The “winter of our discontent” is over and thank the Gods the weather is playing along so we can enjoy a long weekend until tomorrow, Whit Monday, which is a holiday for those of us who are living in Austria, Germany or Switzerland.

Vienna has been quieter since Friday with the absence of cars in our streets. Many natives might be basking under the Italian sun right now. The Viennese might be at the Neusiedl See in Burgenland or any other Seen in Austria or Europe that has more than 25 degrees!

Coming from a strictly religious Christian country, I wonder why the Philippines doesn’t declare the Whitsunday and Monday holidays unlike the more secular German-speaking countries mentioned above.

Don’t get me wrong, I am out of the Roman Catholic fold. And like the others I have forgotten why this or that is being celebrated. But I am happy that they exist.

During my first year I was really surprised that the Austrians do observe it. I just hope that it wouldn’t get abolished like in France, Sweden or UK. I mean, I admit I really love the fact that this country enjoys its free time/days. And holidays because of the Roman Catholic Church are considered very okay.

A few hours ago watching the news channel n-tv, a giddy reporter asked a few Germans what is Pfingsten or Pentecost. Sad (well, sad?) to say, no one knew and nobody understand why it is a holiday. A few answered that it is connected to the church. That’s it.

So what do you know about the Pentecost?

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

A feast of the universal Church which commemorates the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ, on the ancient Jewish festival called the “feast of weeks” or Pentecost (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10). Whitsunday is so called from the white garments which were worn by those who were baptised during the vigil; Pentecost (”Pfingsten” in German), is the Greek for “the fiftieth” (day after Easter).

So those of you who opted to stay in Vienna, you might have seen and/or heard the celebration of yesterday’s official opening of the new stations of U-bahn line U2.

And today you might be visiting your mums as it is also Mother’s Day. Or you could be anywhere in the city enjoying a scoop or two of Eis in any of the ice cream salons.

Or maybe you are just wrapping up the rest of the day at the Ernst Happel Stadion after stripping for Spencer Tunick.

There are lotsa exhibitions offered this month like the Wiener Bezirksfestwochen until the first week of June. It is for free, mind you.

Whatever it is, let’s enjoy this week as we are in for the nice sunny, warm days ahead.

0

BBC is looking for Austrians.

Yes, the popular British media wants the natives’ opinions/commentaries concerning the “Horror House” or the Amstetten case.

Are you Austrian, and if so how do you think this latest abuse scandal will affect your country’s citizens and will it affect Austria’s reputation internationally? How will the country cope with this in the long term?

The international press, the British especially, believes that it certainly affects the whole country because of (rotting) bad apples that exist in this country.

I find it hard to believe that media have the nerve to pose the above-mentioned questions. First of all, it is not Austria’s fault that evil incarnates also live in this country. When the world is full of them. Second, if only the media (local and abroad) try to check their own (mis)behavior–the paparazzi breaking in to the hospital where the victims are confined, publishing their real names, photos and the address. Instead of leaving them alone, they sensationalise the facts and make a profit out of the victim family’s misery.

Like every nation of the world it has its positive, as well as negative, side. It has a tradition/code of ethics that outsiders cannot easily fathom.

You cannot teach an old dog new tricks but educate the younger ones.

Plus, there’s always Sisi, Gemütlichkeit, Sound of Music and Mozart. In the end, they will prevail over the evil Josef Fs and Wolfgang Priklopils in this country.

1

I joined the first Vienna Night Run last year and it was fun, fun, fun!

Forty-two kilometers is just too much but 5 km is okay. I received an email that the organisers of the Vienna Night Run is already accepting participants for the upcoming event in October.

MITTEN DURCHS HERZ VON WIEN - So lautet das diesjährige Motto des ERSTE BANK VIENNA NIGHT RUN.
Die einzigartige Strecke führt alle Teilnehmer durch den ersten Bezirk, vorbei an Wiens schönsten Sehenswürdigkeiten und Plätzen.

Wir freuen uns, dass die Anmeldung zum ERSTE BANK VIENNA NIGHT RUN am 14. Oktober 2008 nun online auf www.viennanightrun.at möglich ist.
Wie schon im Vorjahr beträgt das Nenngeld € 20,00 wobei wieder € 5,00 an die Organisation “Licht für die Welt” gespendet werden.

