I'd like Qaxwo, if you please J. Cheers old fellow

You may have a point there Ibti if we consider Maggie Tatcher's leadership. But then to me, for a woman to succeed she'd have to embrace some qualities of men and grow balls. Otherwise, she wont be allowed

^^ I am not saying she is neceesarily correct in her conclusion but she makes some valid points in her book. This book actually looks into the possiblity of a world without men quite in depth. In the book, shelays into men and women, calling out their hypocrisies and weaknesses, and engaging in quite a few of her own.

Salaam Aleykum Walaalayaal Nice discussion between Parangon and Ibti. It just goes to show what I believed all along. Women express themselves differently, and women shy away from the frat boy fighting of the male political discussion. Men appear to be gungo-ho in their attitude in life. What is it? Testosterone in overdrive? Having something to prove? Releasing natural male agression? Men clash over women, ideas, politics, business, war, and if that does not suffice, they will make up stuff to wrangle over. This innate combat nature and the confortational role is what separates the men from the ladies. Politics is a form of war which would attract males more than females. In her book, "Are Men Necessary?" Maureen Dowd mentions that in a 100,000 years women will be running the world. Imagine if Hillary Clinton and Condi Rice were to run for presidency. It is said that women have a different kind of leadership than men. Besides in my opinion women have less free time than men.

Xalimo I was reading a study taken when the lottery winners millionares were compared with those hard-earned millionares. The later were equiped to deal with their millions and therefore accumulated even more wealth as they managed it well. However the lottery winners were not equiped to manage their new found wealth and as a result led to losing the lot under 10yrs.

Originally posted by Mahatma: oye nothing 4 me... how sad.. thats it, no more SOL 4 me :mad: You know what? I will let you replace me when I win ToPeople out there: If you vote for me, then you'd also have voted for my best friend Mahatma AkA Devangle. So Vote for her people.

Growing up is learning curve for all of us. Opinions and thoughts tend to change as we experience life. I also tend to ask other people's (like parents, professors at school)opinions as they have had a lot more experience in life than me. No doubt they will be looking to influence your decision, but ultimately, it is your own decision to make when you measure the pros against cons.

Salaam In my life, it seemed that i had work extra hard for what i acheived. It isnt much honestly, but waa la iga matajiyaa. This is good in a way cos you tend to appreciate it more and hold on to it. But if it is easy come, easy go, life will let you down somewhere down the line.

Can i just say that nothing beat splash of cold water in the morning? Trust me..you wont need any make up whatsoever

"Laroche acknowledged that shellings were increasing" "Somalia has best chance in years for peace: UN" Contradiction right there. I dont know how this is the best chance when shellings are on the increase. Pi Each group you mentioned above, they like nothing better than to have peaceful country they can return to. But they are clearly seeing the reality on the ground and it is far from the rosy picture the Jeneraale or you paint. Once we admit this to ourselves, then we can talk about solutions to the problems in our country. I can tell you now, A Yusuf and Geedi aint the answers and I have the feeling that their replacements in 2 (or was it 3) years wont be any different. However I do pray that things change for the better.

