Fidel, Like your mum, my father speaks, or rather jokes, along tribal lines too. For me, I suspect I am a long-lost relative of the Mosuo people of China, the only living matriachal society today. I suspect you might guess at the reason why when you read the excerpt below. Women Power all the way! :cool: Excerpt : The Mosuo are a non-Chinese ethnic minority living within the boundaries of China. Their homeland lies on the borders of Yuennan and Szetchuan provinces, not far from Tibet. Anthropologist Wang Shu Wu conducted the first research on the Mosuo in 1954. Later, the feminist scholar Yan Ruxian (1980) also did fieldwork there. The Mosuo are considered by Chinese anthropologists to be matriarchal, because they are still living in accordance with the patterns of matrilinearity and matrilocality. ... What makes the Mosuo so interesting for many anthropologists is their matriarchal society. The majority of the Mosuo still live according to the patterns of matrilinearity and matrilocality in big clan-houses that are built in a square. All persons within each clan-house have the clan name of the eldest woman, the clan mother. These names are, for example: "Tiger Mother," "Snake Mother," "Cougar Mother," "Tree Mother," and so on. The names, as well as the common ownership of the house and the land, are exclusively inherited through the female line. The women of the first generation are between sixty and eighty years old. The Women of the second generation are between forty and sixty years old. One woman of a group of sisters has been elected by the clan members to be the matriarch. With the help of her sisters, she cares for the economic and social affairs of the clan-house. She is the administrator of all possessions of the clan: the house, fields, domestic animals and food, as well as the horses, which are mostly used by the men of the clan, her brothers and sons. All goods are given into her hands: the crops of the fields, the fruits of the gardens, the fishes and hunted animals - even the goods and the money that have been earned by the men through long-distance trade by means of horse caravans. She is also the distributor of these goods, caring for the welfare of every member of the extended family. She plans the agricultural labor, acts as host for the guests, and is the priestess of the clan house during the important family ceremonies, like the initiation festival of the girls and the funeral ceremonies for the deceased. Her brother, elected to be the representative of the clan, helps her by organizing external affairs, which involves communication with the neighbors and planning the men's work. The women of the third generation are between thirteen and forty years old. At about thirteen years of age, after the ceremony of initiation, girls are considered to be full members of the clan and are given the key to their own rooms. This young generation of women does the hard work in the fields and gardens. They are also occupied with love, pregnancy, and motherhood. Their traditional custom was to have mutual marriage between two clans, but this form has ceased to exist. Today, each woman chooses her lovers as she wishes. Love affairs are easily begun and easily broken off without problems for the young woman and her children because they are all at home in their (grand)mother's house. Once a year, the young people of the region go on a pilgrimage to their sacred mountain. There they have a dance festival to honor Gan mu as the great Goddess of Love. On this occasion, the young women choose a new lover among the young men. The men do not initiate the choice themselves. The elected lover has the right to visit his love at night in her private chamber in the house of her clan. But the next morning at dawn he must leave because he has no right to live with her, not even to eat there. The custom is that every person eats where she or he works. The man works in the house of his mother, where he is at home. Thus, every evening the brothers leave the clan house and the lovers enter, and every morning the lovers leave and the brothers come back. This is the classic matriarchal visiting marriage, which still exists among the Mosuo. A Mosuo man has his rights and duties in the house of his mother, not in the house of his love, where he is only a guest. The children belong exclusively to the mother and her clan. The brothers of the young women take care of the nieces and nephews, who are regarded as their children, too, because they share the same clan name. The uncles of the children fulfill the role of social fatherhood, which is typical for matriarchal societies. Biological fatherhood makes no sense to the Mosuo, socially or spiritually.... Source

Fidel, Cuban eh? How exotic. Somalis, I think, are probably a hybrid nation. Our DNA must be full of crap. Well, mine probably is, although my father assures me that he comes from a very straight, very clean line. Then he went and married my mum, he says. All good things must come to an end, he says. The old codger!

7) Andre, a simple peasant, had only one thing on his mind as he crept along the east wall 'Andre, creep...Andre, creep...Andre, creep... Now that is just plain creative! Hilarious.

Let's take our qabiil names as surname! I think that is a rather good suggestion. From here onwards, I should like to be referred to as Zephyrine Baal-dukhsi. And before you ask, Baal Dukhsi waxaan ka sii ahay reer kab-kaneeco. Thank you.

Legend, LoL..sure. Pucca, simple minds simply can not understand the mix of fashion and comfort. Fashion and comfort in the same sentence? Surely not? :eek: Nafta, if you liked those shoes, you might like these too. I love them. I would sell my nan for them. Patrick Cox is a very talented designer.

Aux..The bed makes me drool too. :cool: Gediid..I can guess at the fancy cars, but what is so desirable about a plane? Give me a pair of slinky kitten heels over one any day. Legend...What is your object of desire? Enquiring minds want to know? Um...Pucca...those are very..erm..fancy.

Afro, How so? I just find it very strange that a Somali (or two) would attempt to blow up the tube. Especially when, like the rest of us, they were only too happy to come to this country and accept the UK's hospitality and generousity. ^^ Sounds uncomfortably like something the Daily Mail or Sun would write, but it is nonetheless the truth.

Originally posted by NGONGE: ROTFLMAO!!!!

It's turning into the most strange of sagas.

Love the sarcasm.

Fabulous. :cool:

Viking, I know what you mean. A splash of colour here and there would do a great deal to warm up the pictures. I love the furniture, which is what is being showcased here, but of course, I would paint the walls in much brighter shades. Now that am over my little emotional episode..on to shoes!!! Any pair of Patrick Cox's would do me fine. BEHOLD...

