Chicago

（Taiji Matsue, CHI 0254 2002, Gelatin silver print, 20" X 24 " Edition of 8）
現在看好萊塢電影還有另外一個樂趣，就是想辦法看出是在哪個城市拍的，自己是不是曾經去過那個地方? 除了LA, SF, Chicago, NY之外，還有另外一個電影裡常出現的場景應該就是邁阿密了!!只是我對邁阿密的印象只有沙灘..比基尼..毒品.. 所以沒去過也不可惜啦~

今天在+81攝影雜誌上看到這張照片，實在很好奇這到底是哪裡，擁有如此令人驚訝的城市景觀？結果上方左邊的玉米大樓（Marina City ）讓我認出芝加哥來！

回想走在這群大樓裡面時，倒沒有這麼高聳與擁擠的感覺，真是個在建築設計上，相當誇張的城市！

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可以在這裡看到更多芝加哥建築的照片！
（有一張 Metropolitan Correctional Center 大都會懲誡所的照片，沒想到有這麼一座監獄矗立在市中心，當初還覺得它的窗戶開得挺有味道的呢～原來這棟建築的用途是這樣！）

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回到台灣已經快半年了，下一屆的學員也即將出發；在工作煩悶時，總是不斷回想起這半年的點點滴滴，很高興有這樣的機會走這麼一趟，真是感恩啊！
附上交給TDC的期末報告，只是我那pentax拍出來的照片普遍偏暗，還得全部再整理過才行.. [先瞧瞧！]

好棒的色彩工具

http://www.colorschemer.com/studio_info.php

點歌幫自己打氣... [I will survive]

At first I was afraid.
I was petrified.
I kept thinking I could never live
Without you by my side.
But then I spent so many nights
Just thinking how you´d done me wrong.
I grew strong.
I learned how to get along.
And so you´re back from outer space.
I just walked in to find you here
Without that look upon your face.
I should have changed my fucking lock.
I would have made you leave your key
If I´d have known for just one second
You´d be back to bother me.
Oh now go.
Walk out the door.
Just turn around now.
You´re not welcome anymore.
Weren´t you the one
Who tried to break me with desire?
Did you think I´d crumble?
Did you think I´d lay down and die?
Oh not I.
I will survive.
As long as I know how to love
I know I´ll be alive.
I´ve got all my life to live.
I´ve got all my love to give.
I will survive.
I will survive.
It took all the strength I had
Just not to fall apart.
I´m trying hard to mend
The pieces of my broken heart.
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling sorry for myself.
I used to cry.
But now I hold my head up high.
And you´ll see me with somebody new.
I´m not that stupid little person
Still in love with you.
And so you thought you´d just drop by,
And you expect me to be free.
But now I´m saving all my lovin´
For someone who´s lovin´ me.
Oh now go.
Walk out the door.
Just turn around now.
You´re not welcome anymore.
Weren´t you the one
Who tried to break me with desire?
Did you think I´d crumble?
Did you think I´d lay down and die?
Oh not I.
I will survive.
As long as I know how to love
I know I´ll be alive.
I´ve got all my life to live.
I´ve got all my love to give.
I will survive.
I will survive.

聯合新聞網電子書 - 台灣品牌走出去

聯合新聞網電子書下載 http://udn.com/NEWS/MISC/DNA/，雖然很明顯是與Abobe合作，把先前的新聞整理在一起作成PDF，但是這樣的服務我還挺喜歡的！

每天看的都是線上新聞，但在假日時，還是會到樓下菜市場買一份報紙來翻翻，雖然現在報紙的內容沒有記憶中紮實，但是紙本的閱讀經驗還是比螢幕愉快許多！

幾個電腦端的blog軟體

最近試著用iWeb把iPhoto裡頭的一些照片，用最簡單的方式分享到網路上，還挺方便的！

iWeb只要你做了一點更新，就得全部重新輸出，然後上傳；似乎蘋果出的第一代軟體都是這樣，肥、大、慢，但是挺有意思的！iPhoto現在出到6.0，整個使用上、效能上都越來越好，所以如果能夠把iphoto照片簡單地弄到網路上，然後又能順利地跟blog結合，應該就能讓我開心地寫更多東西吧！

在Blog方面，因為想要有更好的使用彈性，所以不想用無名小站，或者Blogspot，所以自己就得處理主機端的一些問題；像是網站搬家或資料庫出差錯，都會讓這些內容很有可能在一夕之間消失，反而不如上述網站來得可靠！不過自己愛玩，就沒辦法囉～ 現在找了桌面端的軟體ecto，一方面是方便編輯，另一方面就是備份！

Desktop blogging client for MacOSX and Windows [軟體介紹]
http://ecto.kung-foo.tv/

Sandvox: A powerful, playful new website creation tool, for Mac OS X (version 10.4.4 “Tiger” required).
http://www.karelia.com/

[posted with ecto]

久違了，辦公室！

離開朝九晚五的上班生活太久，到新公司報到的第一週，精神是加倍地緊繃與疲憊；不過也接到好幾封TrueBrand朋友的祝福，讓我相信自己能夠持續地在設計的路上勇敢地走下去！

