Disqus - Latest Comments for roland

Re: fiene & pssst … blogstrasse

roland — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 12:31:00 -0000

Jetzt aber!
Und...action! :)

Re: fiene & pssst … blogstrasse

roland — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 09:46:00 -0000

Hab mich angemeldet! :)
Nur leider noch keine Bestätigung...

Re: http://www.gorkem-ercan.com/2007/09/sudoku-now-in-your-mobile-phone.html

roland — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:49:00 -0000

Did you see this little sudoku application written in Java! Which one is better Wayne's or this one?

http://www.jroller.com/dk/entry/sudoku_game_for_javaone_2007

Re: NetWorthIQ

roland — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 22:52:29 -0000

This is cool! I can see that it's a work in progress, but I find it very useful. Can't wait to see more people sign up and see where I stand.

Re: http://blog.bodnaruk.com/2007/03/27/film-300/

roland — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:20:05 -0000

Bodimo realni. želim si da bi bili vsi filmi tako dolgočasni in enostavni

Re: ‘Expelled’ Meets ‘Constantine’s Sword’

roland — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:15:29 -0000

Constantines Sword? Where's that playing? Funny,....heard about "Expelled", didn't hear a peep, except this blog, about "Constantine's Sword". Oh and "opening to high critical praise" wonder who the critics are? I guess the same old secular left as usual, claiming the official voice of credentiality, of say, how many in America, 30%, 40%, maybe 50%? What about the other 70%, 60%, or 50%? Wonder what they are saying, except probably none new about it to provide critique.

Re: es war ein mal: ein sommermärchen

roland — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:21:00 -0000

ja wir ham ihn au mit ner tuse angschaut... aber echt der hammer! der olli beim beachen mit stutzen und schuhen. ich hab gedacht ich spinn...

Re: die ersten klausuren sind gelaufen

roland — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 06:50:00 -0000

hi!
ja lief ganz gut, aber vor allem spanisch war echt hammerhart...

Re: Quote of the Day

roland — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:46:00 -0000

Truth may not be all inclusive, but I hope it's infectious.

Re: Lost in Blue 3 Review

roland — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:31:00 -0000

"One stuff up you could say which Konami has done to the game is change the Quick Save to a 'Your Parents want you to do something quick and you need to save the game' saving system. In which that means you then go to the title screen, instead of continue game play. It would be good if it was an option after its saved such as 'End or Continue'. "
Or you could, you know, just clos the fucking lid

Re: Dutch tolerance has it limits

roland — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:19:00 -0000

"It would be strange if they could request information on US citizens for instance."

Why? The US can request information on non-US citizens. They don't think it's strange :)

Nonetheless, it's stupid.

"if you have logging of your chat off, I would say there wouldn't be any proof."

Oh, please, how can you turn chat logging on? Never been able to log those, only by cut'n'paste to Notecards.

Re: Art & Copy : Où ? Quand ?

roland — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:40:56 -0000

Ah ouais moi aussi du coup !

This comment was originally posted on <a href="http://www.oliviermermet.com/blog/2009/08/11/art-copy-ou-quand/#comment-3713" rel="nofollow" title="“Art & Copy : Où ? Quand ?” (http://www.oliviermermet.com/blog)">Blog de nuit

Re: Be Cool, Roma

roland — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:36:32 -0000

per ed hardy conviene andare sul sito e vedere chi sono i rivenditori.ciao.

Re: Gay Parents to Adopt in CO?

roland — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:21:48 -0000

Religious beliefs aren't grounds for discrimination.

Ever.

Re: CO Gay Couples to Adopt: One Step Closer

roland — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:55:20 -0000

Chris,
Religion isn't justification for discrimination.

Re: RE: New Backstreet Boys – “Inconsolable”

roland — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:37:05 -0000

This song is great, thanks!

