^touch down The cyber fortress has been captured by a cyber warrior in a bloody cyber showdown. Go Johnny go...

the undercover economist I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do The economic case for polygamy. By Tim Harford Posted Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006, at 2:27 AM ET After more than a decade of war between separatist rebels and the Russian army, there are not many marriageable men to go around in Chechnya. So, acting Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, probably not a feminist, proposed a radical step: "Each man who can provide for four wives should do it." Polygyny (having more than one wife, as opposed to polygamy, which is having more than one spouse) is admissible under Islamic law but not Russian law, so Kadyrov is unlikely to make much progress with his proposal. But what difference would such a law make? It's natural to assume that polygyny is bad for women, partly because most of us would rather have our spouse to ourselves, and partly because we look at a place like Saudi Arabia, where polygyny is not uncommon, and note that women aren't even allowed to drive. I'm not quite so convinced. A lot of the knee-jerk reactions against polygyny are from people who can't add up. In a society with equal numbers of men and women, each man with four wives gives women the additional pick of three men—the poor saps whose potential wives decided they'd prefer one-quarter of a billionaire instead. In the Sahel region of Africa, half of all women live in polygynous households. The other half have a good choice of men and a lot more bargaining power. It's hardly surprising that in most polygynous societies, the bride's family gets large payments in exchange for her hand in marriage. If polygyny combined with women's rights, I bet we'd see more promises to wash the dishes. Not everybody would have to share a husband, but I can think of some who might prefer half of Orlando Bloom to all of Tim Harford—including my wife. In a society such as Chechnya, where there is a shortage of young men, we would expect the reverse effect: Men get to pick and choose, playing the field, perhaps not bothering to get married at all. We don't have good data on Chechnya, but we have excellent information about an unexpected parallel. A little over one in 100 American men are in prison—but there are several states where one in five young black men are behind bars. Since most women marry men of a similar age, and of the same race and in the same state, there are some groups of women who face a dramatic shortfall of marriage partners. Economist Kerwin Charles has recently studied the plight of these women. Their problem is not merely that some who would want to marry won't be able to. It's that the available men—those not in prison—suddenly have more bargaining power. Goodbye to doing the dishes and paying the rent; hello to mistresses and wham, bam, thank you ma'am. The women whose potential partners have had their ranks thinned by prison are less likely to marry, and when they do marry, are likely to marry a man less educated than they are. Meanwhile, the remaining men, finding a surfeit of marriage partners, suddenly seem in no hurry to marry. And why would they? The women's response makes sense: girl power. The women affected do everything to make the most of single life, including staying at school for longer and hunting for more paid work. The American prison system hasn't left them much choice. When men are taken out of the marriage market by war or by prison, women suffer. The reverse is probably true, too: When women are taken from the marriage market, men suffer. In China, the policy of one-child families coupled with selective abortion of girls has produced "surplus" males. Such men are called "bare branches," and China could have 30 million of them by 2020. Perhaps polyandry—women with multiple husbands—would be the logical response to the situation in China. What will happen instead is that these lonely, wifeless men will end up sleeping with a relatively small number of women—prostitutes—with severe risks of sexually transmitted disease all around. All this suggests that Kadyrov has a point about Chechnya. And perhaps the new HBO series Big Love will help to rehabilitate polygamy's reputation in the United States. Nevertheless, I am resolutely against the practice of allowing several women to marry one man. We men are downtrodden enough already. The Undercover Economist appears on Saturdays in the Financial Times Magazine Source

Well let me find the time for typing that lecture. I hope you find it helpful.

Help is on the way Ibtisaam. Gimme the wkend and I will get you Abu Ala Moududi's transcript of a lecture he gave in Lahore circe 1946. It is an hour worth of Islamic economical thought. I don't think mighty google can help you find Maududi's lectures but it is worth the try. Let me know if you find Maududi's lectures on the subject.

Try Orientalism by Edward Said. It is a groundbreaking scholarly work indeed. He takes up the relationship between knowledge (such as history) and power (nation-state level as well as institutional level). You will come away with the understanding that the relationship between colonizer and the colonized is one that's defined in terms of power. This relationship is reflected in the learning institution and the scholarly work they produce.