They have greater need for materials, holidays, etc. Kids are expensive in the west. From birth to leaving university at age 21 it costs parents £140,398 to feed, clothe and school their children. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3223896.stm The above report was back in 2003. However this figure has jumped up to £180,137 in Nov 2006. In the last year alone, the cost of raising offspring has risen by 9%, said research from financial services provider Liverpool Victoria. It now estimates that a child costs its parents £23.50 per day. Childcare and education are said to be the most expensive factors, costing parents an average £49,092 and £46,778 per child respectively. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6134926.stm The cost of kids By Claire Messenger BBC Money Programme Kate and Anthony Flagg from Hertfordshire are typical of many parents to be. They have decided they want their first child's nursery to be as smart and stylish as the rest of their house, and are prepared to spend that little bit extra to make it happen. One company benefiting from parents' desire to spend is Mamas & Papas, the designer nursery store. Its commercial director, Tim Maule, has noticed parents have more money to spend because there has been a shift to starting families later in life. "There is more disposable income and people are prepared to spend more, particularly on the first child, than they have in the past," he says. Even if parents opt for basic furniture, Liverpool Victoria's annual survey calculates they will still spend £4,000 on start-up items in the first year of their child's life. But there are also plenty of opportunities to splash out: a gold-plated pram sells for £2,000 on the High Street and parents can even buy a single dummy for £23. Main reasons why parents delay parenthood: 20% - move to a larger house 36% - progress in their career 43% saving money to become parents Source: Money Programme survey Many parents have to return to work to pay for all this, but that is expensive as well. Parents who return to work six months after their baby is born can expect to pay an average of £3,600 for childcare in the first year of their baby's life. The BBC Money Programme commissioned an exclusive survey to find out how costs are affecting parents decisions. Twenty per cent are delaying parenthood until they move to a larger house, 36% wanted to progress in their career before becoming a parent and 43% are delaying starting a family until they have built up their savings. Childcare costs keep rising Teachers Jeremy and Clare Hollingsworth have two children. Despite both parents being in full time work, they find childcare costs at more than £1,000 a month expensive. They even had to delay having their second child as it would have been too expensive to pay for two nursery places at the same time. "Childcare is certainly very expensive," says Mr Hollingsworth. "What with the costs of living, rises in inflation and the mortgage, we do find it difficult." In the last five years, nursery fees have gone up by almost 30%, according to a Daycare Trust report. Last year alone, saw a 6% rise in a typical full-time nursery place in England - an increase of twice the rate of inflation. And two thirds of parents have reported a lack of affordable childcare in their local area last year. Purnima Tanuka, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, says the costs of running a nursery are higher than people imagine. "More day nurseries are employing well qualified staff, who need to be paid good salaries. The cost will have to be picked up by the parents." And parents certainly are footing the bill. According to Liverpool Victoria's survey, the average cost of childcare for children between years two and five is nearly £14,000. Toys and skills It doesn't stop there. Parents are under ever more pressure to spend on toys, gadgets and designer clothes. The UK's toy industry was worth £2.2bn last year, with electronics the fastest growing area. Children today want ever more sophisticated gadgets and toys, from MP3 players to computer consoles to DVD players. Our survey revealed that 19% of parents said they had been buying items for their children as a result of their pester power. A further 19% had used their credit card to pay for them. Designer clothes for children are becoming increasingly popular. Clothing boutiques are springing up all over the country, filled with mini versions of designer label goods. The Money Programme survey showed that 65% of parents admitted spending more on their children's clothes than on their own. The final expense facing parents is the cost of putting children through university education, which could cost as much as £32,000. When added to all the previous expenditure brings the total cost of bringing up baby to £180,000. Money Programme: The cost of kids. Broadcast Friday 2 March at 7pm on BBC2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6407387.stm

^^ You are correct there ibti. I think few women are interested in politics, however those women sometimes face prejudice from their menfolk. Notice however when a foreign female in authority meets them and however they fall over themselves to please her. Anyhow I am not really down on ALL men, but just few insecure ones. ANother good point you made was the lack of interest from our women. I happen to believe if they were bit more proactive in the political arena, we would have moved on from this patriachal frame of mind a lot more quicker. I recall my trip to Boosaaso, many females were protesting how they didnt hold positions of authority. It was shown in SBC TV (i think it was called this). It appeared that they were getting their way too.

Subhaanallah. What you need is a warshad my dear hunguri. A Manufacturing plant. Kids are well and good. Hwoever they have responsibilities over their parents. Most often they are not fulfilled. Therefore if one is lazy, dont bother having many kids.

