DHL to Somaliland? I'll pay for it just for the novelty factor. You're on. Ibti, Who? Don't say North. He hates books.

^^ Boring? Someone insisted I should read all his stuff (not just the Trial, which I was initially planning to try). JB, Do dahabshiil do book delivery now? I'm more than happy to send them once I'm done.

Just got a bit carried away and bought the following: Thanks for your order Order Summary: Dispatch estimate for these items: 26 Mar 2008 The Grapes of Wrath The Great Gatsby (Penguin Popular Classics) One Hundred Years of Solitude Love in the Time of Cholera Complete Novels - Franz Kafka Last month, I got five books and finished them all within the month. I hope I don't do the same with this lot.

So much for MS Word!

^^ Black mambas are among the ten most venomous snakes in the world. Black mamba venom can kill a human in 20 minutes. With a LD50 of 0.25-0.32 mg/kg, the black mamba is 3 times as venomous as the Cape Cobra, 5 times as venomous as the King cobra and about 40 times as venomous as the Gaboon viper.[4] Black mamba venom contains powerful, fast-acting neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, including calciseptine.[5] Its bite delivers about 100-120 mg of venom on average, however it can deliver up to 400 mg of venom; 10 to 15 mg is deadly to a human adult. The initial symptom of the bite is local pain in the bite area, although not as severe as snakes with hemotoxins. The victim then experiences a tingling sensation in the extremities, drooping eyelids (eyelid ptosis), tunnel vision, sweating, excessive salivation, and lack of muscle control (specifically the mouth and tongue). If the victim does not receive medical attention, symptoms rapidly progress to nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, and paralysis. Eventually, the victim experiences convulsions, respiratory failure, and coma, and dies due to suffocation resulting from paralysis of the muscles used for breathing. Without treatment the mortality rate is 100%,[1] the highest among venomous snakes. And she's complaining about a simple thing like childbirth! :mad: nacala abihi............

The Day Zafir Stole My Dinner A Story by NGONGE 7 years and ¾ ZaFiR StOlE Me DinNeR. zAFIR LOOKS LIKE A PREGNANT MOSQUITO. i HATE zAFIR. mUMMY MADE MY DINNER. sHE PUT TUNA IN IT. i HATE TUNA. tUNA SWIMS IN THE SEA. iT’S LIKE A SHARK BUT WITH FEWER TEETH. tUNA DOES NOT EAT PEOPLE. pEOPLE EAT TUNA. sHARKS EAT EVERYTHING. a SHARK IS NOT LIKE A DINOSAUR. dINOSAURS ARE COOL. i HOPE A DINOSAUR WOULD EAT zAFIR FOR EATING MY DINNER. zAFIR HAS HAIR LIKE A nEANDERTHAL. i HATE nEANDERTHALS AND i HATE zAFIR. zAFIR STOLE MY DINNER AND NOW MY MUMMY WILL BE UPSET. sHE MADE IT THIS MORNING AND PUT LETTUCE, CUCUMBER AND TOMATOES WITH THE TUNA. a TOMATO IS A FRUIT. zAFIR LOOKS LIKE A SQUASHED TOMATO. tOMATOES ARE NOT LIKE APPLES. aPPLES ARE NICER. i LIKE APPLES. bUT i DON’T LIKE zAFIR. zAFIR STOLE MY DINNER. i AM NOT TALKING TO zAFIR. i’M NEVER EVER EVER EVER GOING TO TALK TO zAFIR. zAFIR HAS tUNA BREATH NOW. hAHA! fISHY FISHY zAFIR. The End.

Ah! Another of the problems of the privileged! Anyway, what's to fear about childbirth? It is usually a few hours of pain and then you go home. A snakebite on the other hand would most probably KILL you.

^^ Practical, Isseh, practical.

^^ I thought you said you will not comment on this topic anymore, darling? Miss us already? Atta a girl.

^^ Maybe but I doubt it will happen. Those that will replace the TFG don’t look that much better, to be brutally honest. There was a time when I hoped the two sides would compromise and save their country but I strongly doubt such nincompoops will ever have the sense to do so. That will leave you with a Somalia that just keeps fighting and fighting. Why would you want to waste your time dreaming of rebuilding a place that its leaders are not even in agreement and are unlikely to ever b? Let it go, saaxib. Come and join your neighbours. Your chances of success, triumph and fulfilment are infinitely better with us than them.