Re: Spam is a Nightmare

roland — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:55:47 -0000

I use Spam Karma 2 and Referer Karma - that's all I need:
http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/spam-ka...
http://unknowngenius.com/blog/wordpress/ref-karma/

Re: Machtdose Podcast January 2008

roland — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:19:44 -0000

Hi Carsten, vielen Dank fÃ¼r die freundliche Empfehlung. Nicht so wirklich wichtig, aber: den Podcast produziere ich von Berlin aus, Gregor, der andere Machtdosenmitmacher, macht zusÃ¤tzlich die Radiosendung bei Radio X [d.h. also, der Podcast wird unabhÃ¤ngig von der Radiosendung produziert, ich weiÃŸ, das geht nicht wirklich aus unseren Selbstbeschreibungen hervor] - Ã¼brigens gehÃ¶rt Gregor auch zur FreitagskÃ¼che, wenn Dir das was sagt (falls nicht, Ausgehtipp fÃ¼r FFM)

Herzlichen GruÃŸ, Roland (aber aus der Frankfurter Ecke komm' ich ursprÃ¼nglich :) )

Re: New York Times Predictions for 2009, from 1909

roland — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:16:59 -0000

Would the flying bicycles be folding bikes?

Re: The Dark Side of Solar Panels

roland — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:00:27 -0000

There's always tradeoffs with whatever energy source we end up using. That's why energy efficiency will always be more important than what we get our energy from. I'm still rooting for solar (and wind), though. There's lots of ways to get energy from the sun. Some will be better than others. The solar industry is still in its infancy. We shouldn't give up on it yet.

Re: Quote of the Day: The State of Residential Design

roland — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:58:34 -0000

I'd say the problem goes beyond architects and builders. The problem stems from overemphasis on aesthetics, lack of education about green building, dismissal of environmental concerns, rejection of vernacular building techniques as too old to be useful, and a fear of being sued if new ideas don't pan out.

Luke, you are right that it depends a lot on climate. Here in Boise, for example, shady areas are several degrees cooler than sunny areas. Passive techniques rely on manipulating shade and sun on material with a lot of thermal mass. In the humid south, shade doesn't matter as much, because the air will retain heat. So heating and cooling relies more on air movement and reducing humidity. There are passive heating and cooling techniques for just about any climate. If there weren't, our ancestors would have frozen or roasted to death. Those techniques may not heat/cool enough for us to be completely comfortable by today's standards, but they could certainly reduce your need for using the air conditioner/heater all the time.

Re: First Garbage Truck Powered by... Garbage

roland — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:29:49 -0000

Anyone like myself, who based their vision of the future on the movie Back to the Future, has had their hopes dashed continuously since the movie came out. I suppose this is not the proper place to express my disappointment in the lack of flying cars, though. (I heard those hoverboards were actually real, but the government suppressed the technology) It's nice to see electric garbage trucks, at least. Small steps.

Re: Who is Calling Who a Hypocrite? New Ad Campaign Denies Climate Change

roland — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:55:40 -0000

"The Kochs, who are Libertarian, probably think an army lead by Al Gore is going to storm his mansion and sort out his trash for recycling."

Hey, Doug, thanks for a great idea! Who wants to be in my recyclers army? We'll storm Koch's house at 0400 hours. Bring extra bins.

Anyone who joins me will recieve 25 cents for college.

Re: Stimulus Update: Coburn Amendment Modified, Everybody Out of the Pool

roland — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:06:37 -0000

As a landscape architect I'm glad to see parks and highway beautification will be allowed funding. The emphasis on "shovel ready projects" still annoys me, though. Highway workers aren't the only ones that need jobs, and highway workers will need other work after all the shovel ready jobs are over. Would it have been too horrible to fund more of a mix of shovel ready and non-shovel ready projects? Don't architects, engineers and landscape architects deserve work, too, or are we "special interests"?

Re: Wind vs. Nuclear Energy: Wind Power Deemed Far More Dangerous

roland — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:49:30 -0000

Clearly we should cower in fear at the thought of wind and solar. How will we find a place to bury all that left over wind and sunshine? And if terrorists get their hands on that stuff they could blow your house down (especially if it is made of straw) or temporarily blind you by reflecting all that sun into your eyes.

Re: Transparency for Green Brands - to Biodegrade or Not

roland — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:08:57 -0000

What about following the example of the few milk companies that still use glass bottles? I'm sure you've heard of this before. The customer buys milk in a bottle that is returned to the store for a small deposit. The deposit ensures most bottles won't be thrown out. The dairies then sterilize the bottles and reuse them rather than recycling. Obviously, I am not suggesting you use glass bottles for coffee, but maybe you could find a high quality plastic or even a type of cloth.

