ailamos many thanks also, very informative articles, although some were quite frankly disheartening. shame about the deterioration of wildlife.

yet more bad press

wow! Adam many thanks. The Somaliland and Puntland legs of the trips should be do-able at least. Hope the political situation in Somalia improves as i would love to head south and explore some of the places you mentioned. From what i have found on the internet Gondershe sounds epic, just the type of place i would be interested in. Are there any National parks like those in Kenya and Tanzania?

Taleex i know why its famous or worth a visit, but why Qardho, whats so interesting about the place? I'm sorry you chose not to understand my 'nonsense' thanks sincerely for your reply anyway

I need to create a viable list of potential places to visit in Somalia. My interests include fauna, birding and geology of landscapes. Or just places of natural beauty and also places of historical significance such as forts and castles and the like... I say viable because one must be able to visit these places without putting life and limb in harms way. also in an ideal world i.e. if Somalia was safe to travel, where would you visit, aforementioned criteria still applies. So two lists please. i only ask because i have real ambitions of one day soon inshallah to commence on my travels on Africa's eastern shore. My staring point will be Socotra UNESCO site and hopefully finish around the Island of Mozambique as its also a UNESCO site. Also internet searches of Somalia places to visit doesn't bring up much more than Blackhawk Down and war and misery Plus the fact that i wasn't born or raised in Somalia means i have a natural curiosity for the place. I have visited Somaliland but was confined to the main cities of Hargeisa, Burco and Berbera. Although Sheikh was the kind of place I'm interested in. It would be a real shame to by-pass my homeland for security reasons. So inshallah winter 2011 is the year my dream will come true. I've already secured the use of high end camera equipment for free and have 85% of the expenses still to raise. :rolleyes: Please could you include links and maps. Many thanks in advance PS! any ideas of possible sponsors from Somali businesses would greatly be appreciated.

great news, JB do you know if the Dahabshiil building that was being constructed in Hargeisa has finished yet? when i was last there in early 2009 construction was halted for some time. it was in an excellent locale near the bridge and opposite the round-about if my memory serves me correctly.

A somali actor in an action flick, never heard of him, any ideas on his name?

his first film due to be released late March. I think he comes from a background of directing music videos with urban artists from London. anyway be sure to support this brother and see this film when it hits the theaters on March 26 nationwide UK

excellent tone to the language used Castro Bravo! some realism at last.

Victory in the second world war was not decided by the results in the western or eastern fronts, but rather the second world war was won and lost at sea. In this respect the outcome of the battle of the Atlantic was imperative. If Germany had the number of U-boats Admiral Donitz required at the start of war than I for one would be typing in English today. Donitz firmly believed that had he had the ‘magical’ 300 operational U-boats he would have forced Britain to surrender. However the involvement of Hitler in the Kreigsmarine and the lack of operational U-boats, coupled with the slow level of technological development sealed Germany's fate in the Atlantic. The timely intervention of the USA in the war effort also sealed the Kriegsmarine's fate. So the war was won and lost at sea amigos.

wat's w/the dude trying to look like Ronaldo [big Grin] I knew i seen this guy before, his name is Najib and does the rockshow, at nomadradio Najib

Thanks for all the advice guys, but i now realise what I’m doing may not be the healthiest option. I have managed to put on 2kg in 10 days. I know scary :eek: , so I’m gonna reduce my calorie intake. My ideal weight is 84kg, this would be perfect for my role as a centre forward, plus my frame can easily support it as I’m 1.88m or 6’2inch. At the moment I’m 77kg so 7kg to go, but rest assured cardio will go hand in hand with my weights regime. This is regime I put together Monday: 5k run Tuesday: normal weights training Wednesday: 4km run Thursdays: weight training Friday: 3k run + football in evenings. Saturday : weights Sunday: football Match days Daily Calorie intake 3100. This should do the trick as I have a lovely large park near my house, so early morning jogs are not a problem. Problem Solved.

Although completely ruthless in its execution, you can't help but admire the sheer cunning and audacity of this operation. it reads like something straight out of a le Carré book. If Israel was let loose on its enemies, i fear it would be a one sided affair. Obviously the passports are fakes as the 3 Irish suspects don't even exist according to Ireland's foreign ministry. so the vicious cycle of suicide bombings followed by collective punishments will continue. I'm glad this happened in Dubai as it should embarrass that weak excuse of an entity. i didn't realise i had a deep hatred for Arabs until i visited that shithole U.A.E for a holiday. i went full of prmoise and came back dejected by what i had seen. Pathetic excuse for human beings. and yes i know I shouldn't generalise all Arabs , just those countries that i have visited which include, U.A.E, Bahrain, Egypt. Although Oman was the only pleasant place and people of the entire lot.

