Where's the Pride, Where's the Love?

In New York?

In being a New Yorker?

Go Dutch...Find your rights and your roots!

Generation Miss the point?

I just passed by an article in Time magazine, called "The Broken Hopes of a Generation," in which we were conceptualised (maybe tentatively) as "generation disappointment" : Same theme, different day, new perspective but always similar things to say: crises lead to less jobs, missed or no opportunities, and what we once thought we had or wanted might never be or was never meant to ever become...and we had such high hopes that for our generation, things would be so much better and so much brighter.

Aren't they? Don't we have so much more? Haven't we come so far? If we forget about "the crisis" and we look outside "that box" isn't there a different story or actually a lot of stories that we can tell about the world and what is going on for and around our generation; And, shouldn't we be the ones who are embracing, confronting and really taking hold of all of these new, amazing potentialities and not wallowing in our own self-pity?

I want to be a professor, but right now, maybe it's not the right time to get funding in the academic institutional environment; and, that doesn't mean that I can't learn and teach others; it also doesn't mean that I have to feel disappointed when confronted with other possibilities that never crossed my mind as ideal(s or "reals") before. In fact, we're living longer today than ever before, so why not take this as a sign that we simply have more time to try new things- and more of them- so there's no rush to a single "ideal" goal, and there's no need to hurry or worry! Such futile quests leave us running in circles of distress and then nobody will get anywhere, and we will be the generation of unproductivity at the most- to say the least!

Give and Take: For All or Nothing

In New York, I remember seeing the "give a penny, take a penny" dish in front of cash registers at some local shops, when I was younger. Slowly, more and more of these little dishes began appearing, and I never really understood the logic, but I knew that sometimes I could use one or two coins to round up my change, and get back some "real change"/ "actual money," and other times, I would have a bill that added up to x.99, and I would just drop my own penny in the dish for someone else. It didn't really phase me that at the end of the day, the pennies themselves meant no more and no less to me than they did to the next customer, and yet to the shop owners, they were adding up and up and up to "real change" and "actual money," as .99 cents and other random prices were craftily calculated to work against the consumers, but it didn't really in New York because we had our dishes, and we got our change- we worked together, in this sense.

In Amsterdam, it's different. I don't see the little dishes, but I do realise that very few shops or stores even accept one and two euro cent coins. So why do they have them?

Yesterday, in Aldi, the cashier offered me four 1 ¢ coins, and I turned them away, simply because Aldi is the only store that will take them back. When everyone else rounds up and down to the nearest 5 cents, why do they even calculate to the penny? I realised, soon after, that we should all watch Office Space again because some sketchy calculations are taking place and without our little dishes, it might not only be credit that can seem a bit crunchy, in my opinion.

Makeover: Cultural, Gendered and (un)Real/Believable

Take me over, Make me over
Fake me over

It's amazing to consider how many different ways people today are willing to let "experts" come to their rescue and re-vamp various aspects of their lives. This isn't new, but the extent to which this is ongoing and pervasive certainly speaks to our expressive and extensive need to be a part and parcel of the action- or a form of the functionality of the world around us, so to speak. If that's not clear, maybe Marshall McLuhan's aphorism "the medium is the message" speaks most lucidly and pertinently to today's makeover culture, where cars, homes, relations, lives and our corporeal selves are subjected to the media's gaze, as all these become objects of today's Makeover Culture, seen on screen:

The Medium is the Message, so what is it saying about how we conceive of, receive and perceive our real, social and ideal selves, lives and worlds today?

a "word" from our Sponsor(s)

The metrosexual is frequently explained as the creation of capitalist markets that are strategically producing new consumers with more wants and needs;

yet these functionalist arguments do not address the individuals who indulge in metrosexual consumerism or those who are linked to the new discourses- namely homosexuals and women.

The metrosexual is certainly not simply a pawn of consumer capitalism- or at least no more than many or anyone else.

He presents an identity that ontologically links men and women:

A gender blender and transcender.

As such, this performance could be revealed as an important discursive tool for the project of effacing hierarchical gender regimes by emphasising similarities and embracing differences that make each person equal and unique.

