Thursday, December 15, 2005

Family Guy

Brian proves Peter's fatness using the laws of gravity

Click here to see video

Sunday, December 11, 2005

"Best" soccer misses ever!

We always talk about the best soccer goals in history but we never took the time to "appreciate" the misses even though in soccer more goals are missed than they are made.
With this compilation of the "best" soccer misses of all times I am sure you will feel a lot better about your soccer skills. So enjoy!
Click here

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Connecting continents


United States architect, Eugene Tsui, has designed the longest bridge in the world spanning the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting the continents of Europe and Africa. This revolutionary design does not resemble any existing bridge and features an original floating and submerging concept while creating a three mile wide floating island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. From this newly created island a person could view both the European and African continents for the first time in human history. When construction begins it would be the biggest architectural project in the world—and the most ecological—dwarfing Three Gorges Dam in China and Ground Zero in New York City-- and would instantly become the greatest tourist destination on Earth. Spanning about 9 miles the 14.5 kilometer floating bridge contains 150 windmills and 80 underwater tidal turbines generating 12 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. Windmills and turbines can be easily added to the design as needed.

The bridge can generate enough electricity to power the southern Spanish province of Cadiz and the entire nation of Morocco making it the largest wind and water power farm in the world. This feature allows the bridge to pay for itself many times over in electrical generation not to mention tourist dollars. This is the first truly viable design in a long history of attempting to connect both continents. The design utilizes the natural current flow of the Strait and its constant winds and does not disturb the existing ecology and marine life of the site. Cost to build the bridge is ten billion U.S. dollars and would be a joint governmental partnership between Morocco, France and Spain.

The bridge is designed to float gracefully on and under the water like a giant, elegant serpent anchored to the cities of Tarifa on the southern coast of Spain to Point Cires on the northern tip of Morocco. The first mile of the bridge extends out from the coast line and then gradually slopes under the Mediterranean for two miles at a maximum depth of 200 meters or 658 feet. The bridge then slopes upward to a center floating island of three miles in length and continues down underwater again to slope up and come out onto the neighboring continent. The design allows very large ships to pass unimpeded within a four mile width where the bridge is submerged and leaves marine currents undisturbed.

Eugene Tsui’s Strait of Gibraltar Floating Bridge, as a tourist attraction, would potentially double Spain’s 50 million annual tourists and significantly increase Morocco’s current 2.3 million annual tourists to a whopping 60 million, a potential increase of 2600% or 26 times the current annual influx. This amounts to over 8 billion U.S. dollars to each country annually not to mention the significant increase in tourism to both continents. In other words, Tsui’s bridge design has the potential to jump start the entire economy of north Africa and possibly the entire African continent in one project. No doubt it would be the Eighth Wonder Of The World.

What about traffic congestion for the 60 or more million travelers who will cross the bridge? There are 24 lanes total for motor vehicle traffic; 8 lanes for automobile traffic in each direction and 4 lanes for trucks and buses. 4 standard train tracks and 2 high speed trains complete the motor vehicle accommodations. In addition, 5 elevated 30 meter wide pedestrian lanes accommodate people who wish to walk, bicycle, ride camels and horses. Lush gardens, trees, flowers, waterfalls, rest areas and drinking fountains surround all pedestrian areas which are raised one meter above motor vehicle lanes for safety. The bridge is designed to be an experience and destination in itself with an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 traveling daily and 500,000 persons at peak seasons and special days of the year.

At the three mile wide center of the bridge is a floating island which contains 150 windmills, the world’s largest enclosed convention and exhibition area 2 kilometers long (a little over a mile long), 140 meters high, 250 meters wide with 23 floors at 20 meter ceiling height with 500,000 meters squared on each floor and 1 million square meters of total parking space. The island is a veritable city flanked by 120 meter high light houses, outdoor performance plazas, theatres, giant outdoor bazaars and food markets, rolling hills of grass, flowers, trees, parks, water lagoons, bays, 50 meter high waterfalls and fountains, drinking and feeding troughs for animals, bathrooms, giant tented markets and kiosks, two large marinas for boats and tourist ships, photovoltaic solar electricity farms, constructed wetlands for raw sewage and grey water and ecological desalination plants. Similar accommodations are located at the bridge ends as it joins Tarifa and Point Cires.