Informationen zum Lauf:

Termin: Dienstag, 14. Oktober 2008
Ort: Wiener Rathausplatz
Start: 20.00 Uhr
Distanz: 4 km
Bewerbe: Laufen, Nordic Walken
Zeitnehmung: PENTEK timing mit Champion Chip
Strecke: Ring - Teinfaltstraße - Freyung - Hof - Tuchlauben - Petersplatz - Goldschmiedgasse – Stephansplatz- Singerstraße - Seilerstätte - Himmelpfortgasse - Hegelgasse - Schwarzenbergstraße - Kruger Straße - Augustinerstraße - Josefsplatz - Michaelerplatz - Ballhausplatz - Löwelstraße - Ring

Compared to last year the location will be in the First District. So if you are interested you can already register online.

0

Today, not one but two social & cultural events worth visiting are taking place in Vienna:

Free Open Air gegen Rassismus
One of the two is the Free Open Air gegen Rassismus, where a number of mostly (though not only) Austrian bands will be performing from 4pm onwards. This annual free open air event protesting racism traditionally takes place at the Rock gegen Rechts stage, which is located close to Rotundenplatz at the Prater. This year, musical styles range from hip hop to indie pop; headlining act is Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar.

Sshhh: our very own DaddyD will be hosting this event together with his FM4 partner in crime DJ Joe-Joe!

More information on & links to the artists who are going to perform (in German)

Wagenplatzfest
The other event is a party organised by the inhabitants of Austria’s only trailer park, Wagenburg/Wagenplatz Wien. (Note: those not familiar with the more “European” concept of trailer parks might want to check out this Wikipedia article on the topic!)

The programme starts at 5pm and includes film screenings and band performances, among other things. Food and drinks (of both the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic variety) will naturally be available as well. If you’re still being sceptic about the whole trailer park thing, I can assure you that while the party’s organisers (.. or at least some of them) have squatted before, the 4000m2 (!) of land they’re currently residing on is being rented legally!

PS: considering that it’s Walpurgis Night tonight, this party should prove fun!

0

Of course the world is abuzz with the latest Austrian kidnapping and imprisonment tragedy. I’ve received many email inquiries — and Austria seems to be debating — the “how” of the whole affair. How can a man who was well-regarded and thought of as totally upright by his village and peers turned out be be, in essence, a horrible monster named Josef F., who imprisoned and raped his own daughter in his own house, fathered seven of her children, and basically lived such a Jeckyl and Hide existence that not one soul suspected a thing despite the fact that he lived with a large family and rented to tenants in the same house.

Just as background, the thumbnail story is that the man imprisoned his young daughter, kept her there for two decades, fathered seven children, one of which died and some of which he brought out of the cellar, placed on his own doorstep and claimed they were the children of the imprisoned daughter, who he claimed had run away to join a religious cult.

It’s unbelievable, really. But I think I have one small piece of the puzzle. I’m not claiming to be an authority on the Austrian psyche, nor criminal psychology, nor anything else. However, I can remember a story that happened to me in Vienna back in 1991 that would probably explain a little bit about how nobody would suspect or, more accurately, allow themselves to believe this man could commit such crimes.

You’ll notice that in most of the news coverage, his neighbors, friend and associates all comment on what a good dresser Josef F. was, and how he was always responsible and authoritarian, and how he was a good business partner, a good consumer of their goods. Many called him “successful.” (In the US, it’s always “quiet” that neighbors say characterizes serial killers or other social miscreants, and in the US, that’s good: if you leave other people alone, you’re not perceived as a problem — but I digress).

When I was a student, I rented a room from an 83 year-old Austrian widow. I and two other students shared her 3 bedroom flat on the top floor of a slightly grimy part of Vienna’s Ninth District very near WUK. The owner of the apartment building was a lawyer with offices on the most-prestigious Stephansplatz in the First District.