Re: Federal Judge Rules Against California Almond Growers

roland — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:31:31 -0000

Please forgive a naiive question, but what's wrong with heat treatment? I know a lot a veggies produce chemical defenses that need to broken down by cooking or fermentation. Isn't the same thing true of some kinds of nuts? I think I heard walnuts produce chemicals like that. Please don't get defensive if you grow almonds, since I am not attacking you. I'm just curious.

Re: Light at End of Tunnel Dept: Landscape Architects Designing Chicken Coops

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:12:07 -0000

Interesting. The first landscape architecture firm I worked for did this sort of thing. Here's their website: www.pinyondesign.com . It can be very fun work, but landscape architecture firms like this are rather rare. Permaculture designers and even some architects are a step ahead of the landscape architects. The more conservative landscape architects still insist it has no place in our profession and accuse us of forcing our views on clients (which is untrue, since most clients request it if they want it).

Re: Light at End of Tunnel Dept: Landscape Architects Designing Chicken Coops

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:12:46 -0000

Re: The Days of Oil are Far From Over, Says Saudi Arabia

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:41:36 -0000

Remember in school when you waited till the last minute to do your homework and how you always could have gotten a better grade if you done it weeks in advance? I wonder if the people who run energy companies remember that.

Re: Survey: Do You Use A Microwave Oven?

roland — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:46:32 -0000

I use it to bring things to a boil quickly sometimes and warm up leftovers. But I think what I use it for most often is as a temporary storage place to keep my pets from going after my food when I have to get up from the table. I guess I could put the food in the fridge when that happens, but then it would cool off.

Re: California Drought Means Thousands of Trees to be Cut Down

roland — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:36:36 -0000

Grind the dead trees and spread them on the farms as mulch.

Re: Survey: Should Harassment of Cyclists Get Its Own New Law?

roland — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:21:28 -0000

Maybe we just need more cops on bicycles.

Re: 10 Overlooked Low-Tech Ways of Keeping Your Home Cool

roland — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:47:14 -0000

Richard,

Here are some things I do in my apartment

1). get blinds for your windows and keep them closed during the day.

2). Figure out which rooms will be hottest and close the doors to those rooms (if you have doors between rooms).

3). I don't know what kind of climate you live in, but if it's dry like it is in Boise, it will cool off at night, and you can just open your windows.

4). If you live in a humid climate, try a dehumidifier.

Re: Human Shrub Attacks English Town

roland — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:11:51 -0000

But what about escalation? You know, he plants marigolds and they shoot shrubs with machine guns.

Hasn't he watched the newest Batman movies?

Re: Environmentalists Agog about Airport in Central Park

roland — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:27:47 -0000

Sometimes it's hard to post an intelligent and civil comment. So, all I will say is that this must definitely be a joke.

Re: EATR: The Vegetarian Robot that Kills

roland — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:03:43 -0000

Does it transform into anything?

Re: EATR: The Vegetarian Robot that Kills

roland — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:06:53 -0000

Does it transform into anything?

Re: Bill Clinton Suggests "EVs for Clunkers" at National Clean Energy Summit

roland — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:31:34 -0000

I think one advantage of EV's is that they don't have to be newly manufactured. You can take old car bodies and add an electric motor and you have an EV. I wonder why the major car companies aren't concentrating on that side of the EV market. Why can't Ford (or other companies) allow people to keep their beloved Mustang (or whatever car), but just switch the engine for a motor? Then the dealer could get repeat business when battery technology was updated. I thought dealerships made more money on service than sales, anyway. I've been told this would be an expensive option, but I don't really understand why. Now we will be overrun by old car bodies, which is bad for the environment, too.

What do you think? Is my idea unfeasible for some reason? Anyone want to start a business with me?

Re: Cyclists Cause Less Than 10% of Bike/Car Accidents

roland — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:44:44 -0000

Sinister,

You are right that bicyclists should be cautious and aware. This is not a black and white issue. I think the bicycle is veiwed as a toy here in the US, and so there's not much of an attempt to teach people how to ride safely. The idea seems to be that kids can ride a bike, so it's not complicated enough for major safety programs.