My object of desire? What I dream about day and night? My own minimalist, monochrome flat in Fulham, SW6, of course. Aren't these interiors to-die-for? Link I know...it's completely unattainable! *Starts weeping*

Goonle Its mutual...I also learn a little about you everytime you post. Mainly that you have trouble reading and understanding. [Edit] Oooh...don't you all sound so bloodthirsty. I suppose it's easy to feel that way when you're safe in your beds in these same countries that you're so busy condemning. Regardless of Britain's role (which I have never excused) in the 'war against terrorism', I don't and I can't accept or rationalise that blowing up innocent civilians is justified, especially when done in the name of Islam. If you guys can excuse it, that's entirely upto you. Haddad Any potential loss of investment will be far outweighed by the negative impact these incidents will have on the Muslim community in the UK (and wider afield) and the restrictions, or worse, total loss of any and all our rights. It also gives Blair and Bush several more reasons to go and carpet bomb another Muslim country.

Haddad, Every single act committed so far has hurt Muslims more than it has hurt those that it was supposedly aimed at (the western governments). So what does that say? What hurts one Muslim hurts another....how ironic. I don't believe you know what that statement means.

Haddad, Yes, but the Brits didn't invade Somalia, so what's your point? I agree, any Somali would have to be utterly moronic if not mentally ill to get involved in this shyte.

basically! one from home is pure!!! its like comparing lake superior to lake victoria!! Rudy, And how do you know the ones from the west aren't pure? Don't tell me....you've slept with every somali girl in the West? :eek: As for the topic... Funny how whenever this discussion comes up, there's always a male shouting down the rafters that girls in the West are losing out to those from Somalia. How is it possible then that, just in London, there are hundreds of weddings each month, and almost every xaliimo over 18 is either engaged or married? The figures just don't add up. Boys [specifically Rudy, Goonle and Somerican], perhaps this is what you tell yourselves to make yourselves feel better? Then again, I believe Rudy is married, which makes me wonder, did he go fishing in the pure waters of somalia or stick to the cesspools of North America? Either way, no-one cares. Marry whoever or whatever you want, and save us the whingeing. :rolleyes:

Dia, I'm glad you're feeling better. London: I was at a conference earlier today and half way through, the chair got up and announced that a suspect has been shot to death at Stockwell Station. Silly man... I would rather not have known. On the way back, I got off the Jubilee Line at London Bridge to change to the Northern Line...only to be informed that the southbound service was suspended. Duh...obviously. I had forgotten Stockwell was enroute. I'm really beginning to hate living in London.

^ Viking, It is completely bizarre. I can't make head nor tails of what's going on.

khayr I have to agree with. the way that womemn duisrespect her iman and the whole nation of islam is like throwing kitaabka kariika ah in a toilet. Amazing.

^^ LoL... Will do..thanks for the green light.

^ LoL @ you. You must be pretty tall. Those shoes do need getting used to. But they are just so scrumptiously beautiful that I can't help buying them. I bought a pretty pair two weeks ago and they hurt the first time I wore them (silly me, I just bang them on and go to work not bothering to think of the amount of running around and walking I do in an average full day - ouch )...and erm..I haven't had the courage to wear them since. :rolleyes: Arawello, Ooh...plain gorgeous!

^^ Why are you dogging Foxy and putting words in her mouth? Her original post mentioned neither Lust nor promiscuity. Perhaps you should speak for yourself alone? Not everyone swims in the same grimy waters.

I can't believe my eyes or ears. Surely can't be happening again? :eek: :eek: And it is Thursday again? :confused:

TUBE EXPLOSION REPORTED There have been unconfirmed reports of an explosion on the London Underground, and an incident on a bus in Hackney, East London. Stations at Warren Street, Oval and Shepherd's Bush have been closed. The Ambulance service reports one injury at Warren Street station. Services on the Victoria, Northern and Hammersmith & City Lines have been suspended. Emergency services started receiving calls just after 12.30. At Warren Street there were reports of a nail bomb explosion. Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said police believe this may have been the sound of detonators going off. A Transport for London spokesman said: "There is a Code Amber which means that the trains are being taken to the next station and passengers evacuated to above ground. "Police are at all three stations." Victoria Line train passenger Ivan McCracken told Sky News he spoke to an Italian man who witnessed an explosion just after the train arrived at the platform. "He told me he had seen a man carrying a rucksack which suddenly exploded. It was a minor explosion but enough to blow open his rucksack. Everyone rushed from the carriage. People evacuated very quickly. There was no panic. "I didn't see anyone injured but there was shock and fright. "There was a smell of smoke." "The man who was holding the rucksack looked extremely dismayed. Police have cordoned off the streets around Warren Street station. They said a suspect package had been reported on a Victoria Line train. Sky reporter Mark White said authorities are "pushing everybody as far back from the station as they can". "Police activity suggests that they are looking for somebody on the outside here." Another eyewitness, Sosiane Mohellavi, said "Everyone panicked and people were screaming. We had to pull the alarm. I am still shaking." Scotland Yard said emergency services have responded to an "incident" on a Number 26 bus in Hackney Road, on a junction near Colombia Road, east London. The bus windows are apparently blown out. Sky News Foreign Affairs editor Tim Marshall said: "There is a bus parked there which is empty and there is nobody anywhere near it. This does indicate that police think the bus is still dangerous." Sky News Online's Rob Cole is at Shepherd's Bush. He said: " The whole of Shepherd's Bush Green is sealed off. About 400 metres on both sides of the Tube station is affected." It is two weeks to the day since bombers attacked three Tube trains and a bus in central London. Link