Michael 是相當紳士的一位設計師，曾跟他聊過台灣設計師在找工作時，大致上有三個選擇的方向，第一個是設計或廣告公司，第二個是產業界裡頭的設計部門，另外也有蠻多人選擇自己接案當SOHO一族；聊到這裡，他一反平常溫文的態度，非常堅決地反對設計師一畢業就自己跑出來接案子！他認為畢業後到設計或廣告公司工作，透過資深設計師的帶領，並且有更多與其他設計師互動的機會，可以迅速地成長；如果畢業後就自己一個人SOHO，因為單獨一個，得自己學習、成長，對長遠的設計生涯來說，會比較吃虧一些！

上班四天，發現有些同事八九點（甚至更晚）才離開辦公室，讓我不禁對自己為何要離開相對安逸的產業界，產生了一些懷疑；不過，有機會碰到更多不同的專案、更多跟其他設計師互動的機會、加上許多朋友的鼓勵，我想，我應該可以撐得下去！

以下是Michael寫給我的信，跟大家分享一下：

Hi Jimmy,

We are very pleased that you have found a new home even though we miss your presence here! I believe you have made a wise decision and I hope the company there is good to you. Politics in design companies can be quite fierce and I hope you take good care of yourself.

One of the important things I learned at Landor and Luxon Carrà was to design with my head (logic) but create with my heart (intuition). That is the balancing act, like on a tightrope.

It is important to love what we do even when it is not going so well! There are many, many ups and downs. Vince is a master at riding them and why he has survived when others have gotten discouraged and dropped away.

We have three new jobs and we are looking forward to them starting. Landmark is a big success and we are starting on the guidelines next week, and some poster work. The four history posters we created for the Landmark tradeshow are going to be printed for company use. Please keep in touch and send us some of your knowledge. We never stop learning!

Best, Michael

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Hi 吉米,
很高興你找到新家，雖然我們很想念你出現在這裡的時候！我相信你做了一個明智的決定，並且希望這公司適合你。辦公室政治在設計公司可能會挺猛烈的，希望你能好好照顧自己。

我在Landor跟Luxon Carrà 學到的一件重要事：用頭腦（邏輯）做設計，但是用心（直覺）來創造！這是一個不斷追求平衡的動作，就像走高空繩索一樣！

喜歡我們所作的事，當事情進行得不是那麼順利的時候，是很重要的！ 過程中總是會有很多起起伏伏，Vince總是能夠把這些起伏駕馭得很好！所以當其他人氣餒或離開的時候，他能夠堅持下去！


我們有三件新工作，並且期待開始進行這些工作。Landmark 的案子很成功，下週要開始製作識別系統手冊，我們在秀展中製作的海報將會付印，分發到公司裡使用。請與我們保持聯繫並且分享你的知識，我們不會停止學習！

祝福你，Michael.

另一封是老闆Vince寫的：

Contratulations!

Glad to hear you have a job. I was not worried. You are a good designer so I knew it wouldn't take you to long to find a job. I too think it is better for you to be with an acency. It will give a a broader range of experience and hopefully it will also be more fun.

We are getting busy now, not to much design work at the moment but that will follow in a few weeks. Leslie is still working on our Web site but has been on Holiday.

My computer died. Dead hard drive. I needed a new one any way. I'm going to get a new Apple MacBook Pro. The weather at the moment is better than it was all summer. Very warm and sunny.

Now that you have a job I hope you can get some time off to come and visit.
Best of luck with the new job, Jimmy.

Take care.

Vince

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恭喜你！很高興聽到你找到新工作，我並不擔心你找工作的事情，你是一位好的設計師，所以我知道找一份新工作不會花你太多時間！我同意你在代理商工作比較好，這將會給你更廣的經驗，也應該會有更多的樂趣！

我們越來越忙，接下來的幾週，會有更多的設計工作展開，Leslie繼續在處理網站的工作，但是這幾天渡假去了！

我的電腦死掉了，硬碟壞了，反正我也需要一台新電腦；我將會去買一台新的蘋果 MacBook Pro！現在的天氣比夏天時好多了，溫暖而且有陽光！

現在你找到新工作了，我希望你有空可以來這裡玩玩。
祝新工作好運，吉米！

照顧自己.
Vince

收到這幾封信給了我許多感動與鼓勵，雖然有些文字只是閒話家常，還是決定貼出來並且稍微翻譯一下跟各位分享，也提醒自己能夠在這些資深設計人身上學到寬大的胸襟與對設計的熱情！

網站搬家

這網站原本是在 iPowerweb 代管，兩年下來倒也沒出什麼差錯，只是這類的代管公司通常會推出許多超讚的優惠來吸引新客戶，一但成為老客戶之後，就一直以原來的空間跟價格跟你續約，使得我的網站空間一直停留在800MB，有時候想跟朋友交換一些大檔案，還真的挺不方便的！

經過一連串的比較之後，DreamHost 成了網站的新家！ 20G的空間，加上每個月1TB的流量限制，對我這小網站來說，是相當足夠的了！價格也是另外一個因素，用了promotion code之後，第一年的價格是美金$9.24, 比註冊一個網址$9.95還要便宜！！