On the other hand, I think what gets ignored by a lot of drivers is that the whole awareness thing goes both ways. If you are the one hurtling along in a several ton vehicle, it is your responsibility to not hit other people going slower than you, not their responsibility to get out of your way. How can they possibly react to you with enough speed to not get hit? There's a reason we require people to have a license to drive a car (and a reason cars have brakes, windows and mirrors).

This whole argument tends to be divided along political lines, which is stupid, since everyone drives or rides a bike at some point.

Re: How Long Will Tomorrow's Automotive Lithium Batteries Last?

roland — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:12:38 -0000

My hybrid uses nickel hydride batteries, not lithium, but I did have an interesting incident concerning them just recently. My engine light was on so I brought the car into the Honda dealership's service center. They ran a diagnostic and told me I would have to replace my hybrid batteries at a cost of $3000. I'm unemployed and could never pay for it, but it's actually a good thing I couldn't. Since then, I have been watching the battery's charge indicator. It's charging and discharging normally. I suspect the problem was with the onboard computer rather than the battery. I've also learned of a company that repairs hybrid batteries so you don't have to replace them. The cost is in the hundreds rather than the thousands of dollars. So if the problem does gets serious, I won't necessarily have to replace the batteries.

Re: Corn Syrup vs. Sugar: Which is sweeter for your diet?

roland — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:20:49 -0000

I agree with the other two posts. The problem is not necessarily corn syrup or sugar. The problem is the amount of it and what products corn syrup is in: fake, food-like substances that are designed to replicate the complete nurtition of real foods but can't. We just don't know enough to make margarine as good as butter or an oreo as good as an apple. We probably never will, and I still don't see much of a reason to try. As Michael Pollan says: eat real food, not too much, mostly veggies.

Re: City Repair: What Happens When Neighbors Paint Intersections (Video)

roland — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:37:41 -0000

Do they hire landscape architects?

Re: Old-School: \$11 of Mods + New Tires = 25% Better Fuel Economy

roland — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:24:06 -0000

Here's another modification to improve gas milage:

Step 1: buy folding bike

Step 2: put folding bike in car trunk

Step 3: park in one spot when you're on the other side of town, take folding bike out of trunk and ride to all the places you need

Or is that cheating?

Re: French Car Gets 7,150 Miles Per Gallon

roland — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:33:39 -0000

The problem with the car is that it is treated as a replacement for our legs and for bikes. It was originally intended to replace the horse and buggy, which was used for long distance transport and hauling heavy things. But people usually get over excited by new technology, and soon everyone had to have one, because speed was considered a thrill. So I agree that we should go back to bikes, walking and public transit, but I think the car will still be needed for it's original purpose of hauling large things. So this sort of research is still useful, but, as everyone keeps saying, our attitudes about the car need to change.

Re: Can an Electric Car Catch a Cold from a Battery Virus?

roland — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:57:18 -0000

Has anyone read the book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. It's by Janine Beynus. She goes through a whole list of technologies similar to this anode. Nature is full of chemicals and structures that humans simply can't make using conventional, energy intensive methods.

Re: Reinventing the Cul-de-Sac

roland — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:45:35 -0000

There's a type of dutch street called a woonerf, that has all the benefits of a cul-de-sac (slowed traffic and...well that's it isn't it?) plus more. The idea is to put obstacles in the path of the cars to slow them down to below 20 mph. This allows pedestrians and bicyclists to share the street with the cars. The street then becomes a social space rather than a highway. They haven't caught on in the US, because drivers don't like the idea of slowing down that much. But, ironically, that is exactly what the beloved cul-de sacs do. They slow drivers down, which increases safety.

Re: FBI Develop Full Size Folding Bicycle: Onyerbike

roland — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:37:02 -0000

I agree about the montague bikes. I own one and enjoy using it. I think the method of folding the montagues seems more stable than the hinge on most folding bikes, but I could be wrong since I've never tested other large folders.

Re: Look No Further than the BBC's Natural History Collection for the Definitive Documentary Series

roland — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:34:35 -0000

I'm a bit disappointed that the collection doesn't include The Private Life of Plants, but maybe I'm the only one who likes plants enough to want it.