One of the excuses they come out with is "we are too emotional". Maybe lack of emotion is waxa na dhigay halkan. Jaceyl: How do you judge when a female is good at discussing politics? Is it when she agrees with you ? Dabshid: I met many intelligent women are on top of their game when discussing politics and (in my limited experience) clannism isnt an influence.

Current birth rates could produce Muslim domination The Population Research Institute says the Western world is facing a crisis as virtually every country has birth rates well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. A pro-family organization has done extensive research into birth rates around the world and has concluded that if the Western world wants to survive, it better start having more children. The Population Research Institute (PRI) says virtually every Western or Westernized nation on the planet is slowly dying off because birth rates have fallen below the 2.1-child-per-woman replacement level. PRI spokesman Joseph D'Agostino says for the most part, only Muslims have high birth rates. "It's because Christians and Jews are refusing to have children, refusing to get married, [and] having such low birth rates that the Muslims are going to inherit the Earth," he explains. "It's not anything the Muslims are doing; it's what Christians and Jews are not doing." D'Agostino says the future of the world will certainly be quite different if Muslims become the dominate population group in the coming decades. "I think we can see what life is like in Islamic countries," he says. "I think Christians know that it's a false religion. And we can see that the Muslim world is becoming actually more radical and, in many ways, is headed backwards into its barbaric phase." D'Agostino notes that it is only through immigration that the U.S. population continues to grow -- and that the current situation begs a pragmatic solution: "If you don't want the world to turn into Saudi Arabia, maybe people other than Muslims need to start having some kids at the rate the Muslims are having kids." http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/02/current_birth_rates_could_prod.php

Salaam aleykum Are you one of those who dont discuss politics with women? If you are, why are you sexist? In the olden days women were considered ineffective actors in the political process. Now things have changed. I think women can bring fresh prespective into the political arena.

I wonder what A Yusuf legacy would be in years to come.

War ninyahow..Does Al Qaeda exist? When you say they? Who are they? What is their purpose? I personally think it is a fantasy that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians. Al Qaeda, is a non-existant enemy created by the United States and its ally Britain, was created to scare the masses into submission and it is used as a pretext to unjustly invade countries.

Originally posted by Johnny B: Thanks Ngonge, that was an informative piece. Now that we know who shoulders that blame , could it fair to ask , where do the entire multitude of Mullahs turn to nurture their ill-will? and lastly where is the alternative voice? Hello Johnny I normally find that discussing Islam with you to be futile exercise however this time I will bite Correct me if i am wrong but I think you believe that these mullahs turn to Quran/Hadiths to nurture their ill-will and that discarding all religions is the answer. Am I off the mark here? I personally think the answer lies with education. Educate the mullahs and establish a body of counsel which should appoints the mullahs based on their education and their activities should be monitored in line with Islamic teachings.

Salaam Aleykum Khayr Are we talking about from Islamic perspective? Cos if we are, then we can judge someone by their actions. However judging someone for the sake of it isnt productive. The intention behind it has to be sincere and in order to avoid being a munaafiq, you yourself should be free of that action. "O believers, why do you say that which you do not do. It is most hateful in the sight of Allaah that you say that which you do not practice." [61:2-3] It is the responsibility of a muslim to judge a situation or people and change it (through proper channels: "Whomsoever from amongst you see an evil he should change it with his hand. If he does not have the power to do this, then he should change it with his tongue. If he does not have the ability to do even this, then he should change it with his heart (by scheming in the eradication of this evil)." Our deen is naseeha. How can a society change for the better if we dont asses our situations?

^^ When does "witness" come on aljazeera?

^^ Pls do answer it..it has been 4 days and the question is hard unless one is reading the bio of Umar (ra) right at this moment.

^^ Why must you talk about someone who isnt here to defend herself? I think you have crossed the line when you spoke of his wife in that manner. Waa ciyaalsuuqnimo.

Oops..that was one line. My apology. I shoulda added another..right? Anywho..PMS..Poor excuse for behaving badly. No such thing exists!

^^ True legend. I salute you!