The metrosexual also offers one area where boundaries are blurred:

perhaps the market attempts at appealing to entire populations will contribute positively in the process of eliminating hierarchical differentiation- especially as it is accepted that capitalist markets no longer abide by circumscribed gender roles.

The metrosexual, finally, reveals the power that is pre-eminent within economic institutions, which are deemed (and proven) capable of constructing, representing and essentially exploiting our perceived (and conceived) identities for their own gain.

The metrosexual may/be/is the embodied subject and object of the decade and the future.

What Do Women Really Experience When Browsing and Purchasing a Car? Women-Drivers.com Provides Latest National Research (abbreviated version)

“I went with my brother, and I feel that the salesperson was talking more to him than me. He talked to me about cup holders, etc. but not about the engine.”

Surely, women have not only gained the right to vote and the security to raise their voice, but...yes, I do believe they've figured out how to ask questions.

About Women-Drivers.com Women-Drivers.com connects women & families with certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ dealerships.

In other words, "we connect you to our endorsers." or "we don't, ourselves, perpetuate structural violence against women."

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 2 (IPS) - Even as U.N. peacekeeping operations in the world’s battle zones continue to expand, women soldiers, police and civilian support staff remain a small minority – something that sorely needs to change, U.N. officials say.

Today, there are more than 113,000 peacekeepers, including 90,000 military and police personnel, serving in 18 U.N. operations in four continents.

But women make up only eight percent of the U.N. police force and about two percent of the soldiers provided by member states. The ratio of women deployed as civilians in peacekeeping operations is higher, at 30 percent, but still not equally representative.
"We help women of these nations to understand and see that they have a voice and can be part of the peacekeeping process themselves, and that is what the U.N. is trying to promote."

The subverted message here is that before women were in the army, and really, until there are balanced numbers, which shouldn't be necessary, since we are all human and capable of peacekeeping if we are working for an ideal of humanity at ease and writ large across the world...

It also could be suggesting that without women present, men became "the voice that silences (or silenced) women".

These scenarios can only perpetuate structural violence against women, and this is not the way to frame this issue.

What is the pow-her of women at dealerships?
Women buy 54% of new cars in the United States, however they influence up to 80% of the purchases. We request 65% of the mechanical service work done at dealerships; all of this amounts to $200 billion dollars worth of purchasing pow-her.

Are you the chief decision maker of your home? As most of us are, be sure to deal and do business with, or refer friends and family, to certified women-friendly dealers

Some would call this pandering

Opening Soon: Turkish Snack Bar

Laurence Aëgerter has been living and working in Amsterdam for 15 years. Her contribution to the Red A.I.R Artists in Residency project has been an ongoing exhibition that has been featuring installments that have been undergoing changes in the theme of “Opening Soon/Opening Now,” which is the title of her exhibition space.

With this exhibition, the artist invites the public into the space that she has been given for the duration of the project. Concurrently, she uses this space as the framing for diverse performances and public events that she has and will continue to hold sporadically over the next few months, directing her focus towards attracting different groups of the public, who she welcomes into this exploratory productive and constructive interaction and reflection with her artistic space.

The first event that Laurence organised for her venue, the former brothel that she was allocated by the city of Amsterdam and the housing corporation De Key, was a public performance that exhibited the element of “Opening Soon” for the public. A cleaning of the space was displayed in the form of a public performance that the artist had arranged with professional cleaners, who became the actors on the stage. While the artist herself explained that the event was staged with incomplete awareness of her own intentions for organising this first event for the space, she was fully cognisant of the fact that this performance would stir diverse emotions from those who witnessed the professional cleaning team in action on her performance space as well as along the streets, the large window and building façade.

As I entered the second installment of the project, Opening Soon/Opening Now, I found that this exhibition was a component of the “Opening Now” part of her program. In the public library, I had the opportunity to witness Laurence transform the former brothel into a public space that would serve the public in another way, and I had the chance to see and hear her reflect on the use of the space.

Laurence spoke about how the individuals who entered this space responded to her project, and I gained insight into the nature of project and how it had the potential to benefit both residents and other individuals who experienced this area. Her work also shed light on the contextual values that were accounted for in the broader picture of the transitions that were taking place in the red light district.