^^ Does that mean you don't agree?

^^ Heh. Why?

^^ What fighting? Do you call those tiny skirmishes, fighting? There is no hypocrisy here, my dear. Other people's territories have not been taken. They've simply been (symbolically) reclaimed by the State of Somaliland. The wise amongst those living in these areas have decided it is worthwhile to join Somaliland rather than pine for a Somalia that may never come. Now it is your turn. Give me your hand and come take a walk with me. See that green meadow? Those chirping birds? These flowing springs? Oh, look at the sea, my dear, look at the still blue sea! Can you hear the chattering people? Laughing kids? Barking dogs? Come on; take in all those lovely sounds. But there is one sound that is missing here! Don't let go of my hand; squeeze it a little if it'll reassure you. Come on be strong. We're going to turn around now. Look over there! See the fires in the distance? Hear the sounds of bombs? Witness the murders, rapes, oppression and injustice. Can you stop it? Could you stop it? It's a burst balloon, my dear. A burst balloon could never go back to its original size. Be pragmatic, be realistic, be PRACTICAL. Turn your back on it all and walk on straight to your new capital, Hargeisa City. Welcome home, my dear. (You can let go of my hand now, people are starting to notice).

The line up of suspects?

^^^ I would like to call it a transformation rather than indoctrination. Putting aside all the nonsensical arguments about blood, loyalty and dreams you've got to admit that the case of Somaliland is a very strong and convincing one. Does your home fall within the newly redrawn territories? If it does, I advice you to stop wavering, faltering and procrastinating! Come and join your brothers that are attempting to create a safe, prosperous and peaceful state for themselves (and you). Don't waste your time waiting for a dream that may never happen, grab the one right in front of your eyes and make it happen. Ps My guru did a lot in helping me get off my fence. However, we still disagree on the choice of political party. He's a Kulmiye man. I support UDUB for their recent hard work and visible endeavours.

This is how the blues won it: 4-4-2?

If our illustrious leader deems it necessary to create more regions and districts, who are we to argue back. However, with the looming elections, one feels that this exercise is nothing but the rearrangement of the decks of the titanic. Still, if I had to vote, I'd still vote UDUB.

Originally posted by Cara: That's not an axis @ The Marc. It's got more than three sides, maybe it's a rhombus of evil?

^^ If all those that reply give their two cents, I dare say the lady will never have to work again.

Ibti, My brother is not going to wait for ever. Get a move on already. Serenity, You have every right to dismiss my words in public. But, tonight, when you sit with a hot cup of chocolate and watch the latest episode of S& The City, think of my words again and pick up your dairy to see the nearest available date to go on holiday to the mother land.

With age and time, ones opinions tend to change and soften. This is what is going to happen to you in the coming years. The average looking guys that you turn your nose up at will soon start to look like total stallions. The boring fellows that you can not stand will amazingly turn into the life and soul of any party! In short, your standards will drop or, to put it in a nicer way, your priorities will change. My opinion about marriage these days has totally changed. I believe that one (especially girls) should get married as soon as they hit puberty. So, I can clearly understand why some people think twenty five years old is over the hell already! Get married, WOMAN. When talking about the availability or lack of eligible Somali men, I have to say that this problem only exists in your head and not real life. My dear, as I always tell all the single girls: if you go to Somalia, you will see Somali taag taagan! Of course, most of the girls cringe at the thought of going to Somalia to pick up their perfect match. They all seem to have this crazy preconceived idea that all the men back there are useless, ignorant and not marriage material. They also argue that they would have nothing in common with a man in Somalia! I of course beg to differ. How many millions of men that are within the range of marriageable age could be found in Somalia? How many of those are serious and responsible? Is it not conceivably possible to find at least a thousand that would fit most of your criteria, if only you would view matters with an open mind? As the cliched saying goes: you do the math. Of course, the biggest argument against marrying someone (a man) from back home is that he may not be on the same level of education as yourself. But, if you stop and consider, you'll realise that many of the ones that you deem suitable were living in Somalia a few years back and did not (too) fit your criteria. I personally met many that arrived five or six years ago and now have a university degree, a house, car and good job (many I say). Five years ago, they were back home and did not register in the radars of many western girls. Today, they're being desired by all and sundry! Go home and catch yourself a good, responsible and good looking man. If he's ambitious, driven and determined it'll only be a matter of a half dozen years before he's outstripping all the riffraff that you, today, consider for marriage. Still, don't let me confuse you with these ideas about marrying someone from back home. This is not really my point. My point is that you should get married PRONTO. It will save you all the hassle about dating, shukaansi, lying on your pillow for years on end thinking about this boy or that man, and if they're worth talking to or not. The fact that you're debating the subject means that you've obviously started entertaining the idea. There is a chink in your armour, my dear. Your defences have been preached. A crack now appears where there was none. The drip drip sound of wedding bells is faintly ringing all around you. Save yourself. Jump before you're pushed. Make it your choice. Get married already, you wavering spinster. Mabrook.

