they did the roob salat this morning. sadly i missed the ''salaada roobdoonta''. i would've gone honestly but i slept in because it was the weekend.

The joy of living with less If you’ve ever fantasised about selling everything you own and paring down your possessions to the bare essentials, you’re probably familiar with minimalism. But it’s about more than just de-cluttering—it’s about getting rid of all clutter, permanently. “Minimalism isn’t about empty white rooms with hardly any furniture,” said Chris Wray, who writes a UK blog about minimalism, TwoLessThings.co.uk. “It’s about removing all the things that distract us from what’s important in our lives.” For extreme minimalists, such as Andrew Hyde, who lives in Colorado in the US, it means owning only about 15 items. For others, it means getting rid of the excess until you are left with essentials — and your definition of essential might evolve. “A minimalist lifestyle entails being mindful about the things we own, the things we buy, and how we spend our time,” said Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less. “It is a lifestyle that values experiences more than possessions.” Naturally, minimalism tends to flourish in countries that have embraced consumer culture, such as the US, UK and parts of Europe. It’s difficult to revolt against the get-more-stuff mentality if that isn’t your country’s way of life. But you can live a minimalist life anywhere and capture more money for savings and great experiences, and have less stuff to maintain and clean. Here’s how to get back to basics: What it will take: Mental fortitude. Getting rid of your things requires commitment. You have to make a decision about every item you own, and that can be mentally taxing — and it won’t happen overnight. “It almost certainly took you longer than one afternoon to collect all the possessions in your life, and it is going to take you longer than one afternoon to sort them out,” said Joshua Becker, a minimalist in Arizona and writer of the blog BecomingMinimalist.com. How long you need to prepare: Not long at all — you can start this process today by putting a box in every room. “When you come across something you haven’t used in a long time, or ever, throw it in,” said Rachel Jonat, who lives in the Isle of Man in the UK and writes the blog TheMinimalistMom.com. “If you are scared about wanting those items again, hold onto the box for six months and then donate everything.” Mentally, you may have to do some preparation to get into the right mindset — because, let’s face it, a lot of us like our things. But things have a catch. That big house and everything in it take time to clean and organise, and it takes money to maintain it all. “Look at an item and think about how many hours you had to work, or will have to work, to pay for it,” Jonat said. Every piece you own is a chance to regain time and/or money if you sell it or give it away. Once you’re ready to start purging, dive in. Do it now: Think about the places in your life where you feel anxiety or frustration, said Cristin Frank, US author of Living Simple, Free & Happy. “Too many decisions? Is your closet so crowded that things get lost or easily wrinkled?” Pinpoint those areas and deal with them first. Name brand clothes and household goods in good condition are perfect for eBay — check recent sales of similar items to help you set a price. Your first 50 listings every month are free; if you sell it, the site takes 10% of the final sales price. Start small. You aren’t going to be able to declutter your life in a day, or even a week. And the process may seem really daunting. If you are feeling anxious about change, “try one thing for 30 days, starting with the easiest things to get rid of,” said Joshua Fields Millburn, a minimalist who lives in Montana and writes at TheMinimalists.com blog. Another strategy: Spend 15 minutes a day de-cluttering. Set a timer — you can make great progress when you race the clock. Ditch the obvious things. Get some forward momentum by starting your giveaway pile with the items you clearly do not need—the mugs you never use, that ugly thing you received as a gift. Start a pile for a car boot sale or yard sale. List furniture and larger household goods on classified-ad site Craigslist, which is available in more than 80 countries. You can also make it easier to part with things by passing them along to someone else who can use them via local charities. “Throwing it all in the garbage can make you feel guilty or wasteful,” Frank said. Do it later: Once you’ve started selling your stuff and not buying new knick-knacks, repurpose the money you’re saving. “My husband and I paid off our home in less than seven years with our minimalist lifestyle,” Frank said. “I was then able to quit my job and be a blogger and author full time.” For Francine Jay, living minimally allowed her and her husband to travel. “We lived in London for two years, and travelled throughout much of Europe and Asia during that time,” Jay said. Rachel Jonat and her husband paid off $80,000 in non-mortgage debt in less than three years. When you don’t fritter money away on junk, you have more to put toward the essentials — house payment, debt, retirement, and experiences. Reassess after a few weeks and see how you feel. “Decluttering isn’t something you just do once,” Jay said. “It’s an ongoing process.” You may find it difficult to let go of certain items in the first or second round of purging, but on the third round it could end up on the giveaway pile. “It took me eight months to slowly pare down my possessions while constantly asking myself, ‘Does this thing add value to my life?’” Millburn said. Be smart about future purchases. Shop only when you need something, not for fun or entertainment, Jay said. Before you buy, “make an inventory of what you already have,” Jay said. “Counting just how many shirts or kitchen gadgets you own will likely discourage you from purchasing anything new.” When you do add to your home, seek out versatile, multipurpose items. Consider a big change. Moving into a smaller space isn’t for everyone. But if you are a renter and your lease is coming up, or you’re really struggling to manage your home payment each month, downsizing accomplishes a few things: It encourages less stuff, less time cleaning, and of course, smaller bills. Do it smarter: Avoid comparisons. Your minimalism is yours alone—it’s what works for you, in your life, at this time. If you want to keep every book you’ve ever read but cut your wardrobe down to 12 items, that is what you should do. “Comparing your progress to someone else is rarely helpful,” Becker said. ---- http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140224-the-joy-of-minimalist-living --- awesome read.

