but with the company pension scheme I should be ok for money when I do retire fingers crossed. Holy Sh!t. Am I the only golddigger in this joint? Working longer than 8 years has never crossed my mind. NEVER. I've got better things to do than be bothered with work. Rudy, LOOOOOOL. Try it. Tell us the outcome.

Nafta, Thanks for the heads up, Kissy-Face (do they ever come up for breathe? that's one record to be broken ).

Originally posted by Idil: ^^ and why in crap horror movies is there an cadaan chick with huge naaso running up the stairs when the dhadhamad sshould be running out of the front door? LOOOL. Ma ila aragtey? I sure as heck wouldn't be investigating any eerie sounds up the attic or down the basement. I wonder how caviar tastes like. And is it worth the money?

Don't be giving me ideas boys. Honestly,a couple of angry creditors kept hounding us for a while because my brother had a name similar to a somali man who chalked up the charges and bailed out. I know a couple of people who've done that and its so sad. Concerning mounting debts; I was reading in the paper yesterday that Taiwanese are commiting suicide over ridiculously large credit card debts; the banks are practicularly shoving them down people's throats; whether they can afford to or not; they have even gone so far as to call individual homes to offer packages. And since the interest is not regulated by the government; people are entering traps that they're not aware of. Taiwanese credit card 'slaves': read here

Save $1,000 Cash as a Starter Emergency Fund (as fast as you can) Money magazine says that 78 percent of us will have a major negative event in a given 10-year period of time. Life happens, so be ready. Stop everything and focus. Twist and wring out the budget, work extra hours, sell something, or have a garage sale, but quickly get your $1,000. Pay off all your debt using the Debt Snowball List all your debts (except the house) in order of smallest payoff balance to largest. Then pay the minimum payment to stay current on all the debts except the smallest. Every dollar you can find from anywhere in your budget goes toward the smallest debt until it is paid. Once the smallest is paid, the payment from that debt is added to the next smallest debt. When debt number two is paid off, you attack three, and so on. Finish the Emergency Fund A fully funded emergency fund covers three to six months of expenses. When the big stuff happens, like the job layoff or the blown car engine, you can't depend on credit cards. If you use debt to cover emergencies, you have backtracked. A strong foundation in your financial house includes the big savings account, which will be used just for emergencies. Repeat Chart your spending. For the next month (and you need to do it for a month because there are some expenses that only occur once a month) keep track of every dollar you spend — especially the cash (that's where many people spend a lot of money and don't realize it). You'll start to see places you can cut back. Maybe you spend more on meals out, on little impulse purchases at the CD store, on iTunes. Once you know where you're spending, you can decide not to spend. Cut larger fixed costs . You know those bills that come in every month — cable, cell phone, internet, health club. Chances are you did without these things just a few years ago, so you have to ask yourself, do you really need 900 minutes a month of talk time now? Maybe not while you're trying to get out of debt. Cut back these services and you can generally find a couple hundred dollars a month (which is a couple thousand a year to put against your credit card bills). Always pay more than the minimum. The credit card companies are not just being nice when they require only a small minimum payment on your total balance. They calculate this minimum to extend your payments for as long as possible, to boost their profits. Scrimp if you need to, and pay as much as you can above the minimum every month. Stop using your cards. The last thing you want to do with heavy credit card debt is add to it. Take all your credit cards out of your wallet or purse, and leave them at home (though you may want to keep one for emergencies -- and, no, a really great sale or a cool new CD player does not qualify as an emergency). Cut up the cards if that's what it takes to stop using them. Some people keep their cards out of reach by freezing them in glasses of water. If all else fails---> Perhaps your family or friends could help through a loan. Who else knows, trusts, and loves you like they do? Sources: Don't remember, too many. DO THE CURRENT STUDENTS OR GRADUATES OF SOL HAVE ANY TIPS ON REDUCING STUDENT LOANS OTHER THAN GETTING A JOB? MOST PEOPLE DO AND ITS SO DAMN DIFFICULT. THE IDEA OF ALL THAT RIBA IS JUST KILLING ME.

Just follow the guidelines in Islam that deals with courtship and everything should be a breeze, Inshallah.

I pray that Allah in his infinite mercy, makes life bearable for the downtrodden. I pray that pain and suffering cease to exist. I pray that those who endure hardships in the life find peace in the next; I pray that my actions & deeds are enough; I pray for more time, for success; and most of all I pray for Allah's love and guidance. Great post Jamilah. But let's not forget that all humans deserve our prayers; muslims more so; but include your neighbour and the rest of the inhibitants of the world. They are in need of the mercy and guidance that only Allah can offer.

