I missed this earlier: HUO interviews Raoul Vaneigem: http://e-flux.com/journal/view/62.

Reading the 1300 pages long study of the border area between California and Mexico by William T. Vollmann now. 200 pages on the way and until now it is simply … stunning. Much, much better than expected, with some breathtaking ‘excursions’.

Of course, the repetition starts now, the excessiveness, the too much and too long. But I have good hopes that he will keep my interest going.

Well, I hope to write more on it at some point, later.

Two reviews that look good – I haven’t read them yet, and won’t until I’ve finished the book -:
http://nymag.com/arts/books/reviews/58062/ and
http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/booksliterature/story/751879.html.

Blog on translation / weblog over vertalen. Good stuff / goed spul. http://www.tirade.nu/.

Brief history of social media, yes, and starting with the phone phreaks. Sure one could go before that? Conference calls? Chatboxes on landlines? As this is an American history Minitel isn’t mentioned either. I can think of a few things more even. Yet, good as an overview: http://socialmediarockstar.com/history-of-social-media.

Reinder Rustema – a.o. ex-Mediamatic, and the former user of the garage-box of my former appartment in return for me reading his NRC, and a very nice person – is a candidate for the European election of June 4th, for the Newropeans, a pro-Europe party: http://www.newropeans2009.com/Nederland/.

See also his own website: http://rustema.nl/ and blog: http://www.newropeans2009.com/reinder_rustema/ — from where you can find the Facebook-stuff too.

He of course is asking if I’d vote for him. We had a few interesting discussions about politics in the past.

I tried the ‘stemwijzer’: http://www.stemwijzer.nl/
(with all the stupid questions about animals), and guess which party came up first?

The Newropeans.

(still, I think I’ll vote again for the same party I voted for the last 3 or so times.)

But this result is enough reason for me to put in this little effort to make Reinder’s party more known. Take a look at their program, they have good points.

On sunday I’ll have the pleasure of talking about cycling at the Impakt Zondagsschool: http://www.impakt.nl/.

F. works with schoolkids (7 to 8 year olds) of Amsterdam-Noord on an art/education project. They are developing a story and invent a character (Cloney). The groups had to think about for instance where te character lives, what its supernatural powers are, what its goal is, what keeps it from attaining its goal, et cetera. Answering the question what keeps Cloney from attaining its goal one group said: “Geert Wilders!”. “So, what will Cloney do about that?”. Answer from the excited kids: “We’re going to kill Geert Wilders!!!” F. didn’t allow that, “then Cloney has to go to prison” and asked them to come up with another solution. They gave it a little tought and just as excited they then screamed” “We’re going to shave off all of his hair so he loses his powers!!!”.

Note for the non-Dutch reader: Geert Wilders is the ultra right-wing radical anti-Islam pro-police state populist politician who’s following amongst whites in the Netherlands seems to be growing.

Btw: I’m blogging live at the Print / Pixel conference at the Piet Zwart, in Rotterdam: http://blog.wdka.nl/communication-in-a-digital-age/.

Polis is this, documentary about poet Charles Olson is available on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch&c.. Haven’t seen it yet, will soon. (Via http://transversalinflections.wordpress.com/).

Wasn’t there at 6 in the morning, but friends were, that is Noortje Marres, to make a map of the sunrise in Amsterdam. Try-out (?) or part of a new project by Esther Polak: http://www.estherpolak.nl/.

In April we will execute a first experiment producing a Spiral Drawing for one specific location and purpose. In this case Noortje Marres will act as a commissioner of a Spiral Sunrise. Her motivation in commissioning the piece stems from her move from Amsterdam (a location in close proximity to the Frederiksplein) to London in 2007, and a developing conversation with the artist about the (disputed) capacity of the Spiral Sunrise to bring the Dutch light to her London house.

Script
 
-Execution of the work will take place at the Frederiksplein, Amsterdam, during the sunrise of 6 April 2009, in the presence of  Noortje Marres
-Esther Polak will execute the project based on Marres wishes.
-Noortje Marres will hang the piece in her London house for one year.
-Noortje will document her experience in a diary (log), before, during, and after the recording (3 times 500 words).
-The log is an integral part of the art work, and will be made available on the project blog and/or in any suitable form for exhibition.
 
Research questions:
 
1. What does it mean to trans-locate a sunrise?
2. Is ownership of a work a relevant form of interaction in the context of interactive art?
3. Does the Spiral Sunrise performance create a tangible presence for solar energy in public space?