[Mark Simmons]

Hi Blake,
JC’s response is that they will wait and see. There was no commitment either way. Administration’s logic is that they want to make sure they have enough enrollment in L2 for Fall 2010. I understand their concern.
I’m having a nice summer. No stressful classes, just a drawing course. Hope you’re having a summer as well. see ya
Mark

[Mark Simmons]

I’ve noticed that windows in bootcamp runs incredibly fast on my new macbook (even faster than on my Dell laptop and seemingly faster than Mac operations in OSX…weird) even if it feels a little “out of control” sometimes. The touchpad sensitivity is extreme. I’m not sure why it would behave differently on the same computer when in Windows vs. ) OSX. Other odd things occur like my hand will brush against the touchpad and half a paragraph of text suddenly is highlighted, but when I go to highlight text manually, I’m unable to cut and paste. Not sure if anyone has had this problem.

[Mark Simmons]

That’s helpful, Lee. I’m thinking I’m just going to get Photoshop for Mac even though it’s more expensive. Then I’ll just use Windows/Bootcamp for AutoCad. I’m having some trouble getting the MacBook touchpad to work efficiently in Windows (when running applications like Word). Not sure why. I’m not able to highlight/delete, etc. Not sure if anyone else has had these issues.

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks, Blake. Havala already signed, but I’ll talk to Joel.
Mark

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks for responding Joshua, that’s the line of thinking i’ve been heading towards. It makes sense to run OS native software on Mac, even though it’s more expensive to purchase. Do you have experience running Autocad on bootcamp (versus Parallels), and how well the response is?

[Mark Simmons]

Versailles is well worth a visit once in a lifetime. It’s grand and over the top, but classic. You’ll get a good sense of what Andre LeNotre’s great shaft of space means. I agree that unless you’re really into Baroque interiors, skip the indoor door. When I was there with friends we had a picnic in the gardens, along with hundreds of other people. There are other spaces well worth visiting, as well: Jardins des Buttes Chaumonts near Pere LaChaise cemetary, which is well worth a visit. Also Viaduct des Artes (an interesting raised planted walkway), Parc Andre Citroen (a must see!!!), canal St. Martin, Jardins du Luxembourg (more classic), the architecture inside the Institut du Monde Arab is amazing. There’s lots of large and small plazas, which one stumbles upon just by wandering around Paris. Paris is easy to visit as a tourist since many major roads radiate out from plazas. There’s a great pocket mapbook you can get in any bookstore in Paris called “Paris Par Arrondisements”. Paris is divided up into sections called arrondisements and the book logically follows the city plan. It includes Metro stops and points of interest. Have a great trip!

[Mark Simmons]

I was only in Atlanta for a day but managed to get a taste of things. I visited Piedmont Park and the gardens, which were georgeous, even in winter, Centennial Park, and drove through Virginia Highlands neighborhood. I wasn’t sure what to llook for in the highlands, only saw houses and shops. It is a charming neighborhood. I must have missed the parks or open spaces. Managed to have lunch in Atlantic Station on the way back. It’ll be interesting to see how it develops, since a lot is still under construction. I like the way the plan brings people out into the street, as opposed to an indoor shopping mall. Good choice of restaurants, etc. Not having seen much of it, it’s hard to comment, but it’d be nice to see more parks/fountains.
I liked Centennial Park but the only comment I have is that the beautiful sweeping vistas give way to uninteresting architecture in the background.
I’d like to come back again someday and see more, especially during spring or summer when everything is green. Thanks again for the suggestions!
Mark

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks for responding, Jason. I’ll be in a car, but I’d like to centralize and walk as much as possible. or take public transport, if possible. I only have an afternoon and evening, actually, but would like to see a couple of sites at least. Piedmont Park seems pretty central, it seems, at least according to a map I have. I just saw the news about the walkway that collapsed in the gardens. Tragic. Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Mark

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks for your reply.
The city. I’m in transit for a couple days in Atlanta while en route to Tennessee, so I’m open to suggestions as to where to stay and what to see. I hear the botanical gardens are nice. Is centennial park easy to find?
Mark

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks for all the great advice! Wow, I’m still not sure what to do but love hearing the conversation.

[Mark Simmons]

I’ve seen other students who’ve had Mike Lin’s workshop, and as professional as it looks, it kind of all looks the same to me.

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks Amy,
I’ve been taking coursework with Berkeley’s Extension program (history, graphics, intro to design, etc) but am hopefully beginning an MLA program in Tennessee Virginia next year. I like the idea of learning more hand drawing and drafting skills, which I think take much longer to learn than computer skills, but am not really sure how relevant to the profession it is.I know computers but have never worked with any design software. I wasn’t sure if I should take some computer classes this far in advance of possibly using those skills later in an internship, since I would imagine one has to practice at it in lieu of losing those skills.
Mark

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks, Lisa, for the suggestions on what to see in Seattle. I rented a bike and spent an entire day riding around Seattle from park to park. I was amazed at how beautiful this city is, and really impressed by all the landscapes. I hope to go back again soon to see some things that I missed.

[Mark Simmons]

Thanks a lot, Lisa. I will only be in Seattle for 24 hours and I’ll try to see as much as I can.

[Mark Simmons]

I look forward to it!

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