Wow. A rather long but wonderful article. Thank you Khayrqabe. I wished it was longer as I came close to the end. That father has some sound advice that we should all heed.

Rahima, When have you not made sense? Great stuff. Xiin;

Are you saying Somali men can't speak up for the rights of Somali women? Absolutely not. Speak loud and proud! I don't think were talking about whether one is forced or not. And if the are, I feel sorry for them, thats not the way Isam goes. There is absolutely no compulsion in religion. I just see a pattern here is all; making fun of beards, short trousours, girls wearing hijaab, the jilbaab, and what next? Honestly? There are boundaries one shouldnt cross

Socod Badne & Co. And who made you guys the spokesmen for these somali women? Its funny that the same people who advocate for women's choices and rights don't accept the fact that they want to cover up but would rather strip them down to their likings. The 'tent' is here to stay, deal with it, if you can't, tough luck brah.

I'd rather never wear hijab than be killed, thank you very much! But then again, I wouldn't be in that position. Honestly, if you feel that your religious right is being infringed upon, there is something called MIGRATION. Its recommended to migrate like the Prophet (scw) for the sake of religion. Leave the damn country and go someplace where your allowed to practice your deen to your heart's content. I'm not saying its easy, in many causes it would be extremely difficult and scary prospect, but at the end of the day; there is no real excuse when your standing in front of Allah. Many move to other countries for better education, work, family etc....how many can say they did it for Islam? ThePoint, Pass on what your smoking, brah. By the sound of it, its real gud. .

No self respecting somali woman is going to join gyms where privacy isnt gauranteed. The mix of men and women scares them out of losing those pounds. Besides, the ladies only gyms typically have huge windows which face to the street; thus anyone walking by can look and see her huffing and puffing. And I don't think your going to see them running around the tracks with thier gabasaar/jalbaab trailing behind them anytime soon either. The muslim community really needs to do somethng about the lack of fitness and health programs---is it possible to rent gyms for private use the same way as swimming and skating I wonder? That would really be helpful and I could imagine alot of women would be up to it.

I don't understand the unhealthy fixation with one's ovaries. If my cramps were bad enough that I coudnt peform my daily chores or lead a relatively comfortable life, forget the damn pills, I would have surgery to remove the source. A child by your womb isnt any more special; it's how one raises them. I think this is a wonderful breakthrough, not for the selfish and ignorant women who think that this is the best contraceptive device since the pill or those who find menstruating inconvient, but for those whose lives are disrupted by monthly visits to the hospital when the painkillers arent doing squat. I don't think that any women should live that way just because she wants to perserve her ability to bear biological children. Of course there are side-effects, every single pill in the planet does. And I'm certainly not suggestiong people to flock to the drugstores for them, but its a wonderful option for the people who really need it. But well see, its not out yet.

Every woman has a menstrual horror story. The debilitating cramps. The stained clothing when you couldn't make it to the bathroom. A romantic weekend with the boyfriend spoiled. That's life with the curse . We just learn to put up with it. Period. Stuffing our toiletry bags with a fistful of pads and tampons, just in case, is our lot in life because Mother Nature has decreed that women must bleed. That may be about to change, however. In 2006, a new oral contraceptive, called Anya, is expected to hit the Canadian and U.S. markets, according to this week's Maclean's magazine. The pill, manufactured by U.S.-based Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and pending approval by Health Canada, is designed to be taken every day, virtually eliminating periods . "Health experts are predicting that by this time next year, menstruation will no longer be an inevitable function but rather an optional feature, a bit like power steering or pay-per-view," says Maclean's. U.S.-based Barr Pharmaceuticals, which introduced the extended-cycle oral contraceptive Seasonale in the U.S. in 2003, is also itching to tap into the Canadian market. Women on Seasonale take the tablets for 84 consecutive days, followed by seven days of a placebo, reducing their periods to only four a year. How popular is it? Well, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, Barr recorded Seasonale sales of $87 million. In October, Barr announced it granted Montreal's Paladin Labs an exclusive licence to seek approval for and market Seasonale in Canada. "We are confident that Paladin will be able to effectively communicate the benefits of the Seasonale extended-cycle oral contraceptive regimen to this exciting, new market," Barr chairman Bruce Downey said in the press release. None of this is a certainty, of course. At this time, neither Anya nor Seasonale have been approved, says Health Canada. But if, as the Maclean's piece suggests, the nuisance of regular periods could soon be over for Canadian women, it's crucial that we assess the health implications. What woman wouldn't want to banish her periods forever? No more trips to the bathroom every two hours? An end to soaking the blood-smeared clothes? Booking a getaway around other considerations besides your monthlies? It sounds almost too good to be true. Well, so did hormone replacement therapy. Then, studies showed it increased the risk of heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer. "We need to see the research (on extended-cycle birth-control pills). We need to learn from past lessons," says Kathleen O'Grady, spokesman for the Canadian Women's Health Network. These drugs are specifically marketed for menstrual suppression to healthy women who don't have problem periods, she points out. And no long-term studies have been done on the impact of menstrual suppression on fertility or the consequences of taking hormones for years on end, she adds. Girls in their early teens who want to eliminate their periods could conceivably take the extended-cycle oral contraception for 20 years until they want to have children, says O'Grady. "It's very dangerous to ... undervalue the importance of natural women's cycles." Christine Hitchcock, research associate with the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of B.C., also worries about the impact of high doses of hormones. "You always need to consider what the benefits are against what the costs are," she says. More study is needed before women can make informed decisions about the issue, the U.S.-based Society for Menstrual Cycle Research warned in 2003. Canadian women will probably be too bloody impatient to wait for long-term studies, though. Many will gamble on the pills and stop buying tampons. Let's hope we don't face a health disaster down the road. Source 1 Source 2