The bridge is made of waterproof concrete, electrolytic concrete, stainless steel and anodized aluminum. Air passes rapidly through the underwater sections through a phenomenon called the Venturi effect where higher air is attracted to closed spaces and accelerates through these spaces to create a natural airflow and constant exchange of air with no mechanical power needed. All along the bridge are many areas for rest, music and dance performances, kiosks and open market bazaars. Flowers, trees, pools and waterfalls separate pedestrians from motor vehicles. It is a true extension of both African and European cultures come together on a road 14.5 kilometers long (9 miles) in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. A spectacular setting with the smells, sights and sounds of European and African cultures stir the imagination.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

David "Elsewhere"


David "Elsewhere" Bernal (born August 2, 1979) is a dancer from Santa Ana, California. He became known through a video clip recorded at the talent show Kollaboration, in 2001. Showcasing Bernal's characteristic style, it became popular and circulated on the internet. David combines elements from different styles of modern dance, such as liquid dancing, popping, and other forms of breakdance.Bernal has been hired to participate in advertisements for Heineken, Volkswagen, iPod, and 7-Eleven.Elsewhere also made a cameo appearance in the movie "You Got Served".



Check out his videos

Robot Dance
Kolla 2003

This guy is amazing!!!

Friday, December 02, 2005

Ladies and gentlemen, Larbi is back


After a 3 years absence, our favorite taxi driver is back on the streets of Casablanca and more importantly he is back on the net. This time Larbi has his own website which you can visit at the following link: http://www.larbi.ma

Welcome Back Larbi

Monday, November 21, 2005

Caught on tape this weekend

the magic trio

Much to my delight, caught on tape this weekend was the public humiliation suffered by the Real Madrid team in their home stadium against, their forever rivals and sworn enemies, FC Barcelona. Lead by the spectacular Ronaldinho, Barcelona didn't only win by a large score (3-0), but they literally made "The Galacticos", as they (ironically?) like to call themselves, look like nothing more than a second zone team that was doing everything it could to limit the damage.
You can download the whole game here:
The first half
The second half

Visca Barcelona!

The right to rule themselves

Haifa Zangana is an Iraqi-born novelist and former prisoner of Saddam's regime whose recent article about the situation in Iraq I most definitely recommend.

Check out Haifa Zangana's article

Friday, November 18, 2005

Saïd*, le temps d'un concert ...



Présents lors du festival de luth à Bruxelles, Saïd Chraibi, Naseer Shamma et Marcel Khalifé ont livré une prestation remarquable, digne des maîtres qu'ils sont.
Abritant le festival de luth, Bruxelles vibre désormais au rythme des cordes de cet instrument mythique dont les notes chantent une humanité oubliée, presque jetée aux oubliettes, sacrifiée sur l'autel de la " libre circulation des marchandises et des capitaux ". Cherchant l'art dans la vie et la vie dans l'art, chaque note se liait à celle qui la précédait et anticipait celle à venir, dans une mysticité légendaire du temps où la foi ne portait point les armes.

La musique, transmise par des passeurs de savoir, aide à construire des ponts, à établir des liens entre plusieurs rives, plusieurs civilisations, afin de converger vers une culture universelle, symbole de l'unité dans la diversité. Prononcé avec véhémence et éloquence, ce discours musical soulignait ce qu'il y avait de plus intangible chez l'être humain : la créativité spontanée.

Diplomates d'une autre trempe, nos musiciens livrent un message d'une importance cruciale, au moment même où la République française vit une série d'émeutes marquées par une violence rare. Au-delà des tenants et aboutissants de ces troubles, ils ont mis en exergue cette phrase de Malraux, toujours aussi véridique : " l'objectif de l'art est d'ouvrir les yeux du peuple à la beauté comme aux liens entre l'art et la liberté. " La musique adoucit les mœurs, représente un rempart contre la haine, la violence et le racisme, rejette la xénophobie et stigmatise l'enfermement, le communautarisme.

