Soma, Sxb, I'll tell it as it is. People don't hate Chelsea because they are good, they hate them because of their arrogant manager. Ajax 1995 and Real Madrid 2000-2002 have been amazing teams who won a lot but people didn't hate them. Barca is flying at the moment and even the Madrid supporters were applauding them. Why? Unlike Chelsea (or shall I say Mourinho in particular) they are humble when they win and are not sore losers. If the CL games were to be played today, Juve would reach the finals, Barca would humiliate Chelsea on their way to the finals, Bayern would beat Milan and Real and Arsenal would fight it out in a 15 goal thriller But come Feb, things might be very different .

Soma, I've been fine sxb, I've been around and about. Chelsea are so dominant in the PL and have left us with very little to discuss and disagree over. But the CL in Feb should give us plenty to squabble about. Northerner, Long time indeed, I hope the ME is treating you well. Originally posted by Northerner: LAmpard is a very good player but we both know Stevie G is a much better footballer. Frank is a one dimensional player, if he cant shoot he will pass to his right (just watch him). He score a fair few goals yes and he is an influencial player for Chelsea. Now, Stevie G is a 'footballer' who has played in many positions, left, right, centre mid, striker, right back (CL final 2nd half) i dont see Frank doing that. He only just shaded the votes for the 2nd best player last year. Can you see Frank doing what Gerrard did in the CL final? I know what you mean, they are similar players yet quite different. But Lampard's game cannot be criticized, he is the second highest scorer (with 11 goals - as a midfielder) in the PL and no L'pool player has even netted 5 goals. He might not tackle like SG, he might not be as inspiring as SG but he's a damn good player! And he is definately not overrated. You can not use the argument that SG can play in many different positions and is therefore a better player; Gallas is very versatile but I don't think his versatility makes him better than Cannavaro, Nesta, Terry and many others defenders. Rio is not overrated. A good defensive midfielder always makes the defenders' job much. It is not a coincidence that Rio became shaky when Keane was not there. Real Madrid's defenders also came under a lot of pressure, scrutiny and criticism after Makelele left (they also haven't won a trophy since). Two years later, their defence is still leaking because they haven't yet replaced him with a decent defensive midfielder. Originally posted by Northerner: SG picked the CL trophy and Lamps took the Prem. IF you were to score a player on what he has won - Like 187 said SG has been an England player far longer than Lamps and hes younger (what does that tell you) Roll of Honours SG - CL, Eufa Cup, FA Cup, Carling Cup, Eufa Super Cup (twice) FL - Carling Cup & Prem SG has played for England more than FL because SG has been playing for L'pool and FL for West Ham. Besides that, FL has improved tremendously the past four years. As for the honours you listed, remove CL trophy which L'pool won on penalties and you are left with crap trophies Do you know that most big teams don't even play a strong side in Super Cups? Honours say more about the club than they do about the player. Seedorf is the only player in the world to have won the CL with 3 different clubs, not because he's the best in the world but he hapenned to play for Ajax, Real and AC Milan at a time when they were very successful. Morientes has won more trophies than Shevchenko, Adriano and Ronaldinho, but that surely doesn't make him better than them. Overrated players? -Beckham -Owen -Del Piero -Raul Underrated players? -Lauren (best right back in the PL for some years) -Trezeguet (15 goals in 15 games this year) -Dirk Kuyt (Feyenord) -Oleguer (Barca) -Zlatan -Maldini -Everyone at Bolton and Wigan

With current form, Barca would definately thrash Chelsea, Gunners vs Real could go anyhow for they are both crap at the moment and L'pool would beat Benfica with a clear margine. Come feb, things might be different.

A good side must be able to overcome the hurdles that lie on its path. Crying over a disallowed goal is just a way to comfort oneself after losing. In the Premiership, Arsenal is still my favourite team but one has to admit that changes are required because there is a new kid (Chelsea) on the block! I had a strong feeling Arsenal would lose after Gilberto saw red in Newcastle. Fabregas and Flamini are not a good (or strong) pairing, you just can't expect these youngsters to get anything against Lampard, Essien and Makelele. Heck, I don't even remember seeing Flamini during the match against Cheslea.