Re: Treehugger Buys an SUV - Hell freezes, Arctic Melts?

roland — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:12:21 -0000

At least tell me this dishwasher you are carting around all the time is an energy star model.

[ I get the best man mjo]

[also, the dishwasher is just an example of a typical large bulky object, it could be anything. I'm not in the dishwasher business mjo]

Re: Volcanic Vents Shed Light on a Future of Ocean Acidification

roland — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:34:07 -0000

Sigh.

Re: Amazing Really Old Trees

roland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:00:29 -0000

What species of tree are they?

Re: Oil Substitute Made From Pig Poop Smells Like You'd Expect It To

roland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:05:33 -0000

Car exhaust from gasoline doesn't smell all that great either.

Re: Survey: How Do You Eat Fish?

roland — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:39:06 -0000

Like Gollum. Fresh caught.

Oh, wait. It says to post an "intelligent and civil" comment, doesn't it. One out of two isn't bad.

Re: White House Won’t Open EPA Emails on Global Warming, Part Two: The Funnier Version

roland — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:09:17 -0000

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sigh.

Re: Heart-Beans Grinds Coffee With the Rhythm of Your Heart

roland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:09:22 -0000

This is nothing. My coffee grinder is all electric!! You just plug it in when you need to use it. No more gas powered grinder for me!

Re: Survey: What Will You Be Driving in Four Years?

roland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:03:01 -0000

Apparition? Teleportation?

Re: 5 Alternatives to the Buy vs Rent Question

roland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:23 -0000

There's a great book that people reference a lot, but have usually never actually read, called The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. It is one of a very few books about cities that proposes solutions that are not based on idealism, but on actual observations of how city neighborhoods work the best. I've read quite a few of these "city vs. suburbs" debate articles, and find it perplexing that no one has mentioned this book. How can we talk about making improvements to our cities if we've forgotten how to make city neighborhoods that function well? I encourage everyone to read this book all the way through. The author said a lot more than "Let's put in windows facing the street" (which is what people always seem to remember from this book). And she was definitely not talking about "Soviet style concrete block high rises". If you read this book and then walk through some of the downtown neighborhoods or parks that were built to save the downtown of whatever city, you start to understand what you're seeing a bit more. I am not mentioning this as an argument for or against any of the options presented here. The one coop neighborhood I've actually seen, I actually liked a lot. But it was in a rural area outside a small town, not in a city.

Re: The 7 Best Electric Scooters: From Prototypes to Production Models

roland — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:18:53 -0000

What about the Enertia? Only $2000 or so more than the Vectrix. It's an electric motorcycle rather than a moped, though.

I recently rode an electric moped at a green expo. What I liked about that one was that the battery could be taken out easily and taken upstairs to my apartment for recharging. Would that work for any of these?

Re: The Future of Farming: Vertical or Horizontal?

roland — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:37:16 -0000

I also agree with Zaxxon, because, as Dallas pointed out, there isn't enough room on roofs. We need to use every space we can without losing density. As a landscape architect, I'm very much in favor of using parks for food production, and not just because it might lead to me getting to do really cool projects. In some cases, I think we over use turf grass in parks just like we do in suburban lawns. I realize the turf is important for recreation, but often its used just to cover ground as well. This leads to a lot of extra maintenance. Part of the purpose of a park is to reconnect people with nature. Recreation and conservation are important parts of this connection. If we only use parks for these purposes, though, it's easy to see nature as one big playground and forget that our lives are connected to it through the food we eat and the water we drink. Hydroponics is great for producing food where and when we can't, but it disconnects plants from the soil. Soil substitutes don't have all the microorganisms that plants sometimes need to be healthy and healthful.

Re: Save \$2,100 Per Year In Gasoline Expense - Live Dense

roland — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:59:25 -0000

Q: "...what happens when many cars are plug-in hybrids or complete electric?"

A: Humanity continues to sprawl outward destroying natural habitat and using more space than we need. People become more and more paranoid of their neighbors. Our children get diabetes, because they never walk more than a few feet.

Q: "What happens when homes in the burbs all / most have solar panels on their roofs..."

A: All the homes in cities get them, too.

