Recognize this structure…

Answer in a day…

December 22, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST

Securing REST-Based Services with Access Control Service

Presenter: Michele Leroux Bustamante

Abstract: The Access Control Service (ACS), part of Windows Azure platform AppFabric, makes it easy to secure REST-based services using a simple set of standard protocols. In addition to enabling secure calls to REST-based services from any client, the ACS uniquely makes it possible to secure calls from client-side script, and enables federation scenarios with REST-based services. This webcast will provide a tour of ACS features and demonstrate scenarios where the ACS can be employed to secure REST-based WCF services and other web resources. You’ll learn how to configure ACS, learn how to request a token from the ACS, and learn how applications and services can authorize access based on the ACS token.

Event ID:  1032435379

Link to Register:  http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032435379&Culture=en-US

SPEAKER BIOS

Michele Leroux Bustamante

Michele Leroux Bustamante brings a well-rounded skill set to the IDesign, including expertise not just in architecture and technology but also in interoperability, management, and operations. Michele is not only an IDesign Chief Architect, she is also Microsoft Regional Director for San Diego, Microsoft MVP for Connected Systems and a BEA Technical Director. In addition, Michele is a member of the board of directors for the International Association of Software Architects (IASA). With over 15 years of experience designing enterprise systems, prior to IDesign Michele has held senior executive positions at several corporations. She has assembled and organized software development teams from the ground up, implemented processes for all aspects of the software development lifecycle, and facilitated many successful large-scale enterprise application deployments, including capital fund raising, sales, and business development efforts. Michele specializes in training, mentoring and high-end architecture consulting services focusing on Web services, scalable and secure architecture design for .NET, federated security scenarios, web services, interoperability and globalization architecture. She participates in Software Design Reviews for products in the Microsoft roadmap, including WCF and CardSpace. During the Beta 1 phase Michele participated in prototyping elements of the CardSpace technology for the product team. Michele has been advisor to University of California, San Diego Extension since 1994, establishing several successful certificate programs. Michele is a member of the International .NET Speakers Association (INETA); a frequent conference presenter at major technology conferences such as Tech Ed, PDC, SD and Dev Connections. Michele is the conference chair for SD’s Web Services/SOA and Web Development tracks; and she regularly publishes in several technology journals. Michele’s latest book is Learning WCF (O’Reilly, 2007). Visit her book blog at www.thatindigogirl.com or her main blog at www.dasblonde.net.

The Battle of the “SOAP DISH” Yea! Man, this one is fun. Every country on the planet, how many countries are there? Is it 194? 204? Just as human beings this would be a good thing to know. I mean look at it this way, if you asked some extreme liberal pet owners who are constantly bleeding from the mouth about everything but what truly is important in Santa Monica, how to get to the 405 they would look west first (west is towards that large body of water often referred to as the pacific ocean) and say something like this. Also, these are natives of the Westside, here we go; “well, it’s not that way because the water is that way. I don’t think it’s down there either. I have just never seen a freeway down there. It could be up there. Now did you say Pacific Coast Highway? Oh, the 405 freeway… the 405, mmm, do you know what it’s called?” This is when the out of towner walks away and is feeling sorry for the person. The thing is all freeways have a number which most people go by; the 405, the 5, the 101, the 10… the 405 is called The San Diego Freeway. So this is how you tell a native of CA. And this same person who just sounded ditzy and harmless screamed at a homeless woman. I witnessed this. Check it out. The homeless woman was petting a dog tied to a parking meter. The dog was shy and was cowering down. The mouth bleeding no sense of direction pet owner woman comes storming out of boarders with about $100 worth of pastries, 8 bags of no caff, organic, locally grown, hand picked and foot crushed beans gutless wonder coffee and starts frantically untying her dog from the meter. The homeless woman who probably has not touched a living creature in a while but maybe a bug or a spider said very politely to the woman (this is freakin priceless b/c it is so Santa Monica. I hate Santa Monica and hope the entire town drops into the ocean. They do have the best cupcakes in the world there though, tough call) anyway, she politely says to the breeder bleeder; “I tried to pet your dog. He’s so shy and he’s beautiful” when Christine Columbus got in her face and raised her voice just short of yelling and said; he’s not shy, he hates people who smoke cigarettes!” then she stormed off. The homeless woman was priceless. She just smiled and said; “he’s still a pretty dog” Oh, I almost forgot what we were doing here. The battle of the Soap Dish and how many countries are in the world. For the 3rd time in my entire life I got something right. Cause for celebration! We don’t, who ever “we” is, we don’t count Taiwan as an official country so there are currently 194 countries in the world. This is kind of bull-shit though. Think about it. We don’t consider Taiwan as an “official” country but the Vatican is a country within Rome. It’s not a wonder that I got into the shi… the FashionLoo business Ok, the best soap dish in the world and the worst.
As usual, the Italians have “cleaned up” on the soap dish battle. Here it is…

