Class is very evident with the Somali experience but it’s very often externalised and associated with 'others'. Somalis are known for being egalitarian and this maybe the reason why it’s sidelined. I suppose the collapse of the Somali state in the late 1980s and early 1990's meant any class structures/social hierarchies were eliminated. In recent times, however, settlement pattern across the Somali peninsula suggest that the mutually opposed ‘urban’ or ‘nomadic’, dichotomy is no longer applicable. In urban and settled areas, you can see the stark differences between the ‘have’ and ‘have nots’. In my travels across Somaliland, Djibouti and Somali Region in Ethiopia, I noticed many interesting social dynamics, not least, class structures in place. All across Somaliland, particularly, in major urban areas, groups associate with their social equivalents. This is no longer determinated by family/tribal ties. Its seems apparent that relative affluence is the new currency of these groups. This creation of class structures is, no doubt, intensified by the 'Diaspora', who express their class sentiments by their conspicuous and lavish lifestyles. Unbeknownst to me and very much absent from the literature were the number of 'local' people who were quite well off. You'd imagine in such a society, you'd either have the the very rich or those living below the poverty line, but the number of 'Ethnic Somalilanders' who were prosperous was much higher than I anticipated. In the West, perhaps, the concept of Class is expressed differently by Somalis. You will occasionally find many Somalis reverting to the so-called ‘ethnic class/Black Middle Class’ model. This is often expressed by listening to neo-soul/conscious music, loitering in Costa/Starbucks with an IPAD2 screaming out for attention or having a liberal arts background.

clearly, this post was intended to spark an interesting intellectual debate, but it will be anything but that. another terrorist dies (needs verification), WHO CARES? moderate or fundamentalist? liberal or apostate? no-one cares about these shoddy, repeated and pathetic hyperbolic discussions.

jac, sxb, how did you post this vid? you'd be doing me a huge favour.

posting videos up is like parting the red sea....and you're not moses. give it up!

Living with you in my life Is like feeling the whole world’s on my side Putting a smile in the place Where a tear used to run down my face Feeling the sun on my head Where a cloud used to follow instead Singing a song in my heart In a place where all my troubles depart (chorus) If our dreams are falling down to the ground Let them fly Let the rain keep falling down Cause baby I’m high Now it will fly now that we’re together oh ho Love is so high stay this way forever Living with you in my life Is like feeling the whole world’s on my side Putting a smile in the place Where a tear used to run down my face (chorus) Our love…yeah! Love will be here forever I know that we’ll stay together Our love will be here forever I hope that we’ll stay together

on the 5th floor now.

that's of course if you seen any of them. Achie, sxb, don't say things for the sake of impressing others. happy belated birthday btw, i was informed by one of your fb friends. lol

He's quite the comic yeah?

^ impressive website. will definitely check out some of the films/documentaries on there. cheers.

The Wire, Breaking Bad, A Prophet and God Grew Tired of Us are all awesome. The Redemption of General Butt Naked (documentary) is also great.

uchi;748872 wrote: Don't you have anything else to do? Do you not have any old friends to spend time with? You seem to just spam the forums with random topics, you sound like one of those Fox News programs, you're an attention seeking whore honestly.

Out on the streets, where I grew up First thing they teach us, not to give a **** That type of thinking can’t get you nowhere Soooome-onnnne haaaas tooooo care [black Thought - singing] How I got over... where the people come apart Don't nobody care about cha, only thing you got is God Out here in these streets.. if you get down on your luck You can stand out, with a hand out But nobody give a **** Out here in these streets, every man is for himself They ain’t helpin noone else, it's a hazard to your health Livin life in these cold streets Hey, WHO'S worryin 'bout cha, babe? When you whylin out, runnin 'round in these streets [Chorus 2: Dice Raw (Black Thought)] Out on the streets, where I grew up (How I got over...) First thing they teach us, not to give a **** (How I got o-) That type of thinking can’t get you nowhere (How I got over...) Soooome-onnnne haaaas tooooo care [black Thought - rapping] Yo.. When you on the corners, there's too much drama Livin with the police right behind ya It's always more than a slight reminder We livin in a war zone like Rwanda Before I go back to the Heavenly Father Pray for me if it ain’t too much bother Whatever don't break me a-make me stronger I feel like I can't take too much longer It's too much lyin, and too much fightin I'm all cried out 'cause I grew up cryin They all got a sales pitch I ain't buyin They tryin to convince me that I ain't tryin We uninspired, we unadmired And tired and sick of being sick and tired of livin in the hood where the shots are fired We dyin to live, so to live, we dyin You just like I am [Chorus 3: Dice Raw (Black Thought)] Out on the streets, where I grew up (How I got over...) First thing they teach us, not to give a **** (How I got o-) That type of thinking can’t get you nowhere (Somebody, somewhere..) Soooome-onnnne haaaas tooooo care [black Thought - singing] Somebody's gotta care.. And I swear it isn't fair In suspended animation, we ain't tryin to go nowhere Out here in these streets.. We're so young and all alone We ain't even old enough, to realize we're on our own Livin life in these hard streets Where it's like they lost they mind Is there anyway to find? Are we runnin out of time out here? Listen... Hey, WHO'S worryin 'bout cha, babe? When you whylin out, runnin 'round in these streets

