Discovering Perspective

I finally read Transmetropolitan: One More Time to complete the excellently scary depiction of true society despite its eccentrically fictional front by Warren Ellis.

Yes, my British sensibilities were offended by almost every page, obviously, but I don't mind being confronted with that in an intelligent manner. It made that horrible Newseum project last term... uhmmm....looking for an adjective here but not succeeding... indescribably painful? Oh well, if you've read Transmet and my rant about the Newseum project you can probably figure out why I was frustrated.

Whilst I googled for a link for Warren Ellis, I came across this which I believe Ben mentioned a while back. A "goth-techno" remix of one of his rants received via cellphone.

This is all a step away from the usual Sarah tastes which is actually very inline with usual Sarah tastes. Contradictory, as they are.

Project Looking Glass Open Source
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Sun Microsystems is contributing Project Looking Glass, based on Java(tm) technology, to the open source community. Project Looking Glass is an exploration project to bring innovative 3D features to the desktop environment. The desktop interface will offer an intuitive, new 3D environment to interact with desktop applications featuring window transparency, rotation, zoom, multiple desktop workspaces and miniaturization.Project Looking Glass offers a platform to realize far richer and more entertaining user experience for existing and new applications in 2D or 3D. The technology enables developers to build highly visual 3D desktops and applications that will run on Linux systems such as Sun's Java Desktop System. The Solaris(tm) environment will be supported in near future.

What does this mean to you?
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If you're a software developer, please go to http://enews.sun.com/CTServlet?id=63053951-741100991:1088531213971 and download this early version of the code and join the community in developing the 3D desktop.

Interested in using the Project Looking Glass? The project is in very early stages and a commercial version is not available yet. Please go to http://enews.sun.com/CTServlet?id=63053951-741100991:1088531213990 to keep up to date on our progress.

Why Open Source?
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Project Looking Glass is in its infancy, and we'd like to explore lots of ideas and possibilities. We're releasing the Project Looking Glass code to the whole community to explore every aspect of the technology rather than restricting access to a privileged few. We believe this open development is an excellent model to pursue this exciting and vast opportunity. So, your involvement is eagerly anticipated. We believe new dimension of developer innovation by making Sun's cutting edge technology available at Sun's 3D Desktop Technology Open Source Project on java.net.

We have been working for several months on cleaning the software up, providing basic features and functionality key to 3D window management. A key focus was looking at the existing 2D desktop applications, ensuring minimal compatibility and performance problems. The next step is to look what else we can do to foster real world 3D interactivity. We decided to open source this at a very early stage to ensure that we got good feedback from the community.

What's in the Open Source Project?
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The following features are now available in the Project Looking Glass open source release:

3D Window Manager Platform - Java 3D based highly scalable 3D platform with client-server model support.

3D Window Manager and Application Development API - Java API to develop new 3D desktop applications and 3D desktop Window Manager features.

Native Application Integration Module - Allows developers to run conventional X11 applications in the 3D environment.

Sample 3D Window Manager - provides a simple sample implementation for testing and demonstration purposes

3D Environment Lite - Enables developers to run a simplified 3D environment as an application on a Java 3D enabled platform including Linux and Solaris environments. This serves as a development tool to test implementations.

This is all available at: http://enews.sun.com/CTServlet?id=63053951-741100991:1088531213971

What's the licensing model?
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There are three license choices for developers interested in creating applications using Project Looking Glass.

For developers who are interested in reviewing, revising, and redistributing the source code as part of their own application, Project Looking Glass has been submitted as an Open Source project on java.net under the GNU Public License, or GPL.

For developers who are interested in developing an application on top of the existing Project Looking Glass platform without reviewing and/or altering the code base, there is a binary version of the current state of the project available for download under a traditional Binary Code License. This is also available on java.net.

Finally, for developers or organizations interested in other uses or revising the source code but wish to keep their implementation and related application proprietary, please contact Sun at lg3d_license@dev.java.net.