Opening Soon: Turkish Snack Bar...

Culture is not a universal concept, nor does its recognition or association imply a singular meaning or identification. But, importantly, culture requires subjects and objects to make it matter, which is to say to give meaning to materials, whether tangible, corporeal, visual, symbolic or ideological, in order for it to materialise in what is conceived of, perceived as or received as coherent and communicable. Only then can there be comprehensive inquiries into the relationships between cultural identities and subjectivities, intercultural en-actors and cultural analysts and researchers.

"Fighting organised crime effectively is not only about criminal investigation and prosecution. It is also about a comprehensive approach and cooperation by all the parties involved. The underlying structures used by organised crime will then became apparent and can then be tackled. A good example of an integrated approach is the Emergo project in Amsterdam’s Red Light district. The local authority, tax authorities, police and judicial authorities have joined forces to fight criminal concentrations of power – and inter-connections between the underworld and normal society – in any possible manner" (Dutch Ministry of Justice, Press Report: 13-December, 2007).

Sexuality in Amsterdam has become an implicit component of the city’s identity; it has become structured into the public spaces, and it has formed the basis for a large industry and a vast commodity culture; as such, it has materialised in the form cultural objects that are recognised as symbols of identification with Amsterdam. These objects or images become references to the culture, which are then inserted into myths or narratives that perpetuate a false consciousness about the individual subjects who are inhabitants of this cultural milieu. However, Amsterdammers do not appear to be the subjects who revitalise these cultural materials or their symbolic value as such; thus, as Amsterdam’s sexual spaces are transforming, it is the time to critically contemplate and take account of the organisation of relations and structures that act in objectifying cultural symbols so that they materialise or convey specific ideals or ideologies and serve certain socio-economic or political ends. This must be analysed as part of the historical trajectory of the country and the city, as this specific rupture in the social fabric can illuminate why this is taking place in the sex work industry at this particular juncture.

What's Queer Here?

From the Wall Street Journal:

"People are experiencing a crisis right now," [said project director Spencer] Lu, waving his hand over fiberglass statues of a pair of bears overlooking the South China Sea. "It's possible that this financial tsunami has come at this time to Hong Kong for a reason. And our message is: The doors of the ark are not closed, they're open, and the animals -- representing new life -- are coming out."

Recently, I was engaged in a seminar that centred on an analysis of what has come in the wake of the ongoing attempt to build an ark on the South China Sea. The article provides reason to consider the social satire, underwriting its commentary. It questions the intentions that prompted this procedure and the perception of positive opportunities that promulgated the endeavor.
Thought provoking.

Supermarket Michel

Een Voor Nederlanders...
TWEE voor ANDERS?

I was picking up some late night snacks in a supermarket on the nieuwendijk, in the center of Amsterdam, right by where I happen to live, and I heard the most interesting thing between the store clerk and another customer. They were conversing in Dutch, and they must not have realised that I understand the language, since I have not yet become accustomed to initiating transactions in Dutch. The store clerk actually informed the customer that for him, the item cost one euro, but it cost "twee voor anders" or it was two euros for the others, meaning suspected tourists, such as myself (actually an American who has lived here for 3 years). Thus, I immediately asked how much my purchase (which had surprisingly amounted to a whopping six euros for two ice pops and some chips) would be for real Nederlanders. I had expected him to appreciate my grasp of the language, re-tally my sum, and accept my money. Instead, he looked surprisinlgy alarmed, and refused my money before asking me to leave (in a less than cordial manner).

Vrij Amsterdam

"xxx" Factor v. Sex Factor

Here are two exemplary online publications that express the tensions surrounding liberal and tolerant identifications with the cultural landscape of Amsterdam. While the first is a more general overview of the tourist gaze upon the city (from about a half a year ago), the second addresses the ongoing transformations that are occurring, largely due to the city's plans to reconfigure the historical center (specifically the areas surrounding the red light districts in the heart of the city). In both, the important points to consider are how Amsterdam's cultural identity as a liberal, tolerant city is being navigated and negotiated- especially in light of the recent policy reforms and subsequent reformulations within the cityscape.