Les morceaux se suivent, toujours chaleureusement applaudis par un public ouvert d'esprit -une humanité sur laquelle on pourrait éternellement parier, tellement elle serait incapable de fabriquer une bombe. En ces temps d'amalgames et d'incompréhensions, de peurs et de malentendus, la musique vient éclairer la voix de l'entente et du vivre ensemble harmonieux. Elle vient concilier des pôles et des forces aux tendances différentes, presque contradictoires : la profondeur et la vitesse, la spiritualité et les impératifs de la vie, la contemplation et l'action. On sent qu'il y a quelque chose. Quelque chose que l'on n'a pas invité et qui survient ; quelque chose qui ne se reproduira pas, même si on la répète, et qui n'apparaît que pour révéler une autre réalité inattendue et surprenante, dévoiler une frontière incertaine où la vie se conjugue au mystère du temps qui s'écoule, afin de rompre son protocole. Les notes se jouent (de nos esprits !), l'atmosphère est paisible, le temps suspendu et le silence audible : le culte et l'amour du beau deviennent une éthique, un code de conduite, une médiation agissante...

Naseer Shamma, voix d'un peuple meurtri, injustement occupé et spolié de ses terres et de ses richesses, offrait à un public émerveillé certains de ses meilleurs morceaux. Alors que Bagdad subit les humiliations de l'occupation, son enfant éternel essuie ses larmes, la cajole et l'aime par le biais de son luth. L'artiste se distinguera également grâce à un morceau dédié à un Garcia Lorca qui écrivait, dans sa Casida de la rose : " la rose ne cherchait ni science ni ombre ; Confins de chair et de songe, elle cherchait autre chose. "

Puis c'est le tour de Marcel Khalifé, artiste carrefour, à la croisée des chemins. Cet infatigable combattant de la liberté promène sa voix pour chanter la paix, exhorter les gens à refuser la misère, la tyrannie et son corollaire, l'injustice. Á l'instar des grands compositeurs et artistes, Marcel n'a pas vu l'âge avoir prise sur sa ferveur militante.

Point commun de marque entre les trois artistes : le concert commence toujours par une phase où ils caressent leurs instruments ; peut-être ils les provoquent, pour se réconcilier après. Après, quand la fusion et l'amalgame auront eu lieu, l'artiste et l'instrument devenant maîtres l'un de l'autre, pour ne briser ce lien qu'à la fin : ayant atteint un sommet de l'aveu, du désir ressenti, exprimé et partagé, ils ont besoin, afin de se retrouver, d'un refuge dans la solitude, pour que, séparément, ils puissent recouvrer l'autonomie, la souveraineté.

Naseer allait clore son concert par un morceau sublime, intitulé 'Enfance', qui est le témoignage musical d'un crime : la mort de milliers d'enfants irakiens, tout au long des quinze dernières années. Hymne à une enfance déchirée, ce morceau est une diatribe contre tous les responsables du drame actuel : les Etats-Unis, l'ancien régime irakien, l'ONU, le Conseil d' (in)sécurité… Diatribe, mais surtout message d'espoir, derrière un sourire serein, 'pour que l'écho de notre musique dépasse celui des bombes'. Certes, Naseer. Certes…



*: Saïd, prénom de l'artiste Saïd Chraibi, signifie 'heureux' en arabe. Le titre étant un jeu de mots, utilisant le prénom de l'artiste pour faire référence à une joie ressentie.

Par Jaafar AMARI

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Moors: Who are they?

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moors, "In modern usage, Moor or Moorish ( Spanish: moro, French: maure) is used to designate people whose native tongue is the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic. These Moors live mainly in Moroccan Sahara and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, from which the latter country derives its name."
Also according to wikipedia, "Hassānīya is a Bedouin dialect of Arabic derived from the Arabic spoken by the Beni Hassān tribe, who extended their authority over most of the Mauritanian Sahara between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries"
So the Moors are descendants of the Beni Hassan tribe...the same tribe my family is descendant of...so i hope this explains my nickname. I am the true El Morro!