Project Looking Glass Community Meeting
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Wednesday June 30, 2004
4:30pm to 6:00pm
The Argent Hotel, City Room
San Francisco, California, USA
http://www.argenthotel.com/location.htm

4:00-4:30 Registration
4:30-4:45 Welcome, Introductions, and 3D Desktop Project Demo
4:45-5:30 Technology Overview, Possible Sub Projects, How to Get Started
5:30-6:00 Q&A and Networking

Please join the conversation with the Project Looking Glass developers from Sun Microsystems. This meeting will be technically focused introducing developers to the project and letting them know how to get involved.

You can meet the team from "Project Looking Glass" and other developers while enjoying food and refreshments. There is open admission. You do not need a JavaOne Conference Pass to attend.

There will be no webcast available, but we will post the information available at the meeting on the website. We'll also have several presentations and Project Looking Glass at JavaOne, and we'll post as many as we can on the web.

You can see Hideya Kawahara on stage with Jonathan Schwartz and Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems demonstrating the Project Looking Glass technology and announcing the open source project at http://enews.sun.com/CTServlet?id=63053951-741100991:1088531214001 (select View Webcast).

If you have any questions, please send them to: project-looking-glass@sun.com

Sun's Project Looking Glass Team

It's fun.

I've never done this before and I'm happy that I am able to for once, though this is due to the lack of employment which in of itself is not so pleasant.

I'm feeling more comfortable around people and have received some encouraging compliments. Of course I can never fully escape the ingrained stuck-up Britishness. Sorry.

It's a nice change to be unreachable because I'm out with friends and not because I am chained to my studio desk. Lots of interesting people out there. But I miss my architecture circle. I enjoy discussing art and so on with people but I miss doing so with someone with similar opinions and the same knowledge base. I just have to think of myself as an art missionary out to save those poor misguided heathens. (Just joking)

In case anyone is interested in where to find me...

Monday nights- Ultimate Frisbee/misc. sports
Tuesday nights- Brian Downey Big Band at the Bayou
Wednesday nights- Pho (usually on Somerset)
Thursday nights- Dim Sum and Bubbletea
Weekends- whatever bbq, movie night or party is organized

Drop me a line if you need more details because you want to join in.

With the da Vinci Code finished, and the Great Gatsby still in the wings, I've decided to move on to the Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. I have read Fifth Business, the first novel of the set, previously way back in OAC Canadian Lit so I am re-reading it before I move on to the Manticore and World of Wonders.

It appears to be one of those high school classics. I have received many comments from miscellaneous people upon their noticing the book by my side. I'm happy to say none of the comments have been as negative as the ones I have received in the past regarding other high school favourites. For example, the Great Gatsby. I didn't have to read it in school but it was the grade 12 general English novel. Then there is everybody's favourite novel to hate, Wuthering Heights, which I didn't mind too much.

High school reading selections are interesting and though they are highly criticized by many of the students, I appreciate the selection even if I didn't enjoy them all. Inevitably, once the topic is brought up someone says "Why don't they choose books the students would enjoy reading? That might actually encourage them to read." Yes, that sounds like a good idea but not really the point.

First of all, in a class of thirty students, how are you going to choose a novel the majority let alone everyone will enjoy? At least in my school, that was where the independent studies and reading journals came in. You chose your own readings for those. (To the great disappointment of my grade 9 teacher, I chose a Star Trek book. She looked at me and said "Sarah, I had no idea" as if I were dying of some disease.) Second of all, the purpose of readings in class was to study English and like every other subject, some students will enjoy the experience, others will not, but hopefully the majority will at least learn something and maybe be exposed to something that they otherwise would not even consider.

Experiments in science class are not designed to encourage students to do them in their spare time, they are designed to teach and perhaps plant the seed of how to use those lessons in other aspects of life. English teachers don't expect that their students will want to read literature but the study of it can be applied to other things, at the very least the ability to criticize and analyze what they do read, even if that is just the newspaper. To understand that every author has a motive and manipulates his reader.

