^^ It may not be as good without the original actors. Could you imagne anyone else doing Sir Humphrey Appleby or Jim Hacker?

Again, I'm not the one being a revisionist here, Adam. I am happy to accept that nothing is ever perfect. All the obstacles you quote don't really matter much and only few fall for them, just like few fell for them when the "skeleton administrations" were in charge of Somali lands. You say your grandparents spoke their own language and were not forced to change, but, sit a minute and think of a hundred random Somali words, half way through I bet you'll spit out a few English or Italian words(and that was only the influence of skeleton admin!). In the time of your parents (and mine) western dress, western attitudes and western xarragow were all the rage (and all IN the heart of Somalia). Before that, Somali poets were singing the praises of the occupiers with timeless poems. These are not lies, these are things that took place and can be proven with pictures and words. The point I am making (though harshly) is that there is no much difference (on the whole) between the past and the present. Those that fell by the wayside did in the past and will do in the future. The 'purity' of the past that you hint at is nothing but a dream, saaxib. One thing you have in common with your grandparents and their grandparents too is in the undying view that the past was always better. It's not, it wasn't. 'Good' and 'evil' have always been the story of the world, saaxib. We all have a choice in sticking with our culture or abandoning it altogether (just like many of our grandparents did). Most people stick by it one way or another. They enrich it, they improve it but they never stand still by harking back to a gone by time when it is said things were better. It is human nature to blot out bad memories and only see the good, saaxib (why else do you think women who have gone through the mad ordeal of birth giving go through the whole thing again and again). P.S. For any confused latecomers, I'm not talking about revert marriages here. That's a nonsense topic.

Originally posted by Adam.: Non-sequitur Ngonge, the occupiers influence was non-existant, not on our religion, not on our culture, not on our way of life. My grandfather and mother lived as their ancestors did before and after these imaginary lines were drawn. My grandfather and mother did not lose their first language the way many younglings in our community do today. My grandfather and mother went reguraly to their local mosques undisturbed and the Ayaan Hirsi syndrome was an alien concept. My grandfather and mother socialised with other Somalis, unlike me and the majority of Somali diaspora who go to school, work etc with a myriad of different people. Its disingenous for you to say that the issues faced by us today is comparable to the issues of our grandparents, which was irrendetism and self-determination. Nonsense. Many of your grandparents worked as lackeys for Italians, British and French. Many (inside their own country) picked up the habits and styles of these people (ilbax all the way). You talk about 1% that marry reverts or whoever on the one hand and dismiss the same 1% of your grandparents who did exactly the same thing. Don't pat yourself in the back and say you are facing bigger or different problems, saaxib. On the whole, the problems are the same. It's only the people paying attention to them and making them seem bigger nowadays. However, if you want to be petty and compare being in a school class with non Somalis to eedo xaawa having her first glimpse of electricity, I would only ask you to note all these things down for a future date when you're in need of a laugh. P.S. Lily, you've gone in a whole different direction. I am only here to pierce Adam's utopian image of old Somalia.

^^ You're worse than Adam, Lily. Does everyone like revert marraiges? Does everyone like women who marry outside(to Muslims or others)? Did it never happen before? Follow the lines of thought you start, people..

^^ But your grandparents had to contend with Italian, British and French occupiers....

^^ For a start, this line: "All of these issues are things none of our parents or grandparents faced when they grew up in our country". Now think long and hard please.

Inna haa caleehim mo'sada miya? Wan baxay.

^^ Save these views in a diary, saaxib. They'll come a time when you're in need of a good laugh.

^^ The first always is. In the name of the SL community of SOL I hereby distance ourselves from the likes of Sacad Ducaale. We have been paying close attention to the named individual and instructed our Hargeisa representative to conduct a through search on the dependability of the said person. Alas, the initial reports are not satisfactory. There is no record of him in the SL diiwan galin files.

^^ Adna O hadaad argto wad iska boodda! This is the Student Section, O is always followed by Q (which is what you just did, I suppose).

Even in titles they still have a problem with choosing what would look good on them! Bloody women.

CL, Read the two parts of the comment I quoted you on and tell me if you don't come across as an airhead. Originally posted by *Buuxo*: Horta acid sifudud maa lagu heela? What are you up to now?

^^ The rascal is always making peace deals that benefit him.