Italian – aged brass bath soap dish

Yea, Yea, Yea... aged brass, Italian... so what! Now look at ours, USofA...

Because we were almost disqualified for our previous soap dish were given a one-time only replacement opportunity. I can assure you we didn’t go to the 0.99cent store this time, we went to “Soap Dish traveler de la Creme” where only the best, top-shelf only, optimum and finest plastic stuff is sold at a discount. I honestly felt in my heart of hearts that we would undisputedly walk away with the award for the first time ever.We got it alright, “FashionLoo, worst Loo accessories ever” award. Our fine Pop Culture item which was most difficult to locate loses to a rusty old tub soap dish that they call “aged brass from Italy” Who cares??? Ours is in a claw foot tub. It’s personal now. We are already designing our own accessories from this point forward. Surely we’ll be opening FashionLoo 3 ~ “Accessories; Personalize your Loo. After all, it is you”. Even the name is a hit. See what Europe has next week… Ha Ha Ha! I already smell success and can see gold going to the bank! We’re talking Cream de la Creme here and not creme brulee < burnt cream. So claw foot pop culture soap dish lost the battle, but not the war! Take a good long hard look at him…

I love this bathroom. Check it out… the windows are unique or at least rarely seen anymore. That sink I know goes for under $100, the colors are perfect and for this Loo a person couldn’t find better matching tones. Two things I will caution you about, the toilet handle is on the left side when looking at it. Eljer is made that way. They’re next to impossible to find. Now sitting on the toilet to TP is sticking out from the wall. Either a TP stand that you can move around or have the it inserted into the wall with copper casing. It would be perfect. I am a pain in the ass aren’t I I have a feeling this Loo is in the UK.

Love it! Side wall lamps, the colors blend really well, the floor looks awesome. The only thing is the toilet handle is on the left side. This may be an Eljer. Move forward with EXTREME caution people.

g. max shapiro
maxshapiro.ca@gmail.com
828-676-0803 or 310-869-7764
Call/email for a free, no obligation consultation
Uncontested, undoubtedly, unreal the absolute BEST rates in town for QUALITY work!

This Loo has awesome colors. nice dark blend then whoever tossed in the contrast with that trim of bright white. A little too contemporary for me but it still has a very nice look to it.

Great color combination, too contemporary for me though.

Yea, a mostly green kitchen is like some chick with hundreds of tatts not ever wondering what she’ll look like as grandma. Kitchens… they’re so overrated! And btw, The Brady Bunch just called and they want their kitchen back now!

One red apple in this pic would have made it a great shot.

If you are interested, please send your resume, expected pay rate and citizenship status (US citizen/green card/work permit) to sarada@quality-waves.com

These Seattle Architects had the opportunity to climb up on the roof of the Ellis Residence to film the installation of the 20 panel, 4 kw photovoltaic system which will supply about 40% of the power to the residence. The system features 200 watt panels from Sanyo. The panels harness the rays of the sun to create DC electricity which is then inverted to usable AC power. Electricity generated by the panel but not used by at the residence, especially during the summer months, will be sent to the power grid to be used elsewhere. The installation was recently featured on a Bainbridge Island Television broadcast.

Interacting with the business at the right level is really difficult because the business sometimes feel that reviewing each data item is ‘too complicated’, ’self explanatory’ or ‘a waste of time’. And for the variety of data items that are there this is reasonably relevant. But, don’t run the risk of not reviewing each data item with at least 1 business representative.