I took four years of Drama in high school and I doubt I will ever act again, however, I understand acting, directing, props, sets, etc. I'd like to think that gives me some authority on judging good acting, directing, etc. based on something more than how hot the actor is. I also understand that it is not the flashy things that are difficult and can appreciate subtlety as the true mastering of the art. It is very similar with reading. What I enjoy in a novel are the subtle nuances and intentionality in the chosen words that could easily be skimmed but some how catches the reader who is careful to look for such things and completely changes the novel.

Personally, I look for this quality in reading more so than the plot. I don't like books where I just keep thinking "get to the point already" because that means the book is only about plot and not so much a craftful delivery. I've read some amazing books with no distinguishable plot and my ability to appreciate that is because of high school classics. Regretfully, teachers do not always succeed in imparting this to the students and so I can understand why most students think of those classics as boring. They aren't television shows where everything is spoon fed to you. That is most unfortunate. Recognizing true beauty is something that has to be taught and so few people are given the proper lessons.

Disappointing.

I was enjoying the novel until one major mistake. The author makes the reader more intelligent than the characters. A seeming must for murder mystery but it destroys the credibility and all the character development goes down the drain.

Yes, I've studied art history and would say I have a pretty decent knowledge of the subject, but I'm not smarter than a Harvard art history professor. (I would hope)

Obviously the author had put a lot of research into this novel but that just makes it all the worse when he messes up. About two thirds of the way through the novel, the protagonists are presented with a clue but cannot decipher the code. Mr. Harvard Professor looks at it and believes it appears to be Semitic (which from someone who had five years of Hebrew school can tell you it didn't) but he couldn't place it. It dragged on forever until finally the cryptologist recognized it as da Vinci's code. Backwards hand writing. *smack*

Anyone who has ever seen a page from one of da Vinci's notebooks would have recognized it immediately. True, I had the benefit of knowing the title is the da Vinci Code, but most of the clues to that point had been related to da Vinci. To make it worse, upon the revelation, the Professor recalls that he had seen one of da Vinci's notebooks at an auction the previous year and was disappointed that he couldn't read it until one of the employees held a mirror beside it and explained that da Vinci wrote backwards, whether as some sort of code to hide his research from the Church or just as an interesting challenge is a matter of debate.

It was an interesting book. I just hate the "we have to make the reader/viewer feel smart" concept. It was fine until they started wrapping everything up but then, to be fair, I don't like building up anticipation. Just get to the point already. That's why I don't tell good jokes.

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Previous comments here

This really irritates me.

All summer, every time I do a job seach with the keywords "architect" or "architecture", I come up with more job opportunities for Mekki than for myself. It is very popular to adopt the word "architect" in euphemized job titles because of the analogy of designing a structure and often just designing. If you want to say you design something, use the term "designer" - Please!!! Not just for my own sanity; The term "architect" is protected by law as is "doctor," "lawyer," and "engineer."

Oddly enough, "Golf Course Architect" appears to be a valid title, at least in Great Britain. Rob mentioned that one to me the other day. "Landscape Architect" and "Architectural Technologist/Technician" are recognized titles under Canadian law, though the latter appears to have been of great debate a few years ago when the Ontario Association of Architects lost the appeal to the Superior Courts.

I understand that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' but I am working hard to earn the title that has millennia of tradition and respect associated with it, nine years of university and internship to be exact, and I don't think it is appropriate for others to take advantage of the status without the work.

It is all too easy to forget the line between metaphor and reality. We use metaphors and analogies to describe something in terms that we already understand. It's natural when there is something new to describe it in terms of something old. However, it does not become that something old and should strive to define itself independently as it develops.

Architecture is a very specific field, which is why it has trouble being placed in University faculties. I have seen it under Environmental Studies, Engineering, Arts, etc. It is credited with being one of the most comprehensive courses because of the range of topics studied and so each of those topics has a relation to architecture but that does not make those topics architecture.


