Convoy

These days a lot of people seem to feel the need to 'educate' cellphone users on etiquette.
Etiquette naturally in this day and age cannot be anything more than an imposed behavioral standard. Do people really expect you to keep your cool and whisper when you're talking about exciting stuff on the phone? Get earplugs!
This is the kind of stuff I'd like to hook up to a loudspeaker, turning my life into a micro-soap people can tune into for a few moments. Hell if I find a sponsor I'd even do commercial breaks.

Ibuprofen

Whilst not wearing my sneakers I took a dive from what amounts to a second storey (5 meters) balcony and broke my neck.
A carbon fibre halo is keeping me upright and chemicals are keeping me happy, but no dancing for 6 months.
Even then I doubt I'll dance quite as wild again. So no dirty sneaks as it would ill me to report on all the great partying I have to pass on

Dirty Sneakers Zwei

Second installment of the dirty sneakers saga, and already cutting back, no more fashion links. The third installment will also be earlier to allow hypothetical readers to plan their weekend.
Last week I already referred to Eazy Fuck, who just announced their next party at cafe d'anvers 18th of february. I'm not a fan of the venue (mainly because the bouncers keep me out) but might give it a go...
This weekend there's enough going on for the discerning, less discerning and even the rather drunk elektro phreak.
My party of choice for tonight is electique, a free party about half a klik from my place.
Also today, Friday, Petrol which I already mentioned last week, and the zoo is unvealing the eclectic monstrum Kramergeist.
Tomorrow, Saturday, I'll be visiting the zoo for Worldinvaders. Other elektronic spaz can be had at statik dancin' @ Recyclart , funky breaks will be provided at Cafe Central by Bun-Zer0 of futureworldfunk
Finally next Thursday the Cafe Central is doing their CENTRAL ELECTRIC and vooruit is hosting STijn and support. I might drop in at the music cafe for a Disco: Freestyle fun party.
Go put some scratches on that dancefloor.

OmniAutoFactura

Back when I was young and untalented and very naive I enrolled in product design and even got access to a workshop where some of the most horrid products ever to grace this earth were build.
Wich is the reason I find this so interesting:
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.04/people/arikan/
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.04/index_pre_john.htm
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.04/people/arikan/
http://cmliufab.blogspot.com/ is a fellow blogger. Damn, this blogging think actually has value? I might need to reconsider my participation..
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.04/people/emma/
Work all this out for yourself since it's past my bedtime, but basically we're talking big cardboard Von Neumann machines here wich will kill all humans, fill the world with themselves and cheap tv's, then wash away with the first rain.
I'm gonna start designing a self-replicating vodka distillery, cause I wanne be drunk come the age of the machine.

Recap

Like everyone who dabbled in design in the 90's I really really hate Starck, but this kinda hits the sweet spot.

Retro-horology

When I saw http://www.tokyoflash.com/viewwatch.php?id=65 I knew what my mission for the day was.
First thing on the list was a blue one:

Secondly, take a dive in led watch history.
This was an easy google away: http://www.ledwatches.net/ where I picked up this link: http://www.watchismo.com/LED.htm
Next I delved deeper. Basically Led watches were interesting, but the real fun only started with the 80's lcd watches.Some of them had games on them: http://www.handheldmuseum.com/GCE/ArcadeTime.htm, some were superbly designed http://www.juno.dti.ne.jp/~hamahal/Seiko_Giugiaro.html
I remember I had a first digital watch around 1984, my last one came apart around 1998 when finally the inner works (the only part left over) dropped into a puddle. I've never owned a watch since, but expect more on them now that I'm turning retro.

Rain Like Dark Waters Emergent

Got your sneakers dirty? Hope you're not suffering from acetaldehyde too much.
I abused my body at cafe central on friday, and not just dancing, the bars in that neighbourhood all serve some of the worst beer available in Belgium so spent saturday puking my guts out and being generally sick..
So into the second week.. might as well start adding some original content.This is the direction I've been wanting to take with my visuals.. (sorry about the off- blue)

Dirty Sneakers Einz

My dancing shoes are cheap puma-knockoffs with a white swish on the sides. In just a few months the white has gotten uncurably dirty, and basically I am down with that. Dancing is about having fun, not about showing off your nickle-plated goldtipped diamondstudded sneakers.
Here's a first friday special on the electro side of the weekend as represented by my dirty sneakers.

First up is this wonderfully apt but unfortunately dutch (and babelfish doesn't work) site: http://www.dirtysneakers.nl/ organise parties without dress code, with profits going to charity. Beat that. Next party is 23d of december.

A good second is Dirty Dancing http://www.dirtydancing.be/, providing electro in Brussels- Although I haven't gotten there myself I've seen their djs and feel no qualms about propping them.

One of my personal favourites is http://www.eazyfuck.be/ although I missed their last party and don't know when the next one will be.. Can't wait reallly but keep an eye open as this is top-notch entertainment.

Petrol http://www.5voor12.be/petrol/flashcontent/indexf.html in Antwerp is not really down and dirty this weekend - though you can check out the Scissor Sisters dj- but next friday Tiefschwarz and Monica Electronica Will guarantee electronic mayhem. Never been there (don't get around much really, I blame my crew) but looks promising.

To conclude a few measerly fashion links: http://www.she-bible.com/ has some interesting tshirt designs. http://www.adelemildred.com/home.html is basically a goth-shaped hole punched into another darker dimension. With pink frills. There's more stuff I'd like to track down and link you to, but unfortunately I'm running out of time here. Next week I'll spend more time preparing this section, and maybe there'll be a review as well.

Liquid

I have an ambiguous appreciation of modern art and this work is a perfect example:

The work is by Sachiko Kodama + Minako Takeno and can be found at http://www.kodama.hc.uec.ac.jp/project/protrude.html and http://www.kodama.hc.uec.ac.jp/project/manual.html.

I think it is truly beautiful - although I've seen this in many early cg music videos, converted to real life gives it that intriguing diy angle.
However I don't think the work is true art - it doesn't say anything about human emotion. I admit it does relate to our technological advance and the way it has been incorporated into human life - and indeed modern art- but not on an emotional
level. Perhaps this emptyness could be considered the emotional aspect of the work, but to me it just speaks of a introvert clique of people vying for eachothers attention trough technical, visual or intellectual ingenuity.