked up the signs early. Extremism is a disease and the Somali community needs to deal with it.

As soon as the news came out of Somaliland's capital that Sacadin Mall is open for business, Dr. Osman's constant faan about Puntland's development is silenced. :) I used to giggle at his "Somaliland is the enclave of 200,000 terrorists" threads. I think he is waiting for big news from Puntland before he can open his mouth again. :)

I pressed the flags on top of Somalia Online page and I found the whole experience hilarious. He is a funny translation; People who are religious have 'thicker' brains to protect against depression "Dadka diinta leeyihiin maskaxda 'ka sii dhumuc weyn' si looga hortago niyad-jabka BY: Holac " Another one Black women are ugly, says research scientist "Haweenka Black yihiin foosha xun, ayuu yidhi cilmibaadhaha cilmi" BY: Holac

<cite> @xabad said:</cite> tbh, i do occasionally suffer from depression and i agree religious people are less prone to it. Sorry to hear that. Ilaahay caafimaad wanaagsan hakusiiyo.

That is best news saxib. Time to pacify the few remaining hard-heads.

<cite> @SomaliPhilosopher said:</cite> ^^ I respectfully disagree Holac from previous thread: I respectfully agree to disagree. How long have you been working for Shulman Rogers?

Hambalyo, Professor Ali Khalif Galayr.

I was honestly looking for a guy on a wheelchair.

Nice. I wonder how much a beach house costs in Mogadishu. As the video shows, 2011, the year Al-shabaab was chased out of Mogadishu, was Mogadishu's golden year. We should commemorate 2011 as the year of "new independence". The terrorists still carry out cowardly bombings, but they've lost grip on power forever.

lool@drinking water. I don't agree with the violence but did they say there were searching for a "safe drinking water"?? That is clever.

This explains the erratic behavior of some ungodly douches I met.

They say religion is a matter of the heart – but it seems the shape of our brains could also have a role to play. Believers or those with a spiritual side have ‘thicker’ sections of brain tissue than other people, a study suggests. And in welcome news for the faithful, the researchers think that this thickening could also help to stave off depression. ‘Our beliefs and our moods are reflected in our brain and with new imaging techniques we can begin to see this,’ Dr Myrna Weissman, a professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at Columbia University, told Reuters Health. ‘The brain is an extraordinary organ. It not only controls, but is controlled by our moods.’ While the new study suggests a link between brain thickness and spirituality, it cannot say that thicker brain regions cause people to be religious or spiritual, Dr Weissman and her colleagues noted in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. It might hint, however, that being religious can enhance the brain's resilience against depression in a physical way, they wrote. Previously, the researchers had found that people who said they were religious or spiritual were at lower risk of depression. They also found that people at higher risk of depression had thinning cortices, compared to those with lower depression risk. The finding suggests that being religious can change the brain in a physical way and this change could be protective against depression The finding suggests that being religious can change the brain in a physical way and this change could be protective against depression. For the new study, the researchers twice asked 103 adults between the ages of 18 and 54 how important religion or spirituality was to them and how often they attended religious services over a five year period. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2531622/People-religious-spiritual-thicker-brains-Those-believe-god-deeper-outer-layer.html

do you have to be gay to tell the obvious? ^ Xabad, saxib admit you gave DoctorKenney an open goal with your statement about testosterone not making men "attractive". Pawned.

<cite> @Mooge said:</cite> loool.

Mismanagement at its best. Somaliland should have worked with the local population and got their consent before exploring oil in that area.