I used to bribe traffic police everyday even though i had a full Somaliland license and log book. They only stopped bothering me when i switched to a green plate number. Whats your point. Bribery is a way of life there.

Khat was squarely responsible for this event in my case. I am a khat survivor! http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/12919-This-brought-a-tear-to-my-eye If my old man hadn't bribed the jailers i wouldn't have my manhood intact. If only this SOL member can talk about the very real threats we received in our cell. No joke dude, khat almost got me killed and violated. I wont repeat some of the threats as they are X rated, but yeah bad bad stuff.

Nasty, nasty stuff also very dangerous. I tried 2 bundles of something called dabo musbaar. 6 hours later presidential guards shot at me and i spent the night in saldhiga dhexe of Hargeisa. (Yes that was me in early 2009 arrested along with another SOL member) Aabo got me out in the morning and i thanked Allah for not making it my time to go. First and last time i tried that stuff. Not cut out for it. There was also the episode of staring at the Villa gates wondering how to close it. I stood there for a good 1 hour wondering WTF was going on. I wouldn't describe myself myself as an introvert but this stuff does give you delusions of grandeur and I'd never been so talkative and commanding in front of total strangers. The downer is also akin to topping yourself. STAY AWAY kids of SOL. Alpha waar odeyga ha habaarin, NG is a legend around here.

Sorry Sierra things happen love but you can........

*Blessed;794772 wrote: The main issues for entrepreneurs and potential investors is the lack of skilled work force back home and the unwillingness of those who posses the skills to return, this poses a bigger obstacle than securing funding and exporting equipment. You've hit the nail on the head there Blessed. People are just too comfortable and have become averse to risk taking. We talk the talk but very few of us are brave enough to vote with our feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VpuB11d0Gog" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> This is why i love Charlie Brooker. Ph**king Brilliant!

I've always said women are the most under utilised asset Somalia has today. Instead they are subjugated, denied rights and have to wear ridiculous garb that has more to do with oppression than modesty. I have nothing against dressing modestly as the religion dictates but why this cult like dress code for our women. Islam doesn't ban individuality. Anyway rant over and congrats, hope to see more women like this.

Alpha back on form again:D although i agree with your views on settlement.

^^ Chimera is not a fantasist, but rather someone who has a positive outlook on life. Alpha is sometimes like a rabid dog, you just don't know which Alpha will turn up that morning. The egotistical maniac that will tear you to shreds and seek to purposefully badger you for your views. Or the peculiar Alpha that's in a good mood, He's good writer though i give him that much, i also get the feeling he enjoys his SOL Spin Doctor status. You Carafaat, well you are prolific, how you've managed to rack up the number of posts in less than a year is incredible, you deserve some kind of award for your constant banal rhetoric on unionism and politics. You've managed to annoy a lot of people in your short stay already from all corners of Somalia. Maybe its time to change the record on Puntland Somaliland and Somalia. I can assure you that i am not Alpha and neither is Adam. As for Carafaat i can't vouch for him just yet

burahadeer;804610 wrote: we have the know-how & the resources( educated diaspora,oil,minerals & now wind power) but lack organization & stability. True say bro, but things seem to be changing slowly. You know Somalis you just one pioneer to make it work and suddenly you'll see wind farms all around. For such a small population relative to landmass i think this technology could flourish.

Loooool

The date is 15/03/2012 The time is 20:03 GMT do you Roger Dodger that Alpha, Over!

I've always loved this motor. German engineering with some soul. The original badass car. Bit of a collectors item these days but i still intend to own as soon as my premiums come down. 1985 BMW M6 e24, Other worthy mentions 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo Mercedes G Wagon or G-Class. some say its ugly i say move over or you're getting mowed down. These are my dream motors, i know i'm quite a grounded individual really. Whats your favourites and why.

A friend is currently in Hargeisa and she took this photo. I love the his pose, boots, sarong and that smile.