Q: "... and people have their own veggie gardens (for which they have more room for)? " Deer eat all their veggies, bears root through garbage for vegetable scraps.

Don't confuse suburbs with rural living. No one will ever force you to live in a city. The problem is some people are not like you and don't want to grow veggies and stuff. But they have been brainwashed into thinking cities are evil, so they all move as far away as possible. When everyone does that, we run into problems.

Re: Tricycle Super Hero in Fight for Cycle Safety Episode

roland — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:53:20 -0000

I've wanted a recumbent trike for a while now. I'll have to save for a while, though. I have my eye on a Scorpian FX: http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/scorpionf... />
All my bikes or trikes have to fold, of course. I'm that picky.

Re: Hypermiling Causes Road Rage? Hypermiling a Fad?

roland — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:03:56 -0000

"Now driving slowly may work very well in say, Boise, Idaho."

Actually, even here in Boise I get yelled at. Just recently I was slowing down for a red light a bit early (why speed to a red light). Maybe it was rude of me to not consider that people behind me would want to make a right turn at fifty miles per hour on a thirty mile per hour street. I was blocking the turn lane for a few seconds and the guy behind honked and yelled profanities at me. In this case it was not the slowing down for a red light that made me dangerous, it was not paying attention (That goes for the guy behind me, too, though. I should have looked in the mirror, but he should have looked at my brake lights.). I'd say that is true in most cases. Not paying attention is the real danger. Never assume anything about other drivers.

And now a rant about context: Highways are built for speed. City streets are not (unless you're in the boondock suburbs, but even there they shouldn't be meant for speed, since people live nearby). There is simply too much going on in cities for people to be speeding. Beyond 20 MPH, the human eye has a hard time observing more than a few things at a time. If you are speeding then you miss things, and in a city there are a lot of things happening at once! You will eventually get into an accident by speeding in a city! Furthermore, speeding on city streets simply does not work!!!!!!! There are too many stop lights. For example, every day coming home from work I see drivers speeding around slower drivers and bicyclists. The slower drivers and sometimes even the bicyclists end up catching up to the speeders at the red lights. No math can prove me wrong on this, because I have seen it happen over and over again. Go ahead and whine about slow drivers on the highway. But in cities you are better off going the speed limit and shrugging off the road rage.

Re: “Wall of Trees” Planned to Help Stop Sahara Desert from Expanding

roland — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:05:11 -0000

Liz,

It will probably work, if done correctly. The reason the desert is expanding in the first place is that people are cutting down trees and vegetation, I think.

Re: Another Reason We Like Prefab, and Why Architects Shouldn't Design Cars

roland — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:21:31 -0000

If cars were designed by landscape architects they would be a lot greener.

Re: More Carbon Dioxide = More, Stronger, Poison Ivy

roland — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:47:45 -0000

Won't all plants grow larger with increased CO2?

Re: The 8 Most Important Actions To Go Green - Mathematically!

roland — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:41:30 -0000

I agree, Robert. I wish people understood how much better our rail system could be. The one time I rode Amtrak, it wasn't that bad. But I remember how much faster and more comfortable travel by rail was in Europe. I think opponents of rail are basing what they say on one or two or even zero trips in the US with it's outdated infrastructure. And think how many unemployed people could find jobs if we started rebuilding our rail system.

Re: Pop Quiz: What's Bamboo For?

roland — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:12:13 -0000

Wait. If the question was about what bamboo is NOT used for, and the answer is "e", does that mean bamboo is not used for some of the other possibilities. I'm nitpicking. Sorry.

Re: Fact - Your Life is Worth 4 Barrels of Oil

roland — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:38:25 -0000

Very humbling. I always assumed my life was worth at least 4.5 barrels of oil. Five when I've had too much coffee.

Re: Architects: Your Websites Suck. Read This Post!

roland — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:55:23 -0000

Landscape archtects' websites are much better.

Re: Is Buying Up the Country's Clunkers Smart, Eco-Friendly Policy?

roland — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:50:53 -0000

Another alternative:

If our goal is to increase the use of hybrids and electric cars, why not some sort of conversion program for the clunkers. Maybe the car companies should come up with some sort of conversion service. People with clunkers could bring them in to be converted to electric cars, and pay a lot less than they would have to pay for a new car. It would keep the landfills from getting too full of old cars. It would help the poorer people who can't afford a hybrid or new electric. It would also help the image of the car companies. And the car companies wouldn't immediately have to pay a fortune to convert their factories to make electric cars.