As an example, a field that seems ’simple’ would be ‘Customer Full Name’. This is something that is held in the Source system as a Free Text field, but in the Target, this field is dynamically created using the First Name, Initials and Surname. This means that if we change the way we construct the name that we use to address mail to, this will be dynamically updated.

Thus it was decided that the Customer Full Name is discarded and this will be reconstructed in the target system as part of the data load.

Months later the UAT team were doing a review of data where the client was under the age of 16, who required a parent/ guardian that would act as a representative (and thus receive all the correspondence for), we found that the client’s parent had been ‘lost’. The business then advised that they do not in fact always capture the Parent/ Guardian as an entity in its own right, they actually just update the minor’s Customer Full name with the parent’s name. This then sparked a flurry of activity including the finding that there were +-800 clients where the mail name does not match their First name, Initial and Surname.

This caused concern regarding how much of the Data migration could be trusted, and how thoroughly the analysis and mapping was done because something as ’simple’ as this could be missed.

We are looking for candidates for Information Architect for one of our clients, a Leading NASDAQ listed IT Services company.

Write to rizwan.syed [at] avanceservices [dot] com for more details

Role : Information Architect
Location : London
Compensation : Competitive

Referral Reward – 1000 Euros

There is a referral reward of 1000 Euros on a success fee basis for this role i.e. we will pay this reward if the person you refer is selected for this role, joins this position and meets some basic client obligations in the first 3 months

We will reply to you within 2 business days for any candidates that you recommend and whom we have already spoken to in the past for this role. This referral reward offer is valid only till December 5th -2009

Remember to comfort yourself in the morning by way of the Loo. Don’t get involved in that rat race and take your time. Ground yourself then let yourself go like you walk on air because you do. Don’t let people control who you are and what you do but do let people be people. No matter who people are, I think all have a good heart with well intentions. Some just have guarded theirs for so long that they forgot how to open it up. Others have not used theirs for a long time so it may be a little rusty. And those that don’t realize the nature of the heart were just never taught. But you can show then the nature of yours and one day, some person who never realized, a light will go on and shine forever.So contact the FashionLoo, and we’ll design a brand just for you

You pick it, we'll create it

Perhaps this one knows more about you than you do

or this one, it will release the real you

So, you’ll let me know by tomorrow which FashionLoo you decided on.

Were these two separated at birth? Has it been a well kept secret all these years? I’ve been a big fan of one and admired the other for what that person went through in life AND not only survived but bounced back. The other did as well. Was on top of the world, more money than needed, lost it all, formed some bad habits along the way and also bounced back. Looking at the two of them now there is something very odd like, uncanny, suspect… are they twins?

Could they be twins? Are they at least siblings? Until now, I never really noticed how closely they resemble one another. However, she looks great while he looks like another train wreck that is going to happen. The good news is his band mates see this one coming and hopped off the train. Don’t get me wrong, I love his band. I’ve seen them live at least a dozen times starting at Amherst College in 1974 – Kingdome in Seattle in 1979 – to The Staples Center in LA in 2006 and that show was the best out of all. In Seattle they were into their 3rd song when they were booed off stage. Well, Steven fell off stage first but they were all so Fu***d-up that they would have been yanked anyway. These guys went through this before and were lucky enough to bounce back. Now, here we go again and this time I don’t think they’ll be so lucky. Not Steven anyway. It’s too bad.

I think they just may be.

I can't tell, can you?

Steven and Co. were jamin one time at U-Mass back in 1974. He threw a beer at me, some things were said and then it was forgotten... sort of. This is one cat that has always been in high gear, on the go and never shuts the F**k up. Looking at him in this pic I feel like I should help him cross the street. I think it's time for him to go unplugged. God bless him for what he gave us though.

When remodeling your home, the bathroom may take a backburner to all other areas of the house with the kitchen typically getting the most attention and budget. It isn’t that way anymore and it should never be that way again. The bathroom is where you can let yourself slide into a calming peaceful zone. Let it be in the morning when getting ready for the stressors or at the end of the day after dealing with them. There is not a better place in the home than the bathroom. If you choose to ignore it, it will return the favor. If you decide that you will pay special attention to its decor and maintenance it will take care of you in the same way. They’re funny that way.