^^ What is it with Canadians and the word irony? That thousand spoons woman should be shot.

^^ I see you're a paid up member of the Alanis Morissette school of irony. Isn't it ironic... don't you think...

^^ Oh come on now, saaxib. Don't get carried away in a tsunami of emotions. The speech was great but not because it revealed anything new or opened anyone's eyes to the problems of race. It was great because it hit the right note, was carefully constructed not to offend anyone (other than radical Islamists of course) and was aiming to explain why he still supports his pastor. Don't lose sight of the ball now. He made that speech to defend himself (and in a round about way, his pastor) from all the accusations that were levelled at him. It was clever, forceful and enjoyable to listen to (and read). It was not the mother of all speeches about race. In fact, I don't believe many people would remember much about it in a few months time. What they will remember is that Obama once gave a knock out speech about race; they wont remember what it contained. It was a speech made by a man trying to become an American president. It was not in the same league as the 'I Have a Dream' speech or even 'The Ballot Or Bullet' one!

March 19, 2008 | Issue 44•12 CHICAGO—According to witnesses, a loud black man approached a crowd of some 4,000 strangers in downtown Chicago Tuesday and made repeated demands for change. "The time for change is now," said the black guy, yelling at everyone within earshot for 20 straight minutes, practically begging America for change. "The need for change is stronger and more urgent than ever before. And only you—the people standing here today, and indeed all the people of this great nation—only you can deliver this change." It is estimated that, to date, the black man has asked every single person in the United States for change. "I've already seen this guy four times today," Chicago-area ad salesman Blake Gordon said. "Every time, it'sthe same exact spiel. 'I need change.' 'I want change.' Why's he so eager for all this change? What's he going to do with it, anyway?" After his initial requests for change, the black man rambled nonstop on a variety of unrelated topics, calling for affordable health care, demanding that the government immediately begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, and proposing a $75 billion economic stimulus plan to create new jobs. "What a wacko," Schaumburg, IL resident Patrick Morledge said. "And, of course, after telling us all about how he had the ability to magically fix everything, he went right back to asking for change. Typical." "If he's really looking for change, he's got the wrong guy," Morledge added. Reports indicate that the black man has been riding from city to city across the country, asking for change wherever he goes. Citizens in Austin, TX said they spotted the same guy standing on the street Friday, shouting far-fetched ideas about global warming. Cleveland residents also reported seeing him in a local park, wildly gesticulating and quoting from the Bible. And last week, patrons at the Starlight Diner in Cheyenne, WY claimed that the black man accosted them while they were eating, repeatedly requesting change. "I saw him walk in and I knew he was headed straight for our table," said mother of three Gladys Davies. "He just stood there smiling at us for a while, and asked how our food tasted. Then he went and did the same thing at the next table over. The nerve of some people." Those who encountered the black man Tuesday said he engaged in erratic behavior, including pointing at random people in the crowd and desperately saying he needs their help, going up to complete strangers and hugging them, and angrily claiming that he is not looking for just a little bit of change, but rather a great deal of change, and that he wants it "right now." "I'll be honest, when that black guy said he would 'stop at nothing' to get change, it kind of scared me," local mechanic Phil Nighbert said. "Just leave me alone." Though many were taken aback by the black man's brazen demands, some, such as Jackson, MS's Holly Moser, sympathized with him. She gave the black man credit for boldly standing up and asking every last person around him for change. "I told him I'd give him some if I saw him later, even though I probably won't," Moser said. "Very nice man, though." Most, however, ignored his requests. "I'm a hardworking American who pays his taxes, and the last thing I need is some guy on the street demanding change from me," said William Overkamp, a Springfield, IL gun-shop owner. He added, "What he really needs is a job." Source