Amsterdam: An Amazing Place

v.
Amsterdam's War on Sex

Pecha Kucha Amsterdam # 9

12 participants, 20 slides, 20 seconds

22 April 2009, door open 20.20 hr

Inflatable cushions are fun -

Cocky Eek showed her work on inflatables and entertained the audience with some great examples of 'inflatables culture' during the Pecha Kucha Night Amsterdam Vol. 8

• Tag people in this image
  

Another joyful evening full with a dazzling range of speakers, images, new projects, new ideas and inspiring topics in the course of one evening. Presentations from Wheels of Steel, Sid Lee, Ekene Ijeoma, Yasmine Parodi, Dadara and others. Some talks in Dutch, others in English.

Breaks will be filled with drinks, deep tunes and video. A film crew from Germany will be making a report for European culture channel Arte.

Evening organized by Pecha Kucha / Golfstromen and hosted by Mediamatic

www.mediamatic.net/page/79035/en

Location

Mediamatic BANK, Vijzelstraat 68, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Admission 7 euro.

I Amsterdam

"XXX" factor v.
Sex Factor

The tolerance that has gained prominence in the socio-political identity of the Netherlands can be traced back to the 17th century, during to the period that is referred to as the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. At this time, prostitution was illegal, yet paradoxically brothels flourished into luxurious gambling houses in order to accommodate a wealthier clientele. The brothels and the women were not penalized unless they disrupted the public sphere or noticeably impinged upon social morality or ideology. It was a compromise that accounted for the indispensable nature of prostitution, especially in terms of its economic benefits. A comparable compromise was deemed pragmatic, or it appeared to be the case with the recent lifting of the brothel ban, less then a decade ago. It is surprising and disconcerting that the parallels have been disregarded or overshadowed so rapidly, in the context of the current transformations in Amsterdam’s sexual spaces. Certainly, the Netherlands’ unique approach to sex work has not failed so fast, for since the lifting of the ban, the organisation and regulation of the industry has only just begun. If the law was intended to prompt the re-institution and re-structuring of this professional industry in the context of a social world and a historical narrative rife with stigma, an essential question is begging for our serious consideration: What values have been taken into account in the act of reverting to reputation resuscitation through a citywide branding campaign that subversively reinforces the pathological perceptions surrounding sex workers and their industry?
From the representation of Amsterdam’s red light district, the tourist today still imagines a virtual reality of the tolerant, liberal Amsterdam that existed throughout the history of the Dutch, who have always prided themselves on their unique, non-confrontational cultural identities. The interesting issue at hand, in relation to images of the red light district today, is that media representations of Amsterdam suggest that city officials and administrative organisations appear to be clinging to signs and symbols that convey ideals of Dutch liberalism and tolerance; simultaneously, however, they enact policies and reforms that prompt transitions for the city. The red light district that is revealed through contemporary visual media and citywide publicly disseminated representations presents a partial frame through which to view this cultural re-visioning of Amsterdam. What has remained concealed behind the spectacle of tolerance and liberalism surrounding Amsterdam’s red light district has [co]incidentally remained the social stigma that will mark the prostitute as pathological and define the industry as foundational to societal dysfunction.

XXX Factor v. Sex Factor

The Fee/at of the Toms

• Fact #1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Fact #2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.

• Fact #4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Fact #5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

Michael Arlen (1895-1956) "She not only expects the worst, but makes the worst of it when it happens." More quotations from Michael Arlen

Digital Arts and Culture 2009: UC Irvine

Call for Papers/Proposals

DAC09: Themes

• Embodiment and performativity
• After mobile media
• Software/ platform studies
• Environment/ sustainability/ climate change
• Interdisciplinary pedagogy
• Cognition and creativity
• Sex and sexuality
• A Space-Time of Ubiquity and Embeddedness
• The Present and Future of Humanist Inquiry in the Digital Field
• Call for VaRiEtY Night presentations

At DAC07, an informal show and tell night for attendees was deemed a desirable inclusion in the program. At DAC09, we will continue this tradition in an informal 'pub' atmosphere at the UCI Anthill Pub and Grille. This is an opportunity to show documentation of projects and present other material.