"practice of architecture" means,

(a) the preparation or provision of a design to govern the construction, enlargement or alteration of a building,

(b) evaluating, advising on or reporting on the construction, enlargement or alteration of a building, or

(c) a general review of the construction, enlargement or alteration of a building; ("exercice de la profession d'architecte")


11. (1) No person shall engage in the practice of architecture or hold himself, herself or itself out as engaging in the practice of architecture unless,

(a) the person is licensed under this Act;

(b) the person is the holder of a certificate of practice or the person is doing so as a member of a partnership that holds a certificate of practice; or

(c) the person is the holder of a temporary licence under this Act. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 11 (1).


46(2) Every person who is not a holder of a license, certificate of practice or temporary license and who,

(a) uses the title "architect" or "architecte" as an occupational designation;

(b) uses,

(i) an addition to or an abbreviation of the title "architect" or "architecte",

(ii) an occupational designation, or

(iii) a term, title, addition or description,

that will lead to the belief that the person may engage in the practice of architecture; or

(c) uses a seal that will lead to the belief that the person is an architect,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable for the first offence to a fine of not more than $10,000 and for each subsequent offence to a fine of not more than $25,000. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 46 (2).

46(8) It is not an offence under subsection (2),

(a) for a member of the Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario to use the designation "architectural technologist" or "architecte-technologue" or "architectural technician" or "architecte-technicien";

(b) for a person to use the designation "landscape architect" or "architecte paysagiste"; or

(c) for a person to use the title "architect" or "architecte" if the person is a member of a class for whom the use of the title is a privilege prescribed by the regulations. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 46 (8).

Architects Act, R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER A.26


The field that specifically appears to be trying to define itself is Computer Sciences/Engineering/Architecture. My post the other day made use of the analogy of Renaissance painters to describe the field of hacking. It would appear the Engineering societies and organizations are having similar troubles with the liberal adoption of their official mark by the IT sector. The trouble is enforcing the restricted titles. The notable case is Microsoft's usage of the terms "Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer" and "Microsoft Certified Professional Systems Engineer". The Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) originally agreed to allow Microsoft to use acronyms within Canada but Microsoft later revoked the agreement and continues to use the terms.

Not bad, I haven't heard back about the Guinness keychain, having a coin tossed into the Trevi fountain in my honour or the 2 tickets to the witches' gathering but I have made my first successful gmailswap; One Gmail invitation in exchange for a Steam account.

Still three invitations to go.

Well, last night was the christening party for the new apartment and all in all it was better than my parties at the last place. No fire in the kitchen and enough food and seating for everyone. Not enough people showed for Frisbee so we just stayed in and chatted and munched on chips and Mary's excellent spinach dip.

Around midnight, those left over took a ride downtown to Zak's for some greasy after party food. Seeing that Mekki had had a few drinks, I got the pleasure of being the one to drive the gauntlet of downtown on as Saturday night; dodging the drunk blonds ("Like oh my gawd! We like almost totally got hit by like that car we like walked in front of. Teehee!*hairflip*"); the drunk sports fans pouring out of the Cabin trying to hug the car while I was trying to make a left turn; the crazy no left turns at every intersection that try to trap the tourists into crossing the bridge to Hull; a drunk driver in the SUV ahead of me who thought that green light meant roll slowly backwards until at least two people honk at you; crazy cabs trying to form a solid line down Elgin in front of all the bars. . . FUN!!!

But the midnight snack at Zak's was good. Mekki and I split the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich "poutinized". I've realized that I have enough non-feminine quirks that for some reason are big turn-ons for guys that I don't have to pick up belching. I eat poutine and drink Guinness, that gets me more than enough marriage proposals and face it everyone, you will never hear Sarah belch. It's just not going to happen. I'm too British.

Barry and Alex were very thoughtful and brought me a nice housewarming gift from Mrs. Tiggy Winkles; a gooey ball of bugs and a package of pet Triops (I'll have to sneak that past the landlord, no pets allowed and all). Eric put together a Magic deck for me from his day's winnings. So Magic has been added to the long list of online tutorials to read this summer.

A fun evening and I look forward to more over the summer, hopefully better organized to get people out. But parties are not my forte. I need more practice.

Slashdot news that peaked my interest and needed to be noted before I forget.

Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham, using painting and painters as an analogy and/or example for hacking and hackers.