The owner’s son, Peter, lived at the end of the hallway in a tiny one room flat. He had a hallway toilet and his bathtub stood in his kitchen. He wasn’t the cleanest fellow, because he was using his bathtub to grow pot. Our landlady warned us off of him, but, eventually, we became somewhat friendly — friendly enough for him to ask us for loans from time-to-time.
Read more

4

Because I’m sure not everyone knows (I, myself, am very rarely up-to-date on sports events, so I’m speaking from experience, ahem): tomorrow, the Vienna City Marathon is taking place, which means that quite a number of trams and buses won’t be operating on normal schedule.

You can find a list of all affected lines on the Vienna Transport Authority’s website. The website of the Vienna City Marathon provides the same information in the form of a four-page pdf document.

0

German language is not safe from English invasion. You just have to get used to it.

Coke is it!

Somewhere in the 22nd District. Just in time for the European football in summer.

5

Alexander Nikolic is curating a great exhibition/performance cycle called “World-Ex-Position” here in Vienna.
You can find his curatorial statement here…

I was invited to give a talk, and I decided to talk about one of my favorite topics… corporate anthems.

The Innermost Unifier: Today it’s the Corporate Anthem
A talk/audio performance by Johannes Grenzfurthner, monochrom (Vienna, Austria)

Using different historical and current examples (especially from the area of the hardware/software-industry), Johannes Grenzfurthner gives a theoretical and applied - and not unamusing - overview on the musical genre of corporate anthems.

Come and sing along. Powernapping is welcome, too.

@ World-Ex-Position Vienna (LABfactory, Praterstrasse 42/1/3, 1020 Vienna). Saturday, April 26, 7:30 PM.

Link

1

Upcoming conference in Vienna.

Dear madams and sirs, dear friends,

I would like to invite you to the international conference “The Iranian threat - The Islamic Republic, Israel’s struggle for existence and the European Reactions”, which will be held on May 3rd and 4th at the Vienna University. Details concerning the program can be found on our website www.stopthebomb.net.

The conference is organized by STOP THE BOMB - Coalition against the Iranian Extermination Program in cooperation with Vienna’s Jewish Community (IKG Wien), Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and the magazine Illustrierte Neue Welt. Its main purpose is to protest against the indifference wide parts of the Austrian and European public show when confronted with the Mullahs’ terror against Iran’s own population or with the extermination threats against Israel. Accordingly, the Islamic dictatorship in Iran will be described, analyzed and criticized, and European-Iranian relations will be examined (focussing on Germany and Austria). The issue of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons’ program will also be addressed, as well as the upcoming mega deal of the Austrian Oil Company OMV with Iran.

The conference will start with a screened video message by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel who is also a supporter of the STOP THE BOMB online petition.

Among the conference speakers are the German journalist Bruno Schirra, the political scientist Matthias Kuentzel and socialdemocratic MEP Paulo Casaca, as well as a number of Iranian dissidents like Kayvan Kaboli (Green Party of Iran) or Menashe Amir (former head of the Persian program of Radio Kol Israel) We are also glad to welcome Prof. Benny Morris (Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva) and Prof. Jeffrey Herf (University of Maryland) as well as Patrick Clawson (Washington Institute) for their lectures.

Registration for the conference is not required. A short note about your participation, however, would be highly appreciated.

Important note: Please be prepared for security checks at the entrance. We apologize for any inconveniences caused by this and kindly ask you for your understanding.

0

Photography enthusiasts, this one is for you: this Saturday, another flea market will be held at the Leica Shop at Westbahnstraße 40 (same address as WestLicht gallery) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I, myself, have been to their annual (?!) flea market - which I believe is mostly geared at film photographers - twice already, and was neither disappointed in their selection of cameras, lenses & accessories nor their prices (so far, I have bought a camera, two lenses and various bits and pieces there). The name might be misleading, but no worries: they sell equipment by all sorts of brands!

Leica Shop online

0

Oh, well, I am not so sure how to put a title on this. But it fits, don’t you think so?
Of course, I am talking about Spencer Tunick’s Vienna project. Mr. Tunick is known for his nude installation. The effect forms abstract images due to the huge number of persons closely placed together.