• Can you swallow your cellphone, or juggle remotes?
• Do you play telematic tennis, compose epic poetry about database structures?
• Do you have a robot that does card tricks or DJs, or an AI system that composes and performs poetry?

Email DAC09Dir@uci.edu with DAC09Variety as subject line.

• The multi-talented Perry Hoberman will open the event singing some of his cycle of media-arts ballads, including the soon-to-be smash hit 'Motion Capture'.

We are also issuing a call for Artists for the Electronic Literary Arts Performances for DAC 2009. Available technology will be audio, projector, and wifi. Please email Jessica Pressman (Yale University) and Mark Marino (University of Southern California) [Subject: DAC Literary Arts] at DAC09LitArts@gmail.com with your proposals for first-round selections by May 15, 2009.
Volunteer!

• Ideas regarding events, geographically and temporally local tie-ins, sponsorship, constructive suggestions and offers of assistance gladly received.

Send to DAC09Dir@uci.edu with DAC09volunteer as subject line

Like Mother/Father Like Daughter

As I was excited about this new blog, I was happy to show and tell it to any and everyone who I could convince to check it out.

Of course, my Mother was among the few individuals who I knew would indulge in my casual, yet pivotal (from where I stand) ramblings.

I was not only pleased to find her quite amused by my postings, but even more interesting, decidedly, was the fact that we seemed to be cruising the same wavelength to more than just a coincidental degree.

This came to the surface when my Mother read my inquiry regarding female sushi chefs, and I heard her nearly choke herself as she caught her breath, mid-gasp for air.
I ran into the kitchen to see if she was o.k- and to see what on Earth- and what on my blog had caused such a stir!

She could not believe that out of the blue I had asked the question that she would introduce to her 6th grade class through their next assigned reading, as they worked through the wonderful book that she had selected for her students.

The Facts of Wife

Today in my shower, Herbal Essences offered me an interesting piece of information in the form of what is referred to as "herbal head games." These tidbits of information appear on the back of their shampoo/conditioner bottles in the form of questions, which are then answered slightly below- perhaps to give you a minute's pause...a chance to ponder and indulge in their headgame.
Thus, indulge i did, and I want to ask you to do the same, for I found the question and answer that confronted me interesting on numerous levels, which is why I thought it pertinent to present here:

How much older is the average groom than the average bride?

ANSWER:
5.3 years

I would like to ask you to ponder another question, in light of this fact, and in order to prompt another headgame:

Approximately How much longer does the average woman live than the average man?

ANSWER:
Approximately 6 years

So Sue-She!

Food For Thought:
Have you ever seen a female sushi chef?

Giving is Natural, Flowers for Everyone

This morning I woke up thinking of tissue paper flowers-- do you remember making those for your Mother's when you were younger? Perhaps you were in nursery school, summer camp, primary school, day care, or in an art class; maybe it was Mother's Day, or Valentines Day, or some other Day, and some other reason for making tissue paper flowers.

All of us sitting on the floor, with the desks (or tables) pushed to the side, and the pile of squares upon squares of rainbows of tissue paper appearing like stained glass windows, tempting us with infinite blends for our petals to achieve perfection.

I remember having trouble selecting only three colours for each of my flowers- only three? imagine the possibilities that open up when we use four...Oh and five! I remember (only once) asking if I might be allowed to use an extra pipe cleaner and an extra piece of tissue paper to attempt the task of leaves on my flower, but of course, I was precocious, at a mere six years old: did I really think it was possible to accomplish?

I do NOT remember ever making tissue paper flowers for my father on Father's Day; yet, I will never forget the I first time I saw his reaction to flowers that my Mother had sent him, just because. I know he would have loved my tissue paper flowers too.

Flowers can brighten any room for anyone on any day

Little Miss Dissed

She's ready to subjectify herself in each moment & situation brought on by popular cultures, current trends, & ongoing tensions they stir. This time she's body surfing the waves. Thus begins a quest for insights into the ideals we will find in embracing the uniqueness & differences that appear when we embrace ourselves for these qualities that we find in our subjective selves.

Don't "Object" yourself:
self-reflexercise.