In memory of former President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated 46 years ago today.

Top 5 FashionLoo’s for the week of 11/22/09.

FashionLoo’s pick #5-

White-on-White has lost its WOW

Personally, white on white has been way overdone and quite frankly, it’s now beyond boring. When I see one I want to return to it with cans of rainbow colors, various shades of black and grey then just start throwing it in every which way direction to give it character. A personality. This Loo has that pasteurized look which is fine if you’re drinking milk. There is a difference between sterile and keeping it clean. Loo’s should be kept clean and hospitals should be sterile. Though I would never recommend w-on-w this one is ok. There are a couple of tones to it, the dark wood trim would have been way better off with a stone type of accent and the nauseating gold faucets should have been bronze antique with ivory buttons. (btw, is ivory ok to use or will it piss off Sr VP Dan Matthews of PETA to a point that he will crash my next show. Perhaps this time he’ll dress up as Alice from the Brady Bunch to fool security into letting him in. Dan, if you by chance read this let me know. I’ll change it to something that is fake Ivory) Moving on, gold accessories today are not happening. Think about it like this; you’re wearing a custom made designer suit that fits and hangs perfectly. It’s an awesome shade of grey that looks like a million bucks with a black shirt and black tie. For your wheels you put on a pair of white socks and sneakers. Don’t do it. The only time to use gold is when you’re exchanging it for cash. Also, they have a great towel rack but for their own reason(s) found it necessary to tuck it away in a far corner, out of sight and away from any kind of convenience. And why not showcase it anyway. There’s a lot of space here that with a different pair of glasses this Loo could be turned into a masterpiece with very little effort.

FashionLoo’s pick #4

Dead or Alive, Bamboo and Parrots belong outside

The above is our number 4 pick. I absolutely love this Loo. So some of you may be asking why I did not pick this as my number 1 pick for the week. I’ll tell you, the fake Parrots (Dan, I truly love any kind of animal. Well, my own personal cat is being punished right now because he really made a mess out of his Loo this morning. We wrapped all four of his paws in extra strength duck tape with the sticky side out. It slows him down after he’s done going insane. If this fails, a poke or two from a high voltage hotshot cattle prod never fails. It’s just amazing though how soon he forgets. I thought kittens were known for having excellent memories) and the bamboo shades have to go. This Loo is master work in the Spanish tradition that will never become boring or trite. Maybe someone can build a nice birdhouse from the bamboo, outside of course, and put the Parrots in there. This would be nice!

FashionLoo’s pick #3

This Brand is alive and will knock the Hilly-Bill snot out of you.