Are you interested to be part of this spectacle? Are you ready to strip and huddle with other naked individuals? Are you just a regular guy or gal? That means, you are not an exhibitionist or a passionate nudist. Yes, funny is it. Read again, if you are a sex maniac, then don’t join. Something like that.
In one of the articles about him, Channel 4 wrote:

Nudity is not new in art and, in this case, being naked in urban settings highlights the contrast of the natural human body and the environments we create to live in. Tunick states, ‘I feel that my nudes are not controversial. The controversy lies in the fact that I am using the city as my landscape.’

Next stop is in Vienna, on May 11 at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
You are not paid to pose but the first 2,008 registered participants will receive a free return train ticket within Austria from the ÖBB.
If it is not enough then maybe a limited edition photograph of the installation in the Ernst-Happel-Stadium will suffice. I know it sounds not too convincing.
So if you are too shy to join the naked hoopla then perhaps taking a peek of what happened on May 11 might interest you (just like me). An exhibition follows on June 23, 8.30 pm at Kunsthalle Wien public space karlsplatz.
Are you ready to join?

1

Hi everyone,

This is Kay writing. I’m not new to Vienna (was raised in the suburb but have been studying, working and living here for.. quite a while now), but brand spanking new to Metblogs - at least as an author, not so much as a reader!

There are LOTS of things I’m interested, so I’ll just name a few important ones:
music (independent as well as popular music - sorry, I can’t dismiss “mainstream” entirely!), photography (my main hobby at the moment), film, music video, advertising, gender & queer topics, new media, net culture, all sorts of subcultures, the UK/British English et cetera et cetera. I’m pretty tech-savvy but not as (obviously!) present online as others (.. the whole Big Brother thing, you know..), also: I’m lacking some of the cool gadgets that’d properly make me part of the “scene” (I sure wish I had a MacBook, though!).

I guess - can’t say for sure yet, but I guess - I’ll mostly be posting about the “little things” that I come across here in Vienna. Things that affect or simply become part of our everyday lives - without us noticing or anyone else posting about them. :P

Well, I think that’s it for now!
Already looking forward to being an active part of Metroblogging Vienna!

Cheers everyone,
k.

4

German language press release of the Austrian Pirate Party

Piratenpartei veranstaltet Demo gegen die Videoüberwachung an SchulenUtl.: Die Piratenpartei Österreichs ruft Schüler und Schülerinnen auf an der Demonstration am Dienstag, 22. April, teilzunehmen Wien (OTS) - Die Demo richtet sich gegen die geplante Videoüberwachung an 10 Wiener Schulen. Der Demonstrationszug findet sich um 16.00 Uhr vor dem Palais Epstein(ehemaliger Standort Stadtschulrat) zusammen & marschiert dann über das Unterrichtsministerium zum Stadtschulrat.

Mitorganisator der Demonstration ist die Grüne Jugend. Die PPÖ kämpft seit ihrer Gründung gegen die zunehmende Überwachung.

“Bereits in der Ausbildung wird man als Verbrecher diffamiert.”, sieht Pressesprecher Wolfgang Weißinger die Situation kritisch.

Besonders die Überwachung am Wiedner Gymnasium stößt sie sauer auf, da Direktor Schmid, laut anonymen Informanten, jenen Täter kennt, der im Dezember eine Toilette in die Luft gesprengt hat.

Sollte die Datenschutzkommission die Videoüberwachung genehmigen, fordert die Piratenpartei den Stadtschulrat auf, dies zu unterbinden.

Außerdem vermisst die PPÖ ein Mitbestimmungsrecht für Schüler: “In keinem anderen Sektor werden die Hauptbetroffenen so wenig in Entscheidungen involviert.”, kritisiert die PPÖ die Verwaltung.

Link

0

Our monochrom member Frank Apunkt Schneider, who is a huge German/Austrian new wave connaisseur, emailed a concert recommendation.

Legendary new wave band “Die Radierer” („Angriff aufs Schlaraffenland“, „Drogentod“, „Gott lebt, es geht ihm gut“, „Ich eß Lego“) do a gig on Saturday (April 19, 9 PM) at Vanity Vague, Vienna.

Frank Apunkt sends a review of their latest CD.