Northerner, Stop being biased sxb If I were a coach, I would take Lampard over Gerrard anytime. The coaches that voted him 2nd best player in the world seem to agree too. Rio is not overrated, he is a decent defender, actually the coolest composure in the UK. He playes more like a continental defender, a bit like the Nesta, Chivu, Blanc etc. His performance merely reflect that of his side. Crouch is somewhat overrated. The thing is, he seems like such a miskiin and that's how he gets people on his side. I bet he can go a couple of years without scoring without drawing much criticism. Titus who? Steve who? :cool:

Encore, encore...psst psst, click on the image to enlarge! Sphinx, Giza Sphinxes Avenue, Luxor Obelisk, Temple of Luxor FIN

I was behind the camera and she was behind me

More pics... Al-Azhar's Administration building Al-Azhar Mihrab Al-Azhar's compound Al-Azhar. Abu Simbel A boy in the Nile

More more more... Feluccas in Aswan Expedition to Land of Punt Edfu Dervish dance on the Nile Cruise Citadel Mosque, Cairo Citadel mihrab Children at the Citadel's Compound Chief of Punt with his wife

Luxor Temple Mosque Inside Imam al-Hussain's mosque Inside al-Azhar Imam al-Hussain Mosque, Cairo Henna from Punt Hatshepsut's Temple, Luxor Gold collected from Land of Punt Fatimid Graveyard for Saints in Aswan

More... Sphinx and Pyramids Pyramids of Giza Isis Temple, Philae Island (PS: the Somali name Isir comes from Isis) Outside the Citadel, Cairo Nilometer, Aswan (This was used in ancient times to determine how much the farmers would be taxed; the higher the water level the higher the tax) Near Aswan High Dam Mosque near The Citadel Mihrab, al-Azhar

Some of the photos I took...click on the image to enlarge! Where Anwar Saddat was assassinated Valley of the Kings Tour guide in Giza Tomb said to contain al-Hussain's head Tomb of Ramses III The Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan The famous Khan-al-Khalili Market in Islamic Cairo Temple of Karnak

Over 25 million Russians died in WWII, over a million Rwandese were massacred in 1994 and over 5 million Congolese people have been killed in the last 5 years. Yet, people are constantly reminded and made to feel guilty over the death of European Jews. :mad:

Most have heard about the Egyptians' expeditions and mainly Hatshepsut's expedition to "Ta Nteru" (Land of Punt/Land of The Gods). It was an amazing experience seeing her temple in Luxor and the images and hieroglyphs depicting the journey to the Land of Punt. Although most of the things in the temple connected with Hatshepsut were destroyed by Tuthmosis III, some of the descriptions of the expeditions survived. On these walls, one can see a detailed desciption of the journey and also the products the Egyptians took from Punt. Things they got from Punt like incense, henna, gold, silver and other products still are colourfully depicted on the walls of the temple. I intended to post some of the pictures from the temple but had some technical difficulties :confused: . Luckily, most of these images are readily available on the net. Hatshepsut's Temple in Luxor The room with the story of the Land of Punt. The chief of Punt Parakhu and his wife Aty Didn't know that the Somali booty and the "mutton arms" existed B.C. Reliefs of the expedition to the land of punt. An old school Puntlander.

Welc Daanyeer - Looking forward to reading your funny articles

How about five years? There seems to be the same sort of views towards having a Men's section since the last time this was brought up.

Originally posted by Castro: ^ I should have known you had an agenda all along. Silly me. Originally posted by Castro: ^ Our topic poster is confusing the difficulty with which rape case pass through the legal system with the share of the blame the victim has. By posting the article above, he is insinuating that success in the courts is predicated on the sobriety and 'proper' dress of the accuser. He may be right but that only shows that his ilk are everywhere. He is further insisting that blame is shared because the victim is unable to remember whether she consented or not. Waryaa Castro, You are just full of it mate! 'Ilk' iyo 'agenda' maxaaa keenay? I mereely posted the article because it had somehow to do with what the people who took part in the servey thought.

2005/11/24 00:35:53 GMT Rape case collapses over consent A rape case has collapsed after a 21-year-old student said that she had been too drunk to remember whether or not she had agreed to have sex . The woman had alleged she was raped by fellow student Ruairi Dougal in a hall of residence at Aberystwyth University. But High Court judge Justice Roderick Evans directed the jury to reach a not guilty verdict, on the basis that drunken consent is still consent. Mr Dougal, 20, had told the Swansea court that the sex was consensual. The woman said she passed out after drinking too much. Swansea Crown Court heard on Wednesday, that the woman alleged that Mr Dougal, from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, had raped her in a corridor outside her room in the halls. She told the court that she was sure she would not have consented, and if she had wanted sex she would have opened her flat door and taken the man into her bedroom. But defence barrister Stephen Rees argued it was impossible for her to be sure she had not consented because she could not remember. After she gave evidence, Huw Rees for the prosecution said he was abandoning the case. Judge Mr Justice Roderick Evans then instructed the jury to find Mr Dougal not guilty. During the case, the jury had heard how the female student drank vodkas before attending a party at the arts centre on the university's campus. She became ill and a member of staff asked Mr Dougal, who was working as a security guard, to walk her home. She told the court she could remember little else apart from lying on the corridor floor and briefly emerging from unconsciousness to be aware "that something was happening". Drunken consent The woman complained to police two days after the alleged attack, but it was not until police interviewed Mr Dougal that she was told that she had had full sexual intercourse, the court heard. "The prosecution has taken stock, in light of the evidence revealed in cross examination," said Huw Rees. "The question of consent is an essential part of the case. Drunken consent is still consent. "She said she could not remember giving consent and that is fatal for the prosecution's case." Story from BBC NEWS: Source Published: 2005/11/24 00:35:53 GMT © BBC MMV