^^ A small tip. Always talk about A&T, in the general direction of A&T or close to A&T. Never address him directly ninyaho. You get a different reply if you talk to him directly (a defensive one).

Originally posted by cynical lady: HELLO PEOPLE aren’t we too quick in issue sympathy here? Its Guilty tell proven innocent for me. Oh you oblivious airhead.

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: runtaa laysugu yimid. xammaasadii dhammaatay. It's the nature of the struggle awoowe waagaan soo qaxnay baa oday caan ahaa (allaha u naxariistee) oo waxaa jiray oo aan isku family nahay, oo wixii Kenya ku dhintaba liis ku qora. Kii duumo disho, kii badda ku harqada oo dooni la degto, iyo kii si kale u dhintaba. Liiskii oo boqolaal marayya baa nin wuxu weydiiyey , waxaa u diiwaankan geerida u haysto. wuxuu yiri adeer rag baan kula xisaabtamaynaa (qolodii marka xamar joogtay buu sheegayyaa) asagoo diiwaantkii haystaa iigu danbeysay,aakhirkiinna europe buu ku dhintay laftigiisii The moral of the story: Aw Tusbaxle, Dajiyye iyo saaxiibkey Aladhiif iska dhiga diiwaankan dheer eed maalin walba qofkii laydinka xiraba ku qoroysaan You'll be rubbish as a leader of a struggle, saaxib. Diiwaanka dheer is a prerequisite.

I am with A&T on this one. You see, if this lady was my aunt and the SL authorities denied arresting her, I know that my own sources will not be lying when they tell me the opposite. At any rate, all agree that the woman is real and that she was arrested; it's not a huge leap to also assume that the rest is true. P.S. The above does not mean that I've changed my mind about political expediency when it comes to male ONLF members and the way the Riyaale admin hands them on to the Xabashi authorities. In that case, I still say: live by the sword, die by the sword. You fight your own battles and I fight mine. But women are a no-go-area.

^^ I have no control, they just pop into my head.

Originally posted by Juxa: she is on 5 news charged with murder either she is very young somali girl or non somali black lady.

I have a problem. Words paint moving pictures for me and when I hear the word 'isyeelyeel', I really don't like the picture I get. I DON'T. (That's what I got when I read Naden's words earlier. I pictured someone with a really bad cough, a dirty cup with things moving inside it and an irate client shouting at her. I even imagined what she was wearing and the place - Victorian street and Victorian clothes).

^^ Have faith in the boys, Juxa. Being negative about them (despite all the evidence on your side) does not help. Praise is the way forward. Say it with me now: our boys are as good as our girls.

Not true, Juxa. My mother thought I was a miracle even when I was a troublesome teenager. She told me so at the time. Cara, As long as it's not the same hairstyle you have in your avater. As for Naden....... (actually I better not).

^^ I am many people's miracle. Some wonder how I managed to walk straight all these years. Some question my ability to keep a job. Three little people think I can move the world. But most of all, my darling mother thinks the sun shines from the gap in my front teeth.

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed: great news but two problems: Its free and the headline should be "The Somali Community Says" rather then the Somali Community say. Wish them luck... Are you in America, saaxib? There really is no clear rule on collective nouns. Knowing the Somali Community, I would stick with the plural and use 'say' instead of 'says'. But Americans are different.

Originally posted by Abtigiis & Tusbax: Dejiye,please please please arinka gabadhan wax danbe ha ka soo post gareeyn. Sidaa uu Abdilatif sheegay weeye xaalku. Dee ha la adkaysto. Muhiimku wuxuu ahaa in dhibaatada maamulka SL la sheego, waana la sheegay. Wixii intaa ka danbeeya waa in la iska aamusaa. Abdilatif, Anigaba dumaashiday baa ku jirta gabdho badan oo ilaa 50 ah oo Jigjiga lagu xidhxidhay. Ilaa hadda waan la' nahay warkeeda. I think it's only fair that you unleash all your venom on us here, saaxib. Ma PL ba naga fiican? You spent a month haranguing that lot last time. (they'll only end up accusing you of being married to one of ours or something). On a serious note, may Allah ease it up on all those arrested. P.S. Jb, adigu don't you have any informants in the SL high ranks? Befriend a jaariyaad in a wasiir's house ninyaho.