An ordinary weekday morning in suburban Christchurch became a scene of violence and bloodshed as a knife-wielding man went on a rampage before being shot by police. Two people were stabbed – a delivery driver, who was taken hostage by the man in her truck yesterday morning, and a Christchurch City Council worker, who was in a serious but stable condition in Christchurch Hospital last night. The food delivery driver, Marteine Robin, 36, was last night recovering at home after a stab wound in her shoulder was stitched. The attacker's 90-minute path of violence across the city was ended by two gunshots as he continued to approach police in Hoon Hay, where he had confronted morning commuters and stabbed the council worker. The man, 27, originally from Somalia, had surgery for gunshot wounds to his wrist and shoulder and was under police guard in hospital last night. He has yet to be charged. Among passers-by who played a crucial role in preventing more casualties was a construction worker, who fought the man with a crowbar, while a woman and a cyclist helped the stabbed council worker into a car and staunched the flow of blood. The drama started at Redwood School in northern Christchurch about 6.30am when the school caretaker was threatened with a knife after finding a man on the school grounds. Police said the caretaker and a teacher locked themselves in a classroom, and the man tried to gain entry. The man fled the scene, kidnapping Robin, an employee of Goodtime Foods, who was delivering pies to the school. She was forced to drive towards Halswell, but the van stopped in morning commuter traffic at the corner of Hoon Hay Rd and Halswell Rd about 8am. She was stabbed by the man in the shoulder before escaping from the truck, with the man following. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as a bleeding Robin screamed for help, while the man aggressively confronted other motorists in the line of traffic at the busy intersection. The city council worker, in his 50s, who has not been identified at his family's request, was in a council car on the way to an appointment when he was stabbed repeatedly. The council car crashed into a concrete wall before the attacker got out, still armed, witnesses said. Construction worker Jade Lynn, 22, who was driving to work, saw the man approaching with a "big meat cleaver and small skeleton knife" and grabbed a crowbar from his truck. The pair fought, and Lynn hit him across the neck, but the man "kept coming" before police arrived. Ad Feedback Witness Bruce Cameron did not understand what was happening until he saw a woman covered in blood screaming. Cameron, 60, was in Hoon Hay Rd waiting for a lift from a friend when he saw a truck pull over suddenly. "I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary until I saw a woman get out and she had blood all over her," he said. "A guy got out too and started running up the road. He had these two knives. "I had no idea what was going on. "There was another man bleeding and people were screaming." He saw a Christchurch City Council car crash into a fence and thought the driver may have had a heart attack. "But then I saw him get out of the car covered in blood." Cameron saw Lynn jump out of a truck with a crowbar. "The guy with the knives was going crazy, then this guy from an Armitage truck got out with a crowbar," he said. "He was trying to fend the man off and keep him away from the woman by the looks of things. "It was lucky the cops turned up because it could have been worse. "The police used pepper spray, they Tasered him, but nothing, and then they shot him twice." A Halswell Rd resident, who did not want to give his name, said he saw an unconscious, bleeding man, believed to be the council worker, being helped into a car by two people. He said a woman in a car and a passing cyclist stopped to help the man. "He was bleeding profusely and they were trying to stop the flow of blood. They got him up and sat him in the front seat of the car." He said there was "a lot of congealed blood on the pavement" after the injured man was taken away in an ambulance. Assistant Commissioner Dave Cliff said that when police arrived they repeatedly asked the man to drop the knives. " Officers Tasered the man and deployed pepper spray but this was not successful in stopping the man," he said. After the man rushed at police with the knife, officers armed with a Glock pistol fired two shots, hitting the man in the arm and shoulder, he said. Police said they had spoken to the man's mother. He had a "large family" who lived in Christchurch, and had done for several years. Police ethnic liaison officers and refugee services met the Somali community yesterday afternoon. Mayor Bob Parker said the