Since Sudanese government soldiers and their proxy militia, the Janjaweed, commenced assaults on rebel forces and civilians of similar ethnic descent, in 2003, the crisis in Darfur has been at the forefront of international discussion and the subject of extensive political, humanitarian, and journalistic work. "Museum Mapping Initiative," a unique collaboration between Google and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, makes the history and details of the crisis available to a virtual community, allowing Google Earth users to navigate a map of the region amended with data provided by the U.S. State department, including locations of damaged and destroyed villages, internally displaced person (IDP) and refugee camps in Darfur and Chad, respectively, and zones accessible and inaccessible to humanitarian relief workers. Users navigating the terrain can read testimonies of civilians affected by the conflict, recorded by Amnesty researchers, and view photographs depicting aspects of regional life. Taking advantage of Google Earth's architecture, "Museum Mapping Initiative" also allows users to insert their own placemarks on locations in Darfur and Chad towards constructing specific tours, presentations and readings of the crisis. Through this intersection of interactive technology and progressive historiography, the events and stories surrounding this modern-day atrocity can finally be brought to greater light. - Tyler Coburn

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Are you still sticking with those New Year's resolutions you made a few weeks ago? Jeffrey Beaumont is just getting started. The NY-based creative writer has embarked on a Year of Hyperliving, his first-ever New Year's resolution. Described by him as "A maximalist approach to living right," Beaumont is taking a quasi-Zen approach to mindful situationism, and blogging heavily about it. Each week, this year, he will take on a new task--difficult ones he'd not ordinarily face, like trying to write a poem a day or talking to a stranger everyday and trying to make that conversation meaningful--which is, admittedly, how this writer discovered his project. His diary entries about these experiences are humble and easy to identify with, given their openness about the difficulties of carrying through on the week's commitment. So far, they've also been fruitful to readers, who this week have been cashing-in on his effort to "Make a different themed 60 min. cd mix each day." Next week Beaumont is abstaining from aural pleasure. His (Working) Manifesto of Hyperliving 2008 explains that his goal is to overcome his interrelated fears of commitment and failure and we wish him the best of luck. If you'd like to keep up with Beaumont's weekly tasks, visit his blog and subscribe to his Google calendar. - Marisa Olson

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