Try Shaah instead.

Maa shaa'Allah. Liban may Allah increase your iimaan bro. And your beloved wife, what a lady. You are lucky man indeed.

My man Johnny keep moving on buddy. That lady, that Bishaaro, the elegant one, the qallanjo, the qorran can't stay away from any manly man who can give her what every lady in her class needs to have namely. Attention Affection Gifts Knowing Bishaaro, the lady, the genuine lady, I can assure you that the only reason she stays away from the SOL stud is that she has this thing she calls, not my words, "self-worth". When Xiin asked her if she ever loved him and if she did loved him how come she didn't let everyone know about her love for him? She told him: HABLUHU WAY SARIIGTAAN, SIRTOODANA MA SHEEGAAN . This is the kinda lady that you are dealing with. She is classy papa, you see, the hard to get type of lady. That shyish look is what killing you right! She just kept you guessing huh! According to Rumor Central not through the grabe vine mind you she really likes you but she is not the easy lay that you get used to. Xiin got nothing on you my boy. My man Xiin has tried his best move on her. He didn't make the cut . Hoyaalayeey, hoyaalayeey uu la soo shir tagay. That plus age defference, he is history. Ask Rumor Central, they have all the scoop. All you need to do is stop this calaacal and start doin what manly men do: give GIFTS, GIFTS, GIFTS, and show ATTENTION, AND AFFECTION to your Bishaaro. If you are broke, your Garaad can lend you a hand provided your motive is halal, ahem. In the mean time, agteeda mar mar adoo dhuubo kale dhexda haysta .

^what now! Man, ur behind is in trouble. Volume up plz...here we go...SOL TomBoy bully Disclaimer: I didn't design the site.

Originally posted by Castro: Because we are weak. We're not united. We have no strong allies. We don't know how to play the media game. We can't use our natural resources as leverage. We can't even use our large number with all its purchasing power as leverage. What we can do is feel sorry for ourselves. And while doing that we have delusions of grandeur. Don't get me wrong, Islam is grand but we're not. We overreact on simple matters and underreact to grave matters. Almost always an inappropriate response. Inept, corrupt, impotent or inadequate is what we have for leaders. Uneducated, illiterate, ignorant of their deen or oppressed peoples in just about every nation. No wonder with all these divisions, confusion, and delusions we're asked to apologize even when we're wronged. It comes with the territory when you've been conquered. Right on awoowe. Castro speaks for me on this one.

while her siblings fought over the carcass of her remains poverty and despair became the curse of my divided nation tattered and scattered how the mighty is shattered seeking redemption by whoring our dignity on cheap Right on.

Waryee kala bax golaha cantrabaqashka aad la soo shir tagtay. Awoowe dooda halakan ka socotaa taad mooday ma aha. Inna Yussuf-na cidna haatan uma taliyo waaba waa danbe. Waryee Xiinoow ku mee awoowe. Wiilakan u mari gabaygii issaga ahaa ee xikmada badnaa ee barti yaqaanka iyo bukaan socodka liitaa sida quman uga sheekeyn jiray. Awoowe dee mar fadlan u mari annigu ma hayee.

I read them both and indeed both authors have capacity to look both sides of the coin as oppossed to the ones who don't bother to look the other side of the coin. They made good points. As to looking out for me and make my day in what is percieved as cold and lonely Iceland..what you know mze . Nevertheless many thanks amigo. I find Iceland very exciting. Outgoing and easy going Oday Baashi have bonded with locals...I can't wait the summer sxb my macawiss and koofiyo oo feeraysan baan wataa (with disclaimer tag of course ) Waryee waan sii caraabayaa ee dee halkaa ka sii miis cantrabaqashka Ciao

Kix kix here we go again Aight will read that one Insha'Allah. But for crying out loud don't resort to you disdain Bashir crab without qualifying your statements again...if you see holes in my argument just point them out...anything less than that is cantra baqash.