council was "shocked and saddened" by the attack on their staff member. "It appears that the staff member was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Parker said the man had worked at the council for decades. Council staff had spoken to the family and would provide support where possible. Police Commissioner Peter Marshall commended the actions of Christchurch officers. "[Yesterday's] actions exemplify the spirit of New Zealand police,"he said. "It seems clear to me, on the information received so far, that the actions of the police officers in an extremely volatile and dangerous situation are to be absolutely admired. "They ended the situation in an entirely appropriate manner." POLICE CHIEF PRAISES OFFICERS' QUICK ACTIONS IN EMERGENCY A policeman who shot a knife-wielding man on a Christchurch street has been praised for his speed and courage. The experienced officer, who had firearms training a few weeks ago, yesterday ended an armed standoff in Halswell by firing two shots into the wrist and shoulder of a 27-year-old man believed to have kidnapped a woman and stabbed two people. Attempts to pepper-spray and taser the man failed, and he was shot after rushing at police with a knife. Assistant Commissioner Dave Cliff praised the quick actions of the police involved. "These are exactly the scenarios we train for. You've got to understand these [situations]; move really quickly. You're dealing with a volatile situation and when someone's armed with a weapon, you've got to act and respond very quickly, which our staff clearly did," he said. "We're talking about just after 8am. It's commuter traffic. There were a lot of vehicles and people around at the scene. None of us, when we're driving to work with our families, will expect to be confronted by the situation those members of the public and our officers were confronted with." The officer has been given time off and the Independent Police Conduct Authority is investigating. He will be interviewed today and welfare services have been made available to those involved. Cliff said he had "no concerns" about the officers' actions. "They worked with great speed and with courage, and I certainly have huge respect for what they did in taking some very difficult action in the most demanding of circumstances." Police were able to react quickly because they were close to the scene and had "all the options" available to them, Cliff said. "They had pepper spray, they had Taser, they had firearms. I guess it really affirms the decision by the [police] commissioner to make sure that firearms are more readily available to our staff within vehicles. "The staff had all the tools available and used every option before they were forced into the position of having to use a firearm." Pepper spray and Tasers were "not always effective", Cliff said. He also praised the "spectacularly good" action taken by members of the public. "It's been a really great example of members of the public seeing something happen and being prepared to do something about it, as well as those who contacted police and sought our help," he said. SHOCKED STUDENTS COUNSELLED Several schoolchildren are receiving counselling after witnessing the violence in Hoon Hay on their way to school. The Ministry of Education traumatic incidents team is co-ordinating counselling for about 10 Christchurch pupils, and some pupils are receiving help from school counsellors. The ministry team visited Manning Intermediate School, Spreydon School and Redwood School yesterday. A ministry spokesman said the team worked with schools to help them manage the impact of a traumatic incident. Support that may be provided covered a range of areas such as helping allay fears, supporting communication and restoring day-to-day routines. Manning Intermediate principal Richard Chambers went on to Hoon Hay Rd after hearing sirens. He spoke to a police officer, who told him about the stabbing and subsequent shooting. Chambers organised staff to go out to Hoon Hay Rd. They joined staff from Hillmorton High School to help direct pupils and give information to parents. Some pupils who were trying to get further down the road to Spreydon School, in Halswell Rd, had to wait at Manning Intermediate until police said it was safe to continue. Police called all the nearby schools to inform them about the incident. "At no stage were any of our students at risk, but some may have seen or heard things that are disturbing," Chambers said. He called the ministry's traumatic incidents team, which visited the school and helped co-ordinate counselling for at least six pupils. Spreydon School principal Rick Wardrop said the ministry team had visited the school, and the incident was discussed at morning assembly.