I'll post comments later.

I've finally borrowed a copy of the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown from my brother. Who needs a bookstore or a movie store when you have a brother who has it all? Of course he lives 700km away.

But back on topic.

It's a fun book. A little too Oprah Book of the Month for me. I don't believe it actually is but you know what I mean; That 30% off bestsellers rack at Chapter's special interest formula type novel. But I'm a sucker for art history so the facts and puzzles and descriptions are reason enough for my enjoyment. The storyline is irrelevant.

There is a lot of author covering his butt because there is a lot of potential political incorrectness and offense in the writing if not phrased properly, mainly because it revolves around several institutions who don't take too kindly to criticism; the Christian Church, French Police and Judicial System and the art world.

No one likes having their perception of art challenged and the Mona Lisa has many interpretations as the novel points out. While listening to the CBC the other day, they were discussing the upheaval in the art world because the Mona Lisa is in need of restoration because the wood panel on which it is painted is starting to warp considerably and risks damaging the painted surface.

Who wants the job of restoring the world's most famous painting?

Not only is there the fear of ruining the work but also ruining the way the world thinks of her. She was slightly restored in the 1950s but otherwise practically untouched since the early 16th century. The report commented on the fact that the Mona Lisa is known for her smoky sfumato appearance and though this was one of da Vinci's techniques, he didn't paint her that smoky. That is 500 years of dirt and residue from candles and oil lamps, etc.

Since the cleaning of Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling, the art world has considered restoration of famed works of art in a very different manner. If you haven't seen before/after shots, look here.
Until the cleaning, scholars were confused why Michelangelo's students all used vibrant colours in their works while his own work was so subdued. It appears that five hundred years of burning oil lamps and coal furnaces will do that to a ceiling.

It comes down to a debate of what is more real and what is more important. How it was or how it is? Is what we know as the Mona Lisa more valuable, or uncovering how it was possibly known to viewers five hundred years ago? Restoration involves a certain amount of educated guessing, and so what many think of as revealing the real work may result in something more false than the current condition. An interesting question to think about.

Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of murder mystery novels but I enjoy the mystery of art. What was the artist trying to say?



As an interesting note,

The CBC also had a report that day on a recent theory that Michelangelo suffered from Asperger's, a syndrome I just recently learned about and am interested in learning more as it might explain a thing or two about me. Of course this should be taken with a grain of salt since it seems to be very fashionable to retro-diagnose historical figures. I think it is a way for people to identify better with them, to sort of de-pedestalize them and make them human again.

I always enjoy escaping and like a crab, go backwards. It's nice to be home and living the life I lived three years ago.

Wake up before everyone else and go for coffee with Mom then shop around for the groceries for dinner and the odd and miscellaneous items that need to be found.

Then some quality brain numbing television and numerous commercial breaks that lead to turning on the kettle for yet another cup of tea.

Taking care of my poor puppy. She's getting very old, but that is expected at sixteen and a half. She's still very loving and brings a smile to my face every time I come home and see how excited she is to see me. It's getting hard seeing her at three or four month intervals because she seems to age even faster. But after a recent visit to the vet, he says she's still doing fine and summer always perks her up. I still worry.

Actually, it's made me really want a dog. I've wanted one since I moved away to University but I don't know where I'll be in a year and a dog is a commitment. Mekki and I came across the Aussie shepherd Rescue the other day at the Great Glebe Garage Sale and they need volunteer and foster homes for dogs until they can be adopted. I think I would very much like to look into that. Life is less stressful with a dog. They're not only a reason to go home but a reason to want to go home. I think it would be a great reciprocal service. I could give a dog a home and he could make my apartment a home. I love those furry creatures.

While I've been home, I've also had a few job prospects come up and I am rather excited about the architectural research assistant position. I really hope I hear back this time. It's disheartening to have sent out so many applications and resumes and to have heard nothing back. But I will have to wait. And I still have clinic work to do. And that is Ottawa stuff, not home stuff.

The point. I always miss home. Unfortunately being home means missing home, the other home.