Farturn, Congrats. Sounds lovely. LayZie, What's this business about kissing each other in the foreheaD? You take showers together, make love etc, why stop with the forehead when it comes to kissing?? Is there a law that says two married people can't kiss in the lips? Its bad enough they do it on weddings when they giving each other kisses on the cheeks and foreheads etc. I am going off topic here, but I am very curious to know who came up with this business about lip kissing being a big no no. Are you crazy, woman? Illahayow labo muslimeen oo afka islagaley sida hippopotamus hana tusin. Ameen. Thinking about the exchange of bacteria, saliva, and bad breath just makes me want to hurl.

Who is raising these soft somali men of late? Oh how I miss the Warriors! Take it like a Man - last time I looked qabiil belongs to men and women. :rolleyes: P.S. Nice hair.

Its not just the marriage of a man and a woman---but the joining of families. Don't forget that. A successful marriage is one in which not only are the couple compatible and satisfied but also the immediate family from both sides. Personally, I would want my family to feel comfortable in my home and be able to relate to the person I plan on sharing my life with. Thats important to me because their opinion matters. Having said that, I have see no problems with people marrying outside their culture. If Somali women marry non-somali men in greater numbers--maybe that would decrease the number of children being automically born into the qabiil of their father's.

JB, Honestly with all the things going wrong with the Ummah as a whole, the state of a woman's dress and whether she has the choice to reveal her cleavage or wrap herself in a burqa should be at the end of a a very long priority list. Maybe you should put your time and energy to better use and tackle more important issues? I can list a dozen at the top of my head which deserve more attention than a woman's dress code! Just because men are not following their set rules does not mean that they do not have them---i.e. beard and trousers that come down to the ankles. And as those requirements, the Hijaab does not only serve as a protective mechanism it serves to identify one as a muslimah and seperates her from non-muslims. An identification card if you will.

^Haye dee, sii wad! Exacto. Thats the standard begining of any letter. Where the problem comes in, is that the same thing one writes each on letter? And if not, how the hell can you come up with new ways to say salaan in every letter? :eek: P.S. Did you notice that the long 'salaan' has been carried over to phone conversations? How many times can a person say 'nabad, alhamdulilah, fiican, barwaaqo, cafmaad, waa roonahaye'. L0L. Who can match Tukaale's?

Technology defintely has made life easier for everyone---its more convenient now to phone and/or email rather than to take the time to actually sit down and compose a simple letter. I have never written a letter and even Hooyo recently stopped, prefering to communicate with family back home by email. But I would love to learn how to write one. A distinctly somali letter in which the first half of the page is focused on prolonging the 'salaan'. I remember reading one and certain lines jump out '114, lab and kashka(?)' and a whole bit about clouds raining blessing on the family. It was nice. So tell me, how do you write one?

What does it take to have low self-esteem? When you let other people define who you are and are quick to accept it. When the opinons of people matter more to you than what is right thing to do. When your sole pleasure and goal is the approval and affection of others above everything else.

Castro, Since its mostly Westener's experiencing 'mid life crisis' that I have heard of... this is coming from a christian perspective. Midlife crisis is thought to be the point at which most adult men return to their churches and usually call themselves 'born again christians'. God is acussing them of breaking the ten commandments. Or so I gather. P.S. Don't tell me YOU havent suffered from it yet. Tuujiye, Go squeeze yourself.

Who really knows its the Indian guys fault the national suffered injury to his eye? Armuu accident aheed and its just an excuse to take revenge? Miskiinmeenta are taken advantage of regularly.

^ CW, people would kill for that kind of lifestyle. Some people don't know when they have it good.