Where to begin with this one. First off, it’s manufactured by Eljer. The following is strictly my opinion and experiences with Eljer products. Others may have had better and more positive than mine were but it just wasn’t the case with me. Most of us have had the joy of fixing a leaky faucet. It’s great. You go to the hardware store, you talk to an employee and tell him things like brand, problem and what should you do. He/she starts you off with a couple of faucet seats, give you a few instructions (the whole time he’s talking you’re hoping you don’t screw this up) and that this should take care of it. You race home, start ripping the faucet apart when suddenly water is gushing like mad everywhere. You panic at first then crawl under the house to turn off the water main. All the while you could have just turned it off for this job under the sink. Ok, you’re back in the race, a bit bruised but that can even happen in softball. You begin pulling piece after piece out from the faucet handle and you’re beginning to wonder where the heck these seats, seals, washers, springs and why are there springs involved, your mind is racing when you finally come to two little dark circles/holes that look like the same size as your seats. Ok, pop them out, pop the new ones in. Easy enough. Pop! Pop! You’re becoming a genius. A master plumber! Gee, the new seats went right in. Great! Right about then you notice four springs sitting on the sink. The two you took out and the other two… Pop! Pop! Slide the springs into the seats and slide them into the holes… they won’t stay in though. Your cussing is increasing. After about an hr of this you decide the old springs still look pretty good and do what we do, switch. Hey, they slide right in and stay there. This is confirming you’re a master plumber with a creative mind. Now, you look over at all the pieces you took out and wonder how in the world did all those pieces fit under that faucet handle and why in the name of God didn’t you lay them down in order so you could just confidently put them back in starting with the last piece you pulled out. It’s been 7 hrs now and you are just snapping the cap on the faucet handle. There are no extra pieces lying around and you are certain you got each one in its appropriate place. You throw the handle up and… nothing! Not a drip. Not even any moisture. Wow, cuss words you didn’t know you knew. Then it hits you, you need to turn the water on. You run under the house, turn the main on and swagger back in to the sound of yet still nothing. You’re thinking though that perhaps you threw the handle down before going to the water main. Nope, up and down, up and down, up… you turned the water off from under the sink. Easy enough. You turn them both on, flip the faucet handle and water is coming out… from every possible way it can find an opening. Base, center ring, front of faucet handle, back of faucet handle… WTF!!! You turn it off from under the sink; you go in the other room and call a plumber. What should have taken 20 minutes and cost a buck or two is now going to go into day two costing $150. There are two rings inside the faucet that need to be adjusted to precisely together whenever the faucet is taken apart. This is usually a second or two of playing with. Now, you have two Eljer sinks, two Eljer toilets (try and get a handle that fits properly for one of these tanks. Plan on taking some vacation time from work) and two Eljer showers and tubs to go that all leak. You got a decision to make man. So it’s been three weeks and though you used two credit cards and are a few G’s in the hole, this new brand you bought and had installed works perfect! All this because of a couple of little rubber round things with a couple of minute slinky’s that were to go inside each one. Then to FIND Eljer replacement products is next to impossible. Look at the picture. THIS IS 1959 and I am certain we as a country had toilet paper available for purchase back then. No, this is one item that did not have to be made by Eljer. By the way, I was told no OEM available for Eljer replacement parts. This is nuts. Well, where the TP should be there is a towel ring and towel. That is about as much as I want to know about that. Maybe at one point in time this was a great product. If you have them and they work, keep them. If they are faulty and you were to ask me, replace with a new and different brand. Life is too short. We’re creating FashionLoo’s that people can relax in, enjoy, experience the comfort and ambiance of art, decor, sounds… this is what the bathroom was intended for.

FashionLoo’s pick #2

What can be said about this Loo that it isn't already saying.

This Loo says it all. Whatever it is that you need, want, must have, must do, anything at all that seems important will understandably have to take a seat in the other room while the Loo takes care of you. I could live in this room without hesitation. This Loo by far, is the most beautiful I have yet to see. Everyone should have at least one bathroom that will give them what this one can. The world would be in a much better place if this were possible. Now keep in mind, beauty, art, things we crave, our necessities to our pleasures in life be they big, be they small… they are constantly changing. And they should. This is what keeps our muscle beating that we call heart. Art and heart are synonymous. They correspond with one another, they are compatible and the two truly are one and the same. This is why we can go from this as being a masterpiece that can never be replaced to…

And the FashionLoo number 1 pick for this week is…

This Loo will build character and tell you story after story while giving you a lesson in how to be humble. From everyday that is on the calendar from past, there is a tale full of richness from happy beginnings to sad endings. From a simple idea turned brilliant, to a shattered broken old man who has nowhere to go, no one to go to, an unwed Mother of three, no job nor skills, no money supply, the runaway teen who spent the night, cold and shivering, full of fright. The doper the dealer hook this one for free, he\’ll be back and then he belongs to me. The abortions, the sick, a few stopped for rest, today is no different, than any other test. The pauper of pills, cleaned up for a job, but it all kicked in and all was long gone. Or, none of this happened, the owner of the service station was a drunk and never bothered to clean the restroom. Those who dared to open the door found the smell so wretched that they turned to the desert willing to take their chances with rattlesnakes.

Bonus; Success begets Success…

FashionLoo, our original store still operating strong thanks to our faithful clients!