my garden y'all. so proud,

<cite> @Khayr said:</cite> Please be objective with your responses and don't hurl insults at me. is that because you are a gadhweyne? saas miyaa? we'll have to tread carefully around you, maha? ya oog mar aad is qarxin doontid.

they deserve this and a bit more if you ask me. i personally have no sympathy for these folks.

celebrity sheikhs are weird. they're made up of idiosyncrasies.

i wonder what non-Somalis browsing these boards make of this xenophobic attacks against each other. it's not just our online personas that shocks folks. in real life too, we're full of hatred for each other.

<cite> @OdaySomali said:</cite> I'naar I'm offended that you would think so low of me, as a child I was certainly not an alcoholic lol lol. alright.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL MUST WATCH VIDEO Y'ALL.......

<cite> @DoctorKenney said:</cite> Even if this clown AlphaBlondy asked me if I torture cats or if I set people on fire or anything heinous like that, I wouldn't even bother answering any of his questions. I wouldn't even deny it. He's not worth answering to And the reasons for that are too obvious you can hide behind these taxonomic schemes but it's quite clear your just a hypocrite.

<cite> @DoctorKenney said:</cite> The day I ever answer any of your interrogation questions is the day I leave this forum. Don't ask me anything waryaa. I ask you questions, not the other way around. Learn your place Alpha. you're a fake akhi. you're not serious about your deen.

<cite> @DoctorKenney said:</cite> You really lost your trolling skills saaxib. Last year, you were a Top Troll. This year, I think you lost your edge. Maybe you should do what I told you to do and just take a break for a few months? Who knows what might happen you're a hypocrite promoting fitnah. you mean to tell me you support 'mixed' gender weddings?

<cite> @Safferz said:</cite> MY wedding, SP? That would mean that there's a man out there crazy enough to marry me, and that I'm crazy enough to agree to a life in bondage that could have easily been me but you're an emotional little kuffarad.

^ you were probably an alcoholic 15 years ago, somaha?

<cite> @DoctorKenney said:</cite> So it's the best of both worlds. You can accommodate the wishes of everyone and still have a fantastic wedding. you're spreading fitnah. kulaha ''accommodate''. i bet you don't even have a beard. you're a liberal. no mixed wedding. it's haram.