Originally posted by x_quizit: Viking...So what now? Again, answer my question, what makes them rape when factors such as dress or alcohol are removed? let's move on to that question pls instead of reiterating the same views. What makes them rape? Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity! Home alone, no sharci which means no reporting, flirting, following strangers back to their place or yours, working late, walking home late by yourself, anarchy during wars etc etc. As I said before, the rapist doesn't need a reason, he needs an opportunity to committ the crime. Originally posted by Callypso: quote:But a woman who flirts with strangers, drinks excessively, dresses provocatively and walks dark alleys by herself late at night is putting herself in danger. But the majority of rapes occur at home, and most women know the rapist (yes, even in the West most victims are not drunk sl*ts in dark alleys). You are simply re-iterating a myth that most rapes are in dark alleys. They are not. We are not arguing that a woman should not exercise caution, just that in most cases a woman is in a situation where she feels safe. Callypso, Myth or no myth, I was not claiming most rapes happen in dark alleys, it was a mere example to demonstrate that caution must be taken. But you seem to be a bit too clogged to get the drift.

X, We are still talking in a parallel manner and if not careful, we'll be running in circles. A rapist is a rapist is a rapist, whether he rapes out of love, hatred, domination, humiliation or just for fun! Whether the rapist is a Hindu, a Somali or an Aztek, he is a rapist! But a woman who flirts with strangers, drinks excessively, dresses provocatively and walks dark alleys by herself late at night is putting herself in danger. You don't disagree that women should take precautions, these precautions may keep her safe but they don't reform the mind of a serial rapist.

Castro, People seem to think it does according to the survey. "The Amnesty International poll of 1,000 people also found over 25% believe she is at least partly to blame if she has worn revealing clothing or been drunk. " I think a combination of the two makes women extremely vulnerable to rapists. Fair Castro?

X, We run the risk of running in circles but it may help if you tell us whether you think there are any precautions women can take...i.e. dress modestly, not to flirt with strangers, not to walk home alone very late at night, not to drink alcohol etc. This discussion is based on the a poll done on behalf of Amnesty International in the UK. It is done in the west, by the westerners for the westerners so there is no reason to talk about rape in Islamic countries by using these same arguments. In Islamic countries, the conditions that lead to rape will most probably exclude alcohol and provocative clothes.

Originally posted by Callypso: No, Viking. You missed the point. It has nothing to do with laws or government or even average sickos. The subtext from a few posters is that rapists are men who could not control their sexual urges at the sight of a scantily-clad female. My point is that rape is a method to humiliate a woman or to exercise control. Those Serbs are essentially doing the same thing when they massacre those Muslims and when they raped their women. Both were elements of violence against people they wanted to destroy. Line up the men and shoot them, rape the women. If rape was about being brought to a fever pitch by women dressing provocatively, the women of Bosnia would not be targetted because the soldiers had nothing to excite them. They would just have been shot dead like the men. Callypso, I stand by my point, you can not compare what goes on during war-time to the "normal" peaceful society one finds him/herself in. The reasons for rapes during wartime is probably more similar to the house-keepers...they know they can get away with it! The humiliation is probably a bonus for these animals. Originally posted by Callypso: And that image you drew of a Western victim as a slutty drunk in a dark alley by herself...I wonder, could a hijab covered sober girl walk in a dark alley safely? Aren't you confounding factors here? I listed various precautions that could be undertaken in order to minimise the risk as much as possible. Avoid flirting, dark alleys, dressing provocatively and drinking alcohol. Every weekend, millions of females in the west combine these "risk-factors" which puts them at great risk. You somehow sidelined three factors and put a hijabed woman in the dark alley...which if you think logically, would put her at risk. Originally posted by Callypso: You mentioned Asian maids getting raped and/or molested ...The vulnerability here comes from the lack of legal protection, not the scarcity of clothing. Wasn't I saying the same thing? :confused:

Originally posted by Red sea: Salamu Calaykum, Yes as matter of fact I do have problems on where you call home, in this case Nairobi. Just saying its name makes me throw up. It's the dirtiest place on the planet. It's not that bad is it? Do you still like throwing up?

Two minutes apart... Originally posted by Viking: Islam is clear on this, women should dress modestly and men should lower their gaze. In an ideal Muslim society... Originally posted by NGONGE: Of course, in an ideal Islamic society, the women would cover up and the men would lower their gaze :eek: :eek: