Day 191

International Organization for Migration

The International Organization for Migration stated today that boats carrying 300 African migrants have sunk off the coast of Libya, possibly due to strong winds and overcrowding.  Libya is used as a transit point for migrants to pass the Mediterranean to Italy.

Day 190

Cyber- Spying

This is a very interesting article about Cyber-spying on the Dali Lama.  The virus-based virtual spy network, dubbed GhostNet, has been linked to the Chinese government...

"Investigators say the link to China emerged when the Tibetans learned that a foreign diplomat who had received an invitation from the Dalai Lama's office was contacted by the Chinese government and warned not to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader." 

Day 189

Day 188

This was stitched on my return flight to Boston.  I was planning to finish after I landed.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  

Day 187

For a fabulous artist (and now, friend), Diana Arce, who was kind enough to let us stay in her Berlin apartment and show us what the city had to offer.  

Timothy Geithner

In today's news: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defends the government's actions to save the economy.  There is still $135 billion of TARP funds to be distributed and he does not rule out asking congress for more.

Returned

I arrived back in the States yesterday and now it is time to get back to my normal routine of Google News and stitching.  

Day 186

A friend of one of my traveling companions has been kind enough to let us squat in her apartment during our stay in Berlin.  She lives on Skalitzerstrasse in the amazing neighborhood of Kreuzberg.  The best Donner Kebabs are just down the street.  

Day 185

For the great city of Berlin.

Day 184

A handkerchief to commemorate my first visit to Germany.

More Berlin Pics

Russian War Memorial- Spectacular in all its fascistness.

Holocaust Memorial- One of the most moving and corporeal monuments I have ever, ever experienced.  At first, it just looks like a sweeping hill full of "burial plinths", but as you walk deeper into the center, the ground starts dipping up and down until the plinths are 16 feet tall. It is very eerie at night when there is very minimal light.

Pictures from Berlin

TV tower

Janet Cardiff sound installation @ Hamburger Banhoff Museum

Berlin construction cranes performing a really amazingly graceful dance

Pictures from Amsterdam

Room with a view

Photos from Rotterdam

Pictures from the best museum experience of my life:

The most amazing utilitarian piece of art- a self-service coat rack made of pulleys and hangers.

Pipiloti Rist video projection

Charles Avery sculpture

Charles Avery drawing

Olaf Nicolai interactive football pitch cage thing

I Heart Berlin

Been in Berlin for the last two days and have been too distracted to post.  Rest assured, documentation will follow soon.  Today I am off to see the Russian War Memorial (a guaranteed mega fascist homage, I am told) and have a donner kebab.  Very excited.

On to Germany

After waking up to a beautiful morning in Amsterdam, I'm moving on to Berlin. The Netherlands has been good to me.

Day 183

Amsterdam

Day 182

Rotterdam: I had the best Museum experience of my life on this day at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum.  

Day 181

For the fabulous people at the De Lieve Restaurant in Ghent.  One of the best meals I've ever had.  

Leaving Ghent

I left Ghent yesterday and am currently in Rotterdam. Documenting hankies will be tricky and will have to wait until I can find a proper set up.

Springtime in Ghent

I feel very lucky have spent the first day of Spring in Ghent.  In my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.  

Day 180

Maggot Therapy

This is an interesting article about maggot therapy to treat leg ulcers.  Warning: do not read if you are faint of heart.

Leaving Kasterlee

Today I leave the little town of Kasterlee.  The print residency at Frans Masereel is over.  

Pictures from Bruges

I went to Bruges today, reportedly the birthplace of lacemaking.  The lace museum was absolutely amazing.  I got to see the age-old art performed by a little Flemish lady.  

  

My handiwork is nothing compared to the skill I saw in this place.

 

Day 179

Obama is in my home state.  He is talking to California residents about the economic downturn. Unemployment is now at 10.1% (4% increase since December) and housing prices have dropped 26% since 2006. 

Day 178

HIV in Africa

This is the second story regarding HIV this week.  After the start of a seven day tour of the African continent, Pope Benedict XVI condemns the distribution of condoms to prevent the spread of the disease.  

"The only solution is two-fold," he said. "The first is a humanisation of sexuality, a human, spiritual renewal which brings with it a friendship, especially for those who are suffering, a willingness to make personal sacrifices."

This subject is a big sore spot for me after having witnessed the affects of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and I would like to state for the record that condoms will not stop the epidemic, but it would prevent many people from infection.  It is ridiculous and naive to think that saint-like behavior is humanly possible. 

Day 177

AIG Bonuses

$165 million in bonuses for AIG executives is under question as President Obama tries to halt the payout to the troubled company.  AIG is now 80% owned by taxpayers and has received $170 Billion in taxpayer money.  

Day 176

The European Voice did not update their website this morning so I reverted to google news.

The HIV infection rate in Washington D.C. is higher than in West Africa.  The 2008 report by the D.C. AIDS/HIV Administration reports that 3% of residents have HIV and is impacting people across race, sexual orientation, and gender.  

Day 175

I ate a real Parisian baguette while sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower.  It was delicious.

Day 174

I didn't have access to internet, so I drew up a handkerchief in honor of my first trip to France.

Day 173

Catching Up

I've been exploring Belgium and France for the past 3 days and have not had access to the internet.  Needless to say, I found very little stitching time.

Antwerp Station- This is what I saw when I stepped off the train.  I love European train stations.  

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

IMF Overhaul

"EU will agree to change weighting of votes in IMF in bid to secure backing of developing economies...the review would involve a redistribution of power in the IMF at the expense of the US and EU, increasing the voting rights of emerging market economies including China and Brazil, whose weight in the world economy has increased over the past 15 years...."

Day 172

France and NATO

After four decades....

France will re-enter NATO's integrated military command, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy announced this afternoon. He said that the move was “in the interest of France and of Europe”.

Pictures from the field

Here are a few pictures of what I have been working on at the print residency in Belgium.

I chose to utilize all the monograms I've accumulated from the Autumn season and work on the letterpress.  This form of typesetting is a dinosaur.  I felt I should take advantage of this technology since I don't have access to this form of printing in Boston. 

Day 171

Greenpeace

300 Greenpeace activists were arrested in Brussels.  The protest occurred right before US Vice President Joe Biden was set to meet with EU Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Solana. Protesters are calling EU finance ministers to aggressively fund climate change before it is too late.  

Day 170

Day 169

Day 168

Eurozone

"Eurozone finance ministers last night (9 March) rejected calls for increased economic stimulus measures, despite a worsening outlook for the EU economy. They also rejected any easing of the requirements for joining the eurozone."

Blogging in Dutch

It is very strange to see my blogger navigator tool bar in Dutch.  Aanmelden = sign in.  

Monograms and imagery for my handkerchiefs will be selected from The European Voice, an English language newspaper centered around the European Union, for the duration of the time I am in Belgium.

Frans Masereel

I am currently at Frans Masereel. We arrived early this morning and all of us are running on zero sleep. Tomorrow we get down and dirty to start our projects. It is only 9:30pm (Belgium time) and everyone is ready to pass out. I am looking forward to a good night's sleep. I will post today and yesterday's hanky tomorrow. Sleep tight everyone.

Hamid Karzai

"President Hamid Karzai on Sunday welcomed President Barack Obama's call to identify moderate elements of the Taliban and encourage them to reconcile with the Afghan government."

Day 167

I have spent all day getting ready to leave for an artist residency in Belgium.  Tomorrow's hanky will be posted from the exciting town of Kasterlee. 

Thesis Installation Pictures

....and here are some photos of the installation at the Mills Gallery taken right before the gallery was packed with people.