Success seems to follow us no matter what we do. As a result we have opened our second store, FashionLoo-Two. This store will focus mostly on high end accessories with a European influence. FashionLoo-Two will function as a showroom only. All orders will first be sent directly to the showroom for our thorough inspection within 24 hrs of arrival. After inspection clears item then can be shipped directly to you via UPS (additional fee depending on size/weight of item), delivered directly to your home by FashionLoo-Two (additional fee depending on size and weight of item) or you may schedule a day when you would like to come in and pick up (no charge). Any item left at showroom for more than 30 days will be sold at our retail store for full retail price. Original customer will not receive a refund of any type which includes selecting an item of equal value. These customers ordering anything for a second time will still pay for item in full at time of ordering. In addition to this a processing fee of 50% cost of item will be required and is non-refundable if item is not picked up. If item is picked up within 30 days the processing fee only will be returned in full. If you do not agree with any part of the aforementioned policy then by all means, please take your business to a chain store. Chain stores have a no questions asked 100% return policy that often gets repeated business. Maybe it’s just me but I wonder if there is a difference in quality between China and Europe. Just curious. Anyway, thank you for stopping by and we’re looking forward to seeing you again soon at FashionLoo-Two!

I recently found some sketchbooks from a fantastic trip I took in college to study in Europe for several months. Here are a few sketches. Wanting to go back now..

Both of these bathrooms had some water damage but not bad. Everything was salvageable. The stripping of the wallpaper was tedious and unforgiving with ongoing dust storms. For anyone who suffers from allergies no matter what protective gear you wear this will get to you. The second challenge was though the floors were solid they were “wavy” which took a lot of elbow work to get them even. A big hammer also helped when everything else either failed or became increasingly frustrating. If you look closely at a lot of the wall-hangings, metal pots, soap dishes, some pictures… these were all purchased at various Goodwill’s. The imagination will go along way once it’s encouraged and charged up! They’re great for holding hand-towels, facecloths, soaps, creams and anything else you can thing of.

The wood is original and in pretty fair shape after a lot of muscle beating the hell out of it. The linoleum was glued down with cement. When separating these two I discovered I know a lot of ways to express myself with words that I never knew I had in me. And for the life of me I can't remember what those words are. I bet someone else does though.

The end result of the floor for Loo #1. I really like the way it turned out.

Bathroom #2 is interesting. Almost identical to #1 in the beginning but went in a totally different direction with colors. Dolphin gray walls, Nordic gray baseboards, molding is specs of creams, browns and white. Floor is black, white and gray. Lots of metal in this Loo and though the colors are dark it is extremely calming in this room.

In the early beginning stages of a project everything seems like it will be so much fun. After about 3 minutes into it is when the truth is told.

This is the end results for the floor. It is beautiful. The colors are dark throughout that somehow pull off a very warm and comforting feeling. It is quite elegant.

Beautiful lighting that I pieced together

Overall these two FashionLoos were great fun to design. To watch the transformation from basic and functional hum-drum, get ready for the rat race room to #1 becoming artsy, trendy, fashionable that looks like it belongs in a leading ad agency was a lot of fun and exciting. I love the way this Loo turned out.

Before

After

FashionLoo #2 was anyone’s guess with this window that you’ll see. What do we do with it? Surrounded by wallpaper and a couple of decorative items including a roll of tape, we decided to put our imagination to work around the window and not so much on the window. When we finished with this it was alive. It belonged to the original Rat Pack! It says; “Hey, look at me now” when you walk into the Loo. It knows your name, shines a light on you and will even contest what you are wearing is all wrong for what you’re doing that night; “You’re not REALLY going out in that TONIGHT… are you???” I can also smash it to kingdom come, take away its 8 corners and make a circle out of it if it keeps it up. So far, all corners are intact.

Next is a Plasma TV in The Loo

FashionLoo #2 was a hit or miss going with the dark colors. It could have turned out dreary, doom & gloom and would have then been referred to as a gas station restroom that you operate with your feet. It didn’t though. It didn’t even come close to something of that nauseating look. On the contrary, it converted to an imaginative, artistic and intelligent Loo that would impress any prominent Manhattanite without explanation.