N.O.R.F;804342 wrote: Right Said Fred?

These are some scary looking fellas, maybe real baddies in life. They are also super high, I'm surprised they can remember their lines.

Although in a very small scale i still love the ingenuity of these kids. Doing it for themselves. El Punto these are challenges that can be met with a little organisation and strong will. Inshallah we start to see these beauties crop up all over Somalia.

Today we may be bickering about phantom clan borders but tomorrow our children may inhabit a very different space. Things can change very quickly and so does public opinion, but we also have to work with what we have in the current. There are certain constants in this dynamic landscape that serve to keep us united in spirit.

I am a realist my friend and a fair one at that. However i am all for development and good governance and home grown initiatives. Somalis destinies are inextricably linked, that much i can recognise. When people rebel noting can stop them. I am reminded of an Howard Zinn quote; There is a tendency to think that what we see in the present moment will continue. We forget how often we have been astonished by the sudden crumbling of institutions, by extraordinary changes in people's thoughts, by unexpected eruptions of rebellion against tyrannies, by the quick collapse of systems of power that seemed invincible.’ (Zinn, A Power That Governments Can’t Suppress, City Lights, 2007, p.267)

Thucydides' classic history of the thirty-year clusterf--k known as the Peloponessian War. Takes you back to 432BC, where the glory of the Persian War is a distant memory and a grasping, ambitious Athens is pushing the limits of their peace treaty with the arch-conservative Sparta. As in World War I, a complex network of alliances turns a conflict between two minor cities into a conflagration that devours the Greek world. This was a book that I'd been meaning to read since I blew it off in college, and I'm glad I finally got back to it. As with all books from the pre-industrial era, you have to slow down and sink into a world where attention spans weren't determined by e-mail pings and constant background noise. Once you do that, it's fascinating. (review) “In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it.” ― Thucydides

I'm talking about the right to offend this SL admin, not just general free speech. I have a general disdain for these Somali leaders who use the figment of an imaginary future to keep the masses from recognising and rebelling against their state of squalor. Panopticism at its finest. For crying out loud, put recognition on the backburner. The fact that we had to wait years for a measly $28 million water ‘infrastructure’ programme to be divvied up between 4 cities is a slap in the face. With a little organisation and an attitude of self-help the government could’ve done much better. Go about your business quietly, by all means have friends internationally but stop pushing the recognition agenda. RECOGNISE yourselves and try to meet the needs of everyday people the best you can. Having said all that this government is starting to take the right steps towards attracting foreign investment, at least they are starting to diversify their manifesto away from the singular cause of recognition. Additionally the issues in the east are of serious concern and this admin will be judged largely on how it deals with this issue. Its a failure of politics and diplomacy that the eastern provinces want out of the SL 'experience'. We also have to be sympathetic to their will and decision. Can no carrots be extended to bring them back into the fold, were they ever an enthusiastic member? Either way SL has to be sympathetic to their cause otherwise it reeks of sheer hypocrisy given the history. what is the solution? i don't know but war is never an answer. Maybe SL could invite one of the many friendly INGO's to carry out a referendum in these areas with international observers to find out once and for all. I hear the admin in SL will be moving towards a federal approach to governance within SL with significant devolved powers going out from the centre in the near future. It will be interesting to note these developments and how they will be received in the east.

I feel a bit lost, i'm in uncharted territory in the politics section lol, surrounded by sharks such as Dr Osman and The Hermit. Two fellas who represent two sides of the same coin.

Xaaji Xunjuf;804250 wrote: Balaayo ku claneysey wax walba clan haka dhigin. Well said XX, although in SL it seems people can get arrested for no reason. Its always been like that. What would happen to me if i took a loudspeaker and stood outside villa Morgan and started berating this admin. I would disappear very quickly that's what. Freedom of speech doesn't exist in SL especially for the press. Silanyo is archaic but president. Warabe is a joke and not fit for his purpose and Riyale well he was an ok transitional leader. Where are the relatively young technocratic visionaries who espouse self help as a way to progress.

oh that was horrible to watch, such a sad case. Something must be done about these abuses that have been going on for far too long.