PS: Thanks to my brother for all the investigative work!

Music: Souad Massi, The voice of Algeria!


Born in Algeria, Souad Massi spent her childhood in the North African country before immigrating to France and starting her Music career. Somewhere between Tarab Gharnati, a musical genre found mainly in Algeria and East of Morocco, Spanish guitar, and French Pop, Souad Massi's music is heavily influenced by her immigration experience. Souad Massi's voice is so enchanting and filled with emotions you will have a hard time taking the headphones away from your ears.
Here is a temporary link where you will be able to download some of Souad Massi's songs http://s11.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2I2GJ0Y2JVB9B27NL5CHDME9FN
Enjoy!

Morocco: 50 years of Independence


Today Morocco celebrated its 50th year of independence. For the occasion, King Mohammed VI gave a speech that commemorate the legacy of his grand father, his Majesty the late king Mohammed V, the original founder of modern days Morocco. You can download the speech from the following link. http://www.map.ma/mapfr/independance/discours161105.wmv

To commemorate this event, "16 November square" was inaugurated in Rabat by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in Rabat.



Present at the celebration were many national and international political figures, like Senegalese President Abdullay Wade, Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanan, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and French Prime Minister Dominique Devillepin.


Also Present was Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma, His Majesty's wife, and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan as seen in the picture above.

Dima Maghreb!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Sports: Morocco tied against Cameroon


In an empty stadium today, Morocco played its first friendly game under the new management of Phillipe Troussier against Cameroon. The game ended in a goalless draw between the two sides. However, it was a great opportunity for the new coach to test players some of which proved without a shadow of doubt that they definitely deserve to wear the national jersey, while other proved totally the opposite. Here are the links from which you will be able to download the game.
Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9
Enjoy!

Alae's Movie Pick: Paradise Now



"From the most unexpected place, comes a bold new call for peace" said the generic for the movie. Directed by Hani Abu Assad, a West Bank native who grew up in the Netherlands, and shot in both Ramallah and Nazareth in a little over 5 moths, "PARADISE NOW" is the story of two young Palestinian men as they embark upon what may be the last 48 hours of their lives. Official Selection of many great film festivals from New York to Toronto, "Paradise Now" is a critically acclaimed motion picture that goes where no movie has ever gone before, a suicide bomber's head!

Visit The official Website for "Paradise Now" for more information and trailers!

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Watch 2M Live!

Here is a link where you can watch 2M Live!

2M Live

Enjoy!

Amazing Video

Check this video out. It's called The Thousand-hand Bodhisattva Dance and it's performed by the 21 deaf girls and boys from China's Disabled Peoples Performing Art Troupe. It is really a must see!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Alae's Pick

Here is a cool website a came across while surfing the net. It has the Best 40 magazine covers of the past 40 years.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Le Festival du film de Marrakech commence


Marrakech abritera, durant neuf jours, la 5e édition de son festival international du film. Ainsi, du 11 au 19 novembre prochain, les cinéphiles auront à apprécier à leurs justes valeurs pas moins de 124 films (68 films en 2004) qui seront projetés dans plusieurs salles de cinéma de la ville ocre.

Martin Scorsese sera décoré le 11 novembre par le roi et le Festival du film de Marrakech pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre. Catherine Deneuve lui remettra l'Étoile d'Or.C'est le metteur en scène français, Jean-Jacques Annaud qui sera le président du jury de cette 5e édition. Il sera assisté de l'écrivain marocain Abdelkébir Khatibi, la réalisatrice et scénariste indienne Deepa Mehta, la comédienne italienne Stefania Rocca, la tunisienne Hend Sabri, la portugaise Leonor Silveira, le réalisateur burkinabais Idrissa Ouedraogo et la productrice, monteuse et scénariste américaine Mary Sweeney.