Originally posted by Castro: I'm not so sure you've justified anything but your disdain for Bashir Goth. Ah well, to each his own I suppose. Look at you imagining things here. I and Bashir simply have a disagreement on this issue. Actually I like the guy's writing style. We also have the same intellectual hobby: Somali poetry. We got something in common there. Addi intee ku cuncuneysa walaalkiis?

Sxb we're on the same page here. Somalia is a broken glass and it will take manly men to put it back...there will be folks who would simply say the glass is broken but want inay kala firdhiyaan and tell us that is a solution. In my opinion that is not a solution. Awoowe waa ra'yi.

Let's wait and see Fidel! What say you comrade?

First to Camel Boy. Well my man Geel-Jire let's give Castro a recognition medal The man has been providing shelter and sustinence to his wife and young guns since he tied the knot. Maxaa ii keentay! What a yardstick to have! After all my comrade Castro have a decent job and makes decent money and that didn't come about without effrot and hard work from his part. I hope you see where I'm going with this. You said the Northwest got its act together and worked hard to manage a relitively peaceful existence and relatively decent governence. So is Puntland. Should we let Puntland secede? With all due respect bro you are not making any sense here. I have read the World bank's assessment of both Puntland and Somaliland as well as Dr. Culusow's follow up comment. As you might remember Dr. Culusow represent the TFG before the strong man sacked him. The good and decent folks of Northwest were given an opportunity to make an arrangement for public-private joint venture as well as direct micro-loans to the folks who have enough to jump start a business of their own. Absence of recognition doesn't prevent international bodies to lend a helping hand to the people of Northwest. They just don't like the label "recovery zone" for political reasons. As to Castro' childish bubble (sorry buddy I gott call it as it is) and his groom-bride analogy...well there are some folks who would argue (with ample evidence) that the secessionists wanted to secede way before Somalia descended to anarchy. One has to see through the smokescreen and realize for once that the hardcore secessionists are very ambitious folks with clannish outlook and feel that their clans were dubed into unfair post-colonial power structure of Somalia that once existed. And their ambitions cannot be realized with current tribal matrix for they are a minority. With former government's blunder in handling the SNM challenge and wiping out the whole clan, the secessionist have a recent history to exploit. Given this fact, it is understandable that the good folks and lay people of that corner are giving the benefit of doubt to their leaders never=ending promise that they will have their own corner where they are majority pretty soon. Now colonial card is very useful, but shameful, one to play. Yes some parts of that corner has peace and good governance. And yes there are other parts of Somalia that are relatively peaceful. The only difference bnetween Burco and Las Ano that I can think of is that one wants to secede and the other don't want to go down that route. That is it. By the way, Castro you are giving me too much credit. Do you really think the energy you and I spent on this corner, if spent on the South, can give Somalia its former glory back? Well if the post count is something to go by war heedhe xaafadaa waad hagratay walle War reer Burcoow ha i shiidinina waxu waa kaftan dhablee

^ Says who comrade Castro? I gave u 10 points on that one. As much as my weeping, grief-stricken, and Queens' orphan Tolstoy likes to revive the old and now defunct British Protectorate, Somalia won't be dismembered not because its sons have the power, wisdom, or the forthsight to preserve its territorial integrity but the regional rivalry of Egypt and Ethiopia will save the union (irony of all ironies). The same rivalry between the two will also prolong Somalia's misery. Secessionists just don't have the case as well as the political intrigue and calculation to figure out how to deal with Puntland challenge on the one hand, and more importantly the Muqdishu's insistence on accepting a power-sharing scheme that suits them and federal arrangement system where the Northwest can have regional autonomy. One fact that is there for all to see is if Somalia somehow gets dismembered Somaliland too will have to accept the same solution to the Puntland "problem" and where do you start the process of border demarcation. It is not easy to solve these challenging problems as some would like to believe. My friends are jut too loud and naive. Couple of inlaws' effort and writings are making rounds in the secessionist circles and have been presented as diplomatic progress. Give me a break! Who are we kidding fellas. I'm expecting about ten pages of Tolstoy lesson on definition of the state, nation-state, and other bookish crap Waa daalinayaa miskiinka. Waryee ha dhex fariisan dee boowe waxu waa kaftan dhable

All Engineers and Engineer wannabees come to the NSBE convention this year which will take place in Pittsburgh, PA at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. If you are a member of the NSBE local chapter at ur school, there is probably a group of student heading there...visit their office. NSBE Alumni program is one of the top networking event of the nation. While your at it check out the 2006 Black History Month Alumni Arsenal. See it online at www.nsbe.org/alumni and click publications. For the dreamers out there how about creating International Society of Somali Engineers . Which Engineering code do Somalis want to observe in rebuilding the country and developing the regulatory standards from building codes to symbols (traffic, material markings, and what not) Haaheeyo

Good read sxb. [edited] ^Ready Mr. Quuqle numero uno aight here I go...wabaa misana wabaa... Now that's outta my way let's go do the bus go round and round, round and round choir. Bashir compares Muslim grievances to that of Indian loss, Jewish genocide, African slave trade, and most recent one South African apparthied. He implies that the loss these groups experienced is far greater than the one Muslims are "chronically" complaining about. The point he is trying to make, as I understood it, is that these groups endured these historical setbacks and come out just fine. Now I don't know about you but my impression is that the culprits are one and same and they don't hesitate or shy away to do inhuman things (so much of western values talk) when their interest are at stake. To urge Muslims to take it easy and embrace the Western "values" and emulate native Indian model is not a good startegy in my book. I disagreed with this line of reasoning and questioned his anaylsis and forsight on this issue. You feel me Singore Fidel. Waryee aan kaa shaqeystee quuqlinamada naga dhaaf

Not that easy. Bribed AU fat cats' report on the fate of an independent and soveiregn state (in great difficult at the moment) is useless. Dismembering Somalia is not a solution to the current problems facing the country. If AU wants to help, and I doubt if they can, they could put some measured pressure on Ethiopia to stop meddling the country's affairs. I can see why this report might give hope to the secessionist "dead enders" like ahem some of my friends who congregate in this beloved corner. Hargeisa will be part and parcel of Somalia and great Baashi will move to the city making it one of his summer homes...the other summer get aways as you might've guessed include CeeriGaabo and Kismayo. Muqdishu is of course the permanent seat of Baashi's family. Why limit yourself in one corner when you can have it all...sky is the limit when it comes to the nomadland. Calm down now...easy boys. Aight

Somalis helping Somalis. That's the spirit. Kudos to Muqdishu residents who lended a hand to their brothers in need.

Allah yarxama. Samir iyo iimaan dhamaan.

Bob u sure got sense of humor buddy. Stay with the SOL crowd sxb. SOL & friends will hold fundraising event to help you out. Nuune,maya brother irsaaqad ceyris leen ku maqnaa because waxaan ahay nin ee 7 mataano iyo afar abtiyaashood ah iyo labo eedadood dhashay iyo kuwo awoowgood tuuray iyo intii kasoo hartay Ilmaha Kacaanka korinaayo marka fadhi iima yaalo brother adigana waad na ancday oo biil inaa soo dirto waa diiday..every day waxaan is dagaalnaa kuwii kheyrka darnaa ee Al Barakat joogay oo aan ku iraahdaa liiska magaceyga ka baara walaalkey Nuune ayaa lacag iisoo diray iyagana waxey iyiraahdaan nin magacaas aas wadato leh weligeenba ma maqal..Rooble Galac Gaban ma magacbaa? bal maxaa magac kale laiigu bixin waaye? LoooooooooooooooL. Brother nice to see that you finally made it to Moderator that means i am going to get my monthly allowances from now on sooma aha? walaalow magacaasna iga badal oo magac ii qurxi..Qeys ama Fuaad ama Qurux wax saas ah nooga soo qor because dadka si xun bee iiga naxaan oo qaar baa almost hear attack ku dhacaa markaan mageyga usheego. looooooool Rageedii.