Hey mr Anwar that so called 'Camel shit' is my home MR, so don't go alienating all Somalilanders, because you can't handle the utter tripe Gaaroodi spouts. Plus Somaliland has plenty of potential only if ingenuity is used, in overcoming some of its short-comings. So there i said it! Plus GAAROODI, can you stop giving us Somalilanders a bad rep man. Just look at your posts man, ever heard of pragmatism, you could use some. I am a Muslim first, a Somali second, and a Somalilander third. A polity that isn't going to go away anytime soon. And there isn't an oxymoron here so don't try to find one either. Peace.

Thnx Aaliyah416, but if i do quite a bit of cardio it will burn more calories that are needed for my body building regime. I was thinking more along the lines of a specific exercise or technique that targets the stomach area generally, besides the Ab-crunches. I've got a beer belly and i don't even drink :-( Daaweeye thnx for the input but ill avoid Chinese alternatives especially when it involves snakes. PS! i might not have a choice and start to run once I've reached my target mass.

sariirtaa lagu duuduubaa, wee isku aruuree markaas My Somali is terrible apologies, from what i could understand, i can't see how that is plausible.

I have a problem, I can’t seem to get rid of my belly fat no matter how many ab crunches I do. Sure the stomach wall muscles are as hard as they can be. But the problem is there is this top layer of fat I can’t seem to shift. I’m on a new regime which includes eating 3500 calories a day in conjunction with my heavy lifting regime. So far the results have been good, except for the horrid belly fat. My diet is good and balanced with virtually zero trans fats. If any SOL’ers have personal experiences of successfully burning this stubborn fat, then I’m all ears. PS! I will be attending my first ever Somali wedding in a month’s time and need this fat gone asap. Thanks in advance

operational management

I am seriously considering doing an MBA at the London Business School in about 3 years time inshallah. (Need the experience first) I found out its ranked number 1 in the world for their MBA’s which is unfortunately reflected in the fees. Seeing as I don’t have a business background, I was wondering if anyone on SOL has achieved an MBA, and can possibly advice me on what to expect. I’m quite academic in the abstract sense as a result of a degree in Politics and History. My weakest point is probably advanced statistics and advanced maths in general, but I’m willing to hire a tutor and hope my dedication can make up for my shortcomings in this department. The main reason for doing this MBA is to develop my business acumen and hopefully one day help me run my own successful business. Also having an MBA from the world top business school doesn’t hurt Any enlightening comments would be appreciated.

you guys have managed to miss probably the biggest mistake of all. Look carefully at the first Somalia note. Look at the bottom centre next to the date 1990. its supposed to spell Mogadishu but they got it hopelessely wrong. Or am i seeing things here?

Is this meant to be a joke, or am i missing something here. No one will take you seriously Cowke with this kind of news. Your either a deluded individual, or someone with astonishing contacts and reach. To which it is, I'm thus far undecided. whats your sources for such accusations?

The Somaliland government should allow the people of Sool & Sanaag to decide whether or nor they would like to be part of a future Somaliland State. A free and fair referendum should be held under the watchful eye of international observers. If it’s declared free and fair, then the decision should stand regardless of the outcome. Problem solved, Simples! Or am i being ignorant here:-D

Hello GAAROODI how's it hanging, did you receive my PM by any chance:D

Dude you beat me to it, i was just about to post a similar thread. Watched it last night, and let me say it’s probably one of the finest films if not the best ever I have ever seen. I mean its jaw droppingly good. From the very first few scenes it grabs you and doesn’t let you go for the entire 155 mins. It’s an epic in every sense of the word. For me it eclipses the greats like The Godfather, because the director Jacques Audiard is nothing short of a genius behind the camera. This film is very much more than a prison drama but an in depth character study bristling with cross-currents of feeling and sharp observation It’s One of those films were you will talk about long after you have left the cinema. Paints France in a very bleak way, which i like Tahar Rahim was supposedly an unknown actor, after his performance he should brace himself for worldwide stardom, and it’s earned on merit if you ask me. Un Prophete is a blistering dramatic epic whose reach goes well beyond France and beyond Europe. The most gripping work of art I have ever had the pleasure of watching. A must see!

yes yes! i believe their refereed to as Eurotrash. Not my words:)