Die Radierer: Der andalusische Bär.
CD/ Zick Zack
Die aktuelle Verkunstgeschichtung des (Post-)Punk verschweigt meist ein bisschen zu beredt eine seiner zentralen Subversionsstrategien: die Verweigerungshaltung gegenüber dem vernünftigen Diskurs über die Welt, in dem sich die VorläuferInnengeneration Mitte der 1970er in die kontrollgesellschaftliche Praxis einzuüben begann. Während die Ex-Hippies gewissenhaft an der ganz persönlichen Meinung als Eintrittskarte ins falsche Bewusstsein arbeiteten, versteiften sich viele der besseren (Post-)Punk-Gruppen auf das Abfackeln völlig absurder Behauptungen und eben mal so dahingesagter Abfuhren an die verantwortungsvolle Rede. Und in den besten Fällen besaßen diese Post-Punk-Behauptungen nicht mal einen Subjektivitätskern, waren also kein Ausdruck eins ernsthaft vermeinten persönlichen Anliegens, sondern Serach’n’Destroy-mäßiges Danebenbenehmen in einer Welt aus Zeichen. In der linksliberalen Leitkultur der damaligen BRD war das um Längen radikaler als alle für die Straßenkampfversion von bürgerlicher Subjektivität gedachten Mollie-Bauanleitungen bei Slime. Die Radierer waren eine der konsequentesten VertreterInnen dieser Strategie und außerdem einer von vier wirklich essentiellen NDW-Beiträgen der mittelhessischen Kleinstadt Limburg an der Lahn. In eigenartig laschen Reimzwangtexten entwarfen sie unausgewogene, überdrehte und halbschwachsinnige Porträts jener Thematisierungen, über denen die bürgerliche Vernunftavantgarde mit Sorgenfalten-zerknautscher Günther-Grass-Miene grübelte. Porträts, die eher Kinderzeichnungen oder den noch knapp für schädlich geltenden Comics ähnelten. – Leider wurden Comics ja um 1981 vom Computer als bildungsbürgerliches Kinderkontrollverlust-Panik-Item verdrängt. – Die Radierer entwarfen pop-artige Sprechblasen, in der die großen Weltprobleme knallbunte und beliebig abrufbare Spielmarken spätkapitalistischer Wirklichkeit waren. Damit stellten sie eher intuitiv als absichtsvoll die Kausalordnung wieder her, die der linksliberale Meinungsidealismus leugnen zu können glaubte, indem er behauptete, dass sich die Welt ver- bzw. „ausbessern“ ließe, ohne deren politische Ökonomie grundlegend anzutasten. Die alte Pop-Leidenschaft für die Oberfläche der Dinge wurde dabei noch mal gebrochen durch eine Mimikry von Gedankentiefe, die ebenso oberflächlich blieb wie bei Grass und Co., die aber ihre Banalität und Naivität genoss und stolz vorzeigte. Das war nicht nur kein programmatischer Ernst, sondern ebenso wenig programmatischer Unernst (also Verarschung als eine zweite Form von Ernst wie in Satire oder Parodie). Als Gegenteil von Ernst/Unernst wurde Trash, Camp bzw. die „Popform“ eingeführt, die eben damals noch längst nicht wirklich als neue Form von Ernst und Staatsraison erahnbar war. Und all das funktioniert erstaunlicherweise und mit nur unwesentlichen Abstrichen auch noch in der jetzigen Popernst-Epoche, in der soeben ihre fünfte Platte erscheint, nach mehr als 20-jähriger Bandpause übrigens. Darauf zu hören sind 15 Trash-Statements über alles Mögliche inkl. Sextourismus, die weder unmittelbar in der Affirmationshölle landen, die Trash doch längst geworden ist, noch in der Affirmationshölle „Kritik“ abkacken.
Frank Apunkt Schneider

0

The trade fair for fashion design, jewellery & accessories Modepalast 08 - brand new expo, this year focusing on Swiss design, will take place at the MuQua this weekend!

It’s always been one of my - if not the - favorite fashion design event in Vienna, and again, a lot of my very most beloved labels will be there on display.

Opening hours:
Friday 17th, 12:00md - 10:00pm
Saturday 18th, 11:00am - 10:00pm
Sunday 19th, 11:00am - 07:00pm

Tickets are 5,- (3,-)/d or 7,-/3d
For fashion shows, parties and all the rest of the program look here.

Go there, have fun, and don’t bring your credit card! ;)

0