The best for last… Loo number one turned out awesome. Picture perfect. Always finding just the right bucket, soap-dish, antique metal wall hanging and every single time the price was rock bottom and the color(s) perfect for the Loo. We were missing something though. One of those things that you’re not quite sure what it is but you will know it emphatically when you see it. Then, right before our eyes while walking past a taxidermist’s office was Jaz Cat. a.k.a. M.C. CoCo Kat This cat was put together so well he looks totally real! Put your cursor an inch or two above his head, he’ll stare at it for days, even a week one time. Even his colors match the Loo. You have to admit, with this find you know it’s one of those days when everything you touch is going to turn to gold. Now, introducing Jaz Cat at The Loo…

From the tip of his nose to the very end of his tail, Jaz Cat packs them at The Loo!

Next Wednesday night (December 2) I will be speaking at Pecha Kucha night in Tokyo (click for map). The event brings together the widest possible variety of designers– including architects, fine artists, crafts, graphic designers, illustrators, and other creative types.

Pecha Kucha’s name comes from the Japanese phrase for “chit chat,” takes place in an informal club setting with a simple format: presenters each show 20 slides that automatically change every 20 seconds. Begun by Tokyo-based architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, the event has spread to 257 cities worldwide. Some past presentations have been put online.

In my 6 minutes and 40 seconds, I will try to speak half in English and half in Japanese. I hope some of my blog readers will be able to attend.

By Rusaila Bazlamit; originally published on Reflect Upon on July, 22, 2008

So finally I have read [The Fountainhead] a novel that I knew many people praising… Once I started reading it I couldn’t stop till I finished it…
The novel is written by Ayn Rand… in the novel Rand chose Architecture as a form of self-expression…

Gary Cooper as Howard Roark; Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

I can’t understand why during my 5 years studying architecture none of my professors recommended the book… It is such a good book and deals with architecture in a new critical way… allowing us to interpret the history of architecture and the modern practices of it in a new way…

Many of the main characters are involved in Architecture whether they are architects like the main character Howard Roark or they are critics of architecture like Ellsworth Toohey…

The Fountainhead; Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead; Ayn Rand

The novel talks about selfishness, egotism and altruism through another perspective which shakes some of the bases of how societies are led to approve or condemn actions that are defined as virtues or sins by other people for whatever agenda…
As you are reading there will be many sections which you forget you are reading a novel but you concentrate on the ideas presented… again gaining more insights about architecture and society.
I liked the way Rand has used architecture as a medium to convey her own philosophies…
The novel is definitely a must-read… especially for architects and architecture students…
The novel had been made into a movie in the 1940s but I’m always disappointed when a novel is turned into a movie… so I recommend the novel… having said that I found this video of Howard Roark’s speech toward the end of the movie… is worth seeing… [ full Howard Roark courtroom speech]

Howard Roark: A building has integrity, just like a man.

The Fountainhead; Ayn Rand

The novel also tackles some of the ideas related to Capitalism and though I’m myself an anti-capitalism to the core… I have to say that I had a new understanding of Capitalism that made me reflect more about some of own ideas related to man, freedom and wealth…
Also the concept of self, self-sacrifice, selfishness made me think about the concept of the self in my own Islamic beliefs which I’ll talk about some other time…

It is a mind opening when we understand the hidden driving forces that shape, create and re-create some of our basic cultural and societal patterns…

The Fountainhead one of my best novels of all times…

The extremes between the two are quite disturbing. Why isn’t there a divider between the two in the… hell, I don’t know if it’s contemporary or retro. Without a divider, I cannot go. Not even open to discussion. Why isn’t the Peace Corp there? Now the other one I have an issue with as well. The chair to the right in the back is totally wrong for this Loo. No debates, not even the color can convince me it belongs with this bathroom. Whoever put it there really screwed up. I’ll bet you, that person put it there when they were setting up the photo equipment and didn’t notice. He/she should of went all the way like having Mickey sitting on Goofy’s lap during the shoot. Or maybe Pops drinking a hard one with a cigarette stops to watch after he’s been told ten times to stay out of view. Then it just so happens the shot they pick is the one where Pops is scratching his balls. Good continuity people are hard to find. I may go with the no divider, Turkish prison Loo. I’ll sleep on it. Anyone else?

They just quite didn't get everything in the DIY FashionLoo Remodeling class. No divider is grounds for... termination.

That chair in the back on the right is totally screwing this up. Two great FashionLoo's today but because of a couple of significant details they're both ruined. Great job team!