Abtiigis, I have a white woman boss. i'm clearly far more competent than her. she steals all my ideas and presents them as hers. its annoying and frustrating. I massage her ego and we've never had problems. controls your emotions and get a grip sxbka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlpQMvHoFCk You know as true as trees are tall And autumn leaves do fall Oh, it sometimes rains in paradise And even the warmest heart can turn to ice I know it happend to us all Every kind of people fall And after all the tears are gone Do we have the heart to carry on Chorus: Here and now, still somehow Still a friend of mine, oh you're still a friend of mine Still a friend of mine, you're still a friend of mine Still a friend of mine, oh you're still a friend of mine Oh To think of all the times I hurt you And never thought it through Oh, I treated you so badly baby Could such a cruel heart ever be free I know it happens to us all Every kind of people fall Oh, and after all is said and done Do we have the heart to carry on Chorus I know as long as I've got you And we do the things we do The next time baby That our love breaks down I'll do the best that I can To turn it around Chorus Time and time and time again I'm gonna be right here for you baby Seasons come and seasons go Gonna be right here for you Repeat x 3 (Fade)

illiterate? there is a rich oral history in the somali-speaking world. i suppose, books will only be one form of communicating information, stories and values.

Redsea is a pioneer in somali literature. bravo.

In somaliland, perceptions are everything. ascertaining vital information is key, esp in diaspora circles. you're often asked your tribal background before what football team you support or what music you listen to. it seems like the whole country is living in a fake façade of nothingness, an illusory dream . its a nihilist society, where people worship money and how many plots of land they posses or contesting through the courts. to stay clear of their petty squabbles and to make myself more important I've invested in many macawises. the type and quality is absolute key.

lol@khadar, i like your verbal gymnastics!

^ ethnic and 'somalilander' are two different things sxbka. 'somalilander' is a social construction based on a geo-political entity.... . 'ethnic', on the other hand is an entirely thing altogether, it implies the sharing of a common heritage, common language, a common culture and a shared religion. things all somalis share. so mo farah can be considered a somalilander by virtue of his homeland but somali by ethnicity.

A man is determined to find justice after the loss of a loved one, even though he is incapable of fully remembering the crime, in this offbeat thriller. Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a man who is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. But Leonard's problems are different from those of most people in his situation; he was beaten severely by the same man who killed his wife. The most significant manifestation of Leonard's injuries is that his short-term memory has been destroyed; he is incapable of retaining any new information, and must resort to copious note-taking and Polaroid photographs in order to keep track of what happens to him over the course of a day (he's even tattooed himself with a few crucial bits of information he can't get along without). Leonard retains awareness that his wife was brutally murdered, however, and he's convinced that the culprit still walks the streets. Leonard is obsessed with the notion of taking revenge against the man who has ruined his life, and he sets out to find him, getting help from Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who appears to be a sympathetic barmaid, and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who claims to be Leonard's friend, even though Leonard senses that he cannot be trusted. Watch in excellent quality: http://stagevu.com/video/wtvhvtallppl

hey guys, finally understood it loool.

A successful cocaine dealer, who has earned a respected place among England's Mafia elite, plans an early retirement from the business. However, big boss Jimmy Price hands down a tough assignment: find Charlotte Ryder, the missing rich princess daughter of Jimmy's old pal Edward, a powerful construction business player and gossip papers socialite. Complicating matters are two million pounds' worth of Grade A ecstasy, a brutal neo-Nazi sect and a whole series of double crossings. Watch in excellent quality: http://stagevu.com/video/tztmkyimnzxj