<cite> @burahadeer said:</cite> hahaa am at Maan Soor as VIP and you know who picking tab. the way you defend the xukumada on these boards, i'm surprised you didn't receive soo dhaween xayeysiis and a reception at the Kulmiye built Egal International Airport. ileen waxaad tahay nin u qalma madaxweynaha eh.

these vicariously put together and emotive articles are written by folks who are frustrated to the point of tears. you almost feel sorry for them.

<cite> @Homunculus said:</cite> In this day and age the Internet is a vital utility that any state can't function without, we don't have to be contrarian all the time. i follow the TFG on twitter.....

<cite> @burahadeer said:</cite> am enjoying myself here now.Need few more paved roads but really picking up fast esp the nite life.Give 5 more yrs & it be one of the best cities. lol. where you staying brov? don't tell me the madaxtooyada...?

'Super tax' on remittances to Africa hurts development -thinktank LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Africans face the highest remittance fees globally, regularly paying a "super tax" to send money home at a cost that hurts families and holds back development in the world's poorest continent, a leading thinktank said on Wednesday. The London-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI) said that reducing remittance charges to global average levels would generate $1.8 billion, enough to put 14 million children through primary school, or provide clean water to 21 million people. The average cost to transfer $200 to sub-Saharan Africa was about 12 percent, compared with a global average of 7.8 percent, ODI said in its report, "Lost in intermediation", branding the higher fees a "super tax". "This remittance super tax is diverting resources that families need to invest in education, health and a better future," said the report's co-author, Kevin Watkins. "It is undercutting a vital lifeline to hundreds of thousands of poor families in Africa. Africans living in the UK make huge sacrifices to support their families, yet face charges which are indefensible in an age of mobile banking and internet transfers," Watkins said in a statement. Weak competition, "exclusivity agreements" between money transfer operators, agents and banks, and flawed financial regulation contributed to pushing charges higher, ODI said. The institute said two money transfer operators - Western Union and MoneyGram - accounted for two thirds of remittance transfers to Africa. "We conservatively estimate that the two companies account for $586 million of the loss associated with the remittance 'super tax', part of it through opaque foreign currency charges," ODI said in the report. Western Union said the average global revenue it earned from transferring money was 5-6 percent of the amount sent. "However, our pricing varies between countries depending on a number of factors such as consumer protection costs, local remittance taxes, market distribution, regulatory structure, volume, currency volatility, and other market efficiencies," it said in a statement. There was no fee for money transferred online from Britain for a cash payout in Africa when done through the sender's bank account, it said. Officials from MoneyGram were not immediately available for comment. RISING REMITTANCES Remittances to Africa are rising. In 2013, transfers to the continent were valued at $32 billion or around 2 percent of gross domestic product. In 2016, they are projected to rise to more than $41 billion, ODI said. "With aid set to stagnate, remittances are set to emerge as an increasingly important source of external finance," it said. The ODI said there was no evidence of a fall in fees for Africa's diaspora, even though governments from the G8 and G20 have pledged to reduce charges to 5 percent. One of the many countries that are dependent on remittances is Somalia. Last year a threat by Barclays Bank to stop money transfer services to some 80 Somali remittance companies sparked an outcry with Somali-born Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah adding his voice to a campaign to keep the lifeline open. For some, it is even more expensive to transfer money within Africa. For example, migrant workers from Mozambique pay charges as high as 20 percent to send savings back home from South Africa, the report said. ODI called for several measures to lower Africa's remittance "super tax" including an investigation of global money transfer operators by European Union and U.S. anti-trust bodies. It also called for greater transparency over foreign exchange conversion rates and regulatory reform in Africa that would revoke "exclusivity agreements" between money transfer operators and banks and agents. The use of micro-finance institutions and post offices as remittance pay-out agencies should also be promoted, ODI said. -- http://www.trust.org/item/20140416112205-i7uj8 -- interesting read.

Somalia has more important priorities than serving the web.

it's very close to raining today. since the 22nd of March, the rains have been disappointed. i'm fairly confident it'll rain today. all the signs are there.

April 2014 - Suuqa Hoose, Hargeisa