Les stars attendues : Leonardo Dicaprio, Sharon Stones, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Monica Belluci, Rossi de Palma, Victoria Abril, Olivier, Yvan Attal, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Michel Blanc, Sandrine Bonnaire, Patrick Braoudé, Maggie Cheung et Daniel Day-Lewis. Mais aussi Emma de Caunes, Judi Dench, Catherine Deneuve, Hassan El Fed, Jilali Ferhati, Stephen Frears, Marie Gillain, Valeria Golino, Yasmine Kessari, Blanca Li, Olivier Martinez, Mohamed Miftah et Kelly Reilly. Sans compter Ines Sastre, Ousmane Sembene, Terence Stamp, Ana Torrent, Charlotte Valandrey, Gus Van Sant, Michelle Yeoh et bien d'autres…

Les 16 films en compétition

Seize films sont en compétition pour le grand prix du 5e festival international du film de Marrakech, dont 10 premier ou deuxième films et de 15 nationalités différentes, à savoir : - "A Glopes" de Juan Vicente Cordoba (Espagne) ; "Alex" de José Alcala (France), " Passion" de Mohamed Malas (Syrie-France), "Saratan" de Ernest Abdyshaparov (République du Kirghizistan), "Frozen Land" de Aku Louhimies (Finlande), "Mongolian Ping Pong" de Ning Hao (Chine), "Man Push Cart" de Ramin Bahrani (Etats-Unis), "L'Iceberg" de Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon et Bruno Romy (Belgique), "Chinaman" de Henrik Ruben Genz (Danemark), "Frozen" de Juliet Mckoen (Royaume-Uni), "Kekexili" de Lu Chuan (Chine / Hong Kong), "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" de Rebecca Miller (Etats-Unis), "The City of the Sun" de Martin Sulk (République Tchèque), "C.R.A.Z.Y" de Jean-Marc Vallée (Canada), "Kinamand" (Chinaman) de Henri Ruben Genz (Danemark) et "El Ayel" (le gosse de Tanger, une enfance rebelle) de Moumen Smihi (Maroc).

Thursday, November 10, 2005

About the riots in France

The Arc de Triomphe did not reek of victorious glory. The view from the Eiffel Tower did not seem too serene. The bastion of nationalism and culture seemed to recoil in reflection, rather than swell with pride.

It's not quite 1789 all over again. Even so, the streets of France burned.

Riots that started in French suburbs 12 days ago have exposed a social structure that is imperfect at best and deeply fractured at worst.

Burning cars have been extinguished, but it will take more than water to extinguish the feelings of intense frustration.

The riots started in Parisian suburbs where most of the population is comprised of African and Muslim immigrants.

The violence began as a protest over the deaths of two north African youths who were electrocuted while jumping over a fence surrounding a high-voltage transformer. Relatives allege that the youths were running from the police.

Of course, it didn't help that French interior minister and President Jacques Chirac's heir-impatient Nicolas Sarkozy used words like "scum" and "thugs" to describe the rioters.

Several lessons emerge from these riots.

First, immigration does not work without integration. African and Arab rioters in France complain about discrimination and second-class status.

The moment employers notice their non-French names or their addresses, they are not considered for jobs. The unemployed youth often live and socialize together. Their intense isolation can be understood by observing that the rioters are not immigrants, but second- and third-generation French-born children of immigrants.

The second lesson is about national identity. France has about 6 million Muslims, mainly of African descent, with ethnic minorities comprising 10 percent of its population.

It is possible that the fear of losing France's traditional white European identity caused voters to reject the European Union constitution earlier this year. Similar inferences are being drawn from France's opposition to admitting Turkey into the EU.

Immigration at its best is a dual process. Immigrants become part of their adopted culture and acquire its identity. Simultaneously, they add their own identity, reshaping culture in their new homeland.

Somehow the French lost the script on this one. If new entrants are persecuted and seen as a threat, they will never become part of the national identity.

Fortunately, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has shown common sense in his response. He called the incidents, "a crisis in France's cities." He outlined a clear plan to help rectify the social structure.

The prime minister intends to send police reinforcements to curb violence and investigate the deaths of the two teenagers. He also proposed scholarships and job training for children of immigrants, lowering the age kids can take on apprenticeships and unspecified measures to counter discrimination in the job market.

Rather than deliver handouts to rioters and keep them at bay, he intends to bring them into the mainstream and assimilate into French society.

