Stop spreading rumours, people. I talk about Val the way a diabetic talks about his illness. It’s a curse that one has to just learn to live with. Oh Look! It’s ten past five and I’m still at work. Overtime!

** pulls his macawis up a notch ** ** wipes nose with other hand ** ** scowls ** ** grunts ** ma tii ba so noqotay? welcome back ya suraaf ps No idea how good or bad the last word is. I suggest that the mods delete appropriately.

^^^ Heh. I try my best. But people aren't falling for it anymore.

Originally posted by Cara: People didn't have psychological issues back then. They had character. He had trouble with one of his heels though. He sat sulking by his tent and refused to fight. He spent days crying about the death of his 'boyfriend'. He tied Hector's body to a chariot and dragged it around for hours and hours. He fought a river! ps No idea if we're talking about the same person here.

^^ And not that any of what she wrote there contradicts with what she wrote in her recent article. Safi's heart is (and was) in the right place. She wants to the best for Somalia but she's letting her emotions rule her head (in this article and the other). You can see it by the way she starts of with one topic and then blindly digresses into all sorts of confusing and convoluted paths. Still, she did not praise the Islamic Courts in this thread and she did not praise them on the other thread. One really can’t see what MMA is hinting at here. As for the topic of crying, she’s using as her evidence a number of stories and anecdotes that she’s heard or witnessed. If that were evidence enough, I too could counter back with many a story of Somalis crying at funerals I’ve been to! It’s human to cry, silly to weep. However, I don’t believe this was what she was getting at. I rather suspect that she was talking about the lack of empathy and the apparent dearth of compassion that Somalis display to their fellow countrymen. She may be right but I beg to differ with her there and argue that Somalis can NEVER stop wailing at the merest of incidents. Safi is a very good writer and I have an inkling that, when she speaks, people listen! My advice would be to try to remove herself from all this wailing and attempt to tackle, write about and consider Somali problems without letting her emotions get in the way. If she were like Mr Goth, who even though he does not live in Somaliland, still writes a dozen emotional articles a day then I would understand her reasons. For in the case of Mr Goth, the man seems to have a clear goal and understandable mission; to forward, market and sell the case of Somaliland’s independence. His methods might not be that ethical but I suppose he subscribes to that old adage about the ends justifying the means! In Safi’s case however, the ends themselves are not that clear. Unlike the case of Somaliland where the end hoped for would be international recognition, the Somali ends here would mean a million and one things; peace, reconciliation, a functioning government, an unimpeachable parliament/president and UNITY. There are so many variables, so many hurdles and much more conflict to sift through before one could rely on simple demagogical articles to convince people that HIS or HER way is the correct one. Safi seems far too intelligent to be caught in this sort of nonsense and I sincerely hope (if she’s reading this) that she’ll take a step back and think things through. Don’t cry yet, Safi! Keep those tears well and truly under control and wait for this ugly Somali storm to pass. As soon as it’s over and we can clearly (and hopefully finally) survey the wreckage we’ll all be able to have closure and cry for all those that fell, all the houses that burned and all the years that we’ve wasted. Premature crying will only impair our vision and cloud are judgment, sister.

Glass building, Lily? The Gherkin one?

This site has been dead for the past few days! No, I'm not talking about Val not being here (though her contributions do count of course). Is this place full of students or something? It does eerily feel like we're having an end of semester lull. Good luck all.

^^ You didn't really answer his question.

^^ Was the spelling of the word bath an unwitting mistake or an intentional dig? A brilliantly written and emotionally charged piece that throws no light whatsoever on the situation as it stands! It's sad, possibly wrong and extremely cynical but I don't at all trust anyone that affects an Islamic persona when arguing about everyday issues. Those supporting the Courts may don their ghutrahs and assume an Islamic posture whilst, in reality, having a very slight and distant link with Islam. However, the author herself is not that far from those she criticises; Reading the piece, I can see that she's got her intellectual hijab on and am deafened by her irksome preaching. Never mind though. At least Caamir likes it.

^^ What's this 'old' rumour that seems to be spreading in this site, saaxib?

Val! So you are still in convict land? What sort of normal, hardworking person takes a month off? This is why I like Serenity more than you. That woman never takes time off from work. The last time she did was in her third year at school and it was only because she had to save a drowning child. Well, ok, she didn't really jump in the water or anything drastic like that. But what you don't know about our Serenity is that she has a very loud and piercing voice; those 'Allah hoogaaay' screams of her alerted everyone within a five mile radius to the plight of the poor child. ps A hat would be nice but I recall specifically asking you to bring me Raheema back. If you can't find gift wrapping paper, any old newspaper will do

^^ Don't rub it in, man.

Yeah. Yeah. Go away now.

Liverpool outplayed Milan. Still, it's a fair result I suppose.

^^ Never got them No wonder I have no faith in somalis.

Originally posted by NGONGE: Barca will lose at Liverpool. They’re a great team with very good players but their manager is not of the class of Banitez. Barca enjoy playing down the middle and mostly relying on Deco & co to pass the ball about to the fast guys on the sides. Liverpool cut the supply there last week and they shall do the same again at home. Barca will (again) try to attack right through the middle but with Alonso, Sissoko (who drove them crazy last time) and Gerrard Liverpool are sure to hold them back. Here is my usual annual prediction, coming to you very early this year: Liverpool are going to be crowned European champions for the sixth time. You heard it here first.

^^ Couldn't help it Xan, enjoy your holiday but make sure you come back in once piece. I need a spare corpse to kick when Val is not here. By the way, anyone know when she'll be back? Anyone at all?

^^ Yesterday, I mistakenly decided to change my root home and take a bus instead of the tube. I sat behind two old Somali ladies (who must have mistaken me for an Ethiopian; as many people do). They were talking about this same person (Silaanyo) and suggesting that he should be given the job of President Of Somalia! Not surprisingly, the two ladies were from Somaliland (I actually, being an amateur and all that, can even pinpoint their clans). They carried on talking about what a great welcome the refugees from the South were afforded and how even Al Jazeera TV was singing the praises of Somaliland.

^^ Booming? Could they really hear the bombs all the way from xamar?

Originally posted by me: Interesting story. We all know how it will end. The secessionist leadership and a small clique will exagerate the number refugees living in the enclave and will make a buck or two out of the peoples misery. The refugees will get the same treatment the Somali-abo got in Hargeysa. The local clans will feel threatned and think 'their' land is being taken away, thats why we are already seeing the maamul saying that no permanent buildings can be built by/for the refugees. Anyhow I hope for the best for all the people. I know its not a nice being a refugee, those of us who have been in refugee camps in Ethiopia/Kenya/Yemen know how it is. Isn't that what happens in ANY part of the world, saaxib? Being a former refugee (as you claim) you should have really known that small fact.

First Val leaves and now Xan? Whose hair am I going to pull now?

** Pats your head **

Really? And there I was thinking he was playing the spastic on purpose.

^^^ Alright, alright By the way, are you sure you're allowed to travel that far on your own? Xan, you silly mare. Before hijacking your topic I made sure that I ended it first.

^^ Sorry, I think I'll have to let you go. I need to sell one of the tickets so that I can afford the £700 flight money.