Re: Tree Drawings are Natural

roland — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:51:14 -0000

My brain is being overloaded with sarcastic comments.

Re: The Empire Strikes Black: McCain Leads Team of Saturn Oil Prospectors

roland — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:24:54 -0000

Isn't Titan full of hydrocarbons? Let's just move it into orbit around Earth. We could use another moon. Europa would be nice, too. Lot's of fresh water.

Our moon is pretty boring, actually. All the really cool moons went to the outer planets.

Re: Avoid Interaction With Other Humans in New Train Design

roland — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:40:51 -0000

People may do disguting things on public transit, but isn't it better for people to be seen in public places so they don't do worse things? Things like Szarmadzag mentioned? Vandalism, drug deals and things like that are a lot less likely to happen with large crowds watching. I realize things like that still do occur on public transit, but they happen when there aren't large numbers of people. Other people exist; we need to accept that.

Re: McCain Blows Hot Air on Tire Inflation

roland — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:12:42 -0000

I will go deflate my tires immediately.

Re: Quote of the Day: Michele Bachmann on \"The Perfect Place To Drill\"

roland — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:02:20 -0000

Just curious what the democrat's response was. Anyone know?

Re: The Inalienable Right to Speed

roland — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:16:09 -0000

I'm going to repeat something I said once in a comment for another article. It's a rant about speeding and context. If you are on the highway, a little bit of speeding is alright for getting out of tough situations. But if you are in the city, speeding makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. City streets simply have too much going on. There's pedestrians and bicyclists, who are actual people (no, really!), who do not take kindly to being run over. When you are at speeds over 20 miles per hour, it is hard for you to take everything in at once and your reaction time can't keep up with everything going on around you. Plus, with all the stop lights in a city, most of the time speeding accomplishes nothing. Everyone who is going slower than you simply catches up to you at the next light. I've seen bicyclists catch up to speeders at lights before. It really happens.

Re: iYo Yo-Yo Charger for Power Without Solar and Wind

roland — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:27:57 -0000

I've been told by several people (sarcastically) that if only we could find a way to harness the energy of little kids, we'd have abundant clean energy. Well, one step closer.

Re: HOK and Biomimicry Guild Forge Alliance for Bio-Inspired Design Excellence

roland — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:53:26 -0000

HOK needs a landscape architect then. How can they do biomimicry without a landscape architect? Obviously, they should hire me right away, even though I only have two years of experience and don't have my license yet.

Re: A Review of My Strida Folding Bicycle

roland — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:12:52 -0000

Okay, my turn to review my montague cx. Montague's are full sized folding bikes (26" wheels). They are the Hummers of the bike world, in that they are used by the military, but sold to the public as well. Also, like the Hummer, they get 0 miles per gallon, but for an entirely different reason. Montague actually has a decent selection of bikes. Their website is worth a look.

I bought my bike for three reasons. First, I have a one room apartment. Bikes are sometimes stolen where I live, but bringing my non-folding bike into the safety of my apartment was unrealistic. It took up the entire entryway. My monatagues folds to about three feet by three feet and fits into a small corner with no problem. Secondly, I have a small car and hate using bike racks. I can now bring my bike anywhere I drive. I haven't ever tried to bring it on an airplane or train, but I think it can be done. Lastly, I just wanted a full-sized bike (not that I dislike small folders).

Montague has been reviewed on this site before so I won't repeat the other advantages about the folding mechanism and stuff. From my personal experience, the folding time is actually pretty quick. I have never timed myself, but I'd say it's about 30 seconds. You have to undo the front wheel first, but that's not too much trouble. It fits onto the back seat of my honda civic when folded. The civic (at least in 2003) has very little trunk space, but if I take off the back wheel of my bike, it will even fit in that tight space.

I've had some problems with it. It weighs about 30 lbs. and is a bit awkward on stairs. I had some problems attaching the bike basket to the back because of the seat. But it rides well and has decent gearing. I don't have to look too hard to find parts, since it's a standard size. It was very decently priced ($400). It's just like a normal bike, but it folds.

Re: It’s Not Easy Being Green When You’re In The Red

roland — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:32:35 -0000

Buying ingredients for meals rather than frozen dinners is a good way to go. I've been making my own yogurt and bread and using my slow cooker a lot. It's surprisingly easy and quick. I'm still not the best cook, but I've learned a lot.

Also, keep in mind a lot of green food stores and even some large chain stores give you a few cents off for bringing your own bags, returning bottles, etc. Since I only walk a block to the co-op, they gave me a coupon for $5 off after a certain number of trips. There are always plenty of ways to save without compromising your values.

Re: Joe Could Be A Green Plumber

roland — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:31:36 -0000

Given all the attention Joe's gotten, I'm surprised McCain hasn't dumped Palin as his running mate and made Joe the new VP candidate.

Re: Plastic Logic Previews New e-Reader, But Is It Better Than Paper?

roland — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:00:20 -0000

I am all for this sort of technology. I'd like to see some sort of a larger format, though, maybe an 11 by 17 for things like blueprints or artist portfolios. I doubt paper will ever be completely replaced, though. I think people will still want to draw and paint on paper. The drawing programs they have on computers are getting better but will never match a pencil, pen or paintbrush on paper.

Re: MyFarm Does the Work for You

roland — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:38:58 -0000

I agree, Brennan. Then again, most people would not even have a veggie garden in their yard. It's seen as being too much maintenance, whether that's really true or not. Also, I think a lot a knowledge about farming is never taught to most people, if they don't spend a lot of time seeking it out. So at least someone is willing to farm all that land that might be entirely lawn otherwise (not that I have anything against lawn when it's used right).

Re: Welcome to the 19th Century: Coal Comes Home Again

roland — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:25:29 -0000

Strange how people can be so against bikes and passive solar, because they are considered the old way of doing things, but then they embrace old, dirty ways of heating their homes that have been proven to cause problems.

Re: New York Times Predictions for 2009, from 1909

roland — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:16:59 -0000

Would the flying bicycles be folding bikes?

Re: The Dark Side of Solar Panels

roland — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:00:27 -0000

Re: Quote of the Day: The State of Residential Design

roland — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:58:34 -0000

Re: First Garbage Truck Powered by... Garbage

roland — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:29:49 -0000

Re: Who is Calling Who a Hypocrite? New Ad Campaign Denies Climate Change

roland — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:55:40 -0000

"The Kochs, who are Libertarian, probably think an army lead by Al Gore is going to storm his mansion and sort out his trash for recycling."

Hey, Doug, thanks for a great idea! Who wants to be in my recyclers army? We'll storm Koch's house at 0400 hours. Bring extra bins.

Anyone who joins me will recieve 25 cents for college.

Re: Stimulus Update: Coburn Amendment Modified, Everybody Out of the Pool

roland — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:06:37 -0000

Re: Wind vs. Nuclear Energy: Wind Power Deemed Far More Dangerous

roland — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:49:30 -0000

Re: Transparency for Green Brands - to Biodegrade or Not

roland — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:08:57 -0000

Re: Federal Judge Rules Against California Almond Growers

roland — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:31:31 -0000

Re: Light at End of Tunnel Dept: Landscape Architects Designing Chicken Coops

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:12:07 -0000

Re: Light at End of Tunnel Dept: Landscape Architects Designing Chicken Coops

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:12:46 -0000

Re: The Days of Oil are Far From Over, Says Saudi Arabia

roland — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:41:36 -0000

Re: Survey: Do You Use A Microwave Oven?

roland — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:46:32 -0000

Re: Corn Syrup vs. Sugar: Which is sweeter for your diet?

roland — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:20:49 -0000

Re: California Drought Means Thousands of Trees to be Cut Down

roland — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:36:36 -0000

Grind the dead trees and spread them on the farms as mulch.

Re: Survey: Should Harassment of Cyclists Get Its Own New Law?

roland — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:21:28 -0000

Maybe we just need more cops on bicycles.

Re: 10 Overlooked Low-Tech Ways of Keeping Your Home Cool

roland — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:47:14 -0000