This Article appeared in the State Press

Entre chiens et chats

Le bonheur d’un homme, d’un couple, ne dépendent pas tant de la démocratie, de la séparation des pouvoirs, du choix homérique entre république et monarchie, et tutti quanti. C’est parfois plus simple, une question de chats ou de chiens que l’on décide d’adopter. Comme l’histoire de ce couple dont la fille voulait un chat, alors que le garçon avait jeté son dévolu sur un méchant toutou. Comment arbitrer entre les deux ? Les parents ont fait appel à leurs parents, à leurs amis. Résultat : des résolutions magnifiques où santé, religion, culture et pouvoir (désolé) se sont télescopés comme dans une partie de billard. “Oui aux chats puisqu’ils sont fiers comme des rifains et puisque le prophète avait laissé une chatte accoucher sur ses genoux (…) Non puisqu’ils donnent la lèpre comme le disait le bouquin de Guy Des Cars (…) Oui aux chiens puisqu’ils sont serviles comme certains d’entre nous (…) Non puisque les anges n’entrent jamais dans une maison où il y a un chien, etc”. Certains ont accordé leur préférence aux chiens “parce que même notre roi les aime”. D’autres ont opté pour les chats pour la même raison. Les explications de ceux qui ont dit non aux chats et aux chiens, n’en sont pas moins intéressantes : “Ce ne sont que des animaux (…) Leurs poils sont une source d’asthme et d’allergies (…) Ils sont insupportables en période de rut, etc”. Le couple a même posé la question, très discrètement, à un fqih. Le saint homme a usé des mêmes arguments que tout ce beau monde, avançant une chose et son contraire, regrettant “la
libido exagérée des animaux en général et des chiens et chats en particulier”, et concluant : “Heureusement, la sexualité de ces pauvres bêtes n’égale pas celle des lapins dans sa fureur !”. Oui, heureusement.

Par Karim Boukhari

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Today's News Recap
















Mohammed Bennouna, Morocco's ambassador to the UN, was elected on Monday to the panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in La Haye. This is the first time in history a Moroccan is elected for such a position. Way to go...visit http://www.albayane.ma/Detail.asp?Article_id=49634 for more info.

Also today, Morocco has reached an agreement with the European Union on its participation in the GALILEO program. The agreement will cover industrial and scientific cooperation and the development of specific GALILEO applications for Morocco and its region, said the EH executive European Commission in a statement.
GALILEO is Europe's satellite radio navigation program. It was launched at the initiative of the European Commission and developed jointly with the European Space Agency (ESA). Basically a sort of European GPS. For more info on the GALILEO program visit http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html

And in sports, Morocco's friendly soccer game that was expected to take place this saturday in the suburbs of Paris against Cameroon was finally canceled due the riots that have been taking place in France for the past couple of weeks. Click Here for more info

Happy Birthday to Meee!

In the time before times, a brave woman by the name of Fatima, who also happens to be my mom, gave birth to a now full grown man of 22 years of age.
Well to cut it short, yes i feel old and weird and kind of worried about what everybody is telling this means. "You are not 18 anymore", said my evil brother, who not only spoke words of "wisdom" but also took away my joy of doing stupid things and blaming them on my young age and lack of experience.
Now that i am 22, i understand that i will be held more responsible than ever for any decision i take or don't take. I also understand that i will be expected to behave like an adult and speak like an adult....and it sucks to realize that. However, and unlike my evil brother who is even older than i am, i still have my 25th birthday to look forward to (for those of you who don't know, you get to rent cars for a cheaper price when you are 25...i am guessing that it has something to do with being even more responsible or some other nonsense). So i think i finally found a reason to celebrate this year!




















PS: Thank you to Ana, Natalie, Nabila, Omar, and of course my evil brother Rabie who were the first people to wish me a happy birthday and remind me that i am not a kid anymore...thanks guys!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Mrahba Bikom at Gnawa Soul














In Morocco, we welcome guests by offering them a cup of Moroccan mint tea. And i just couldn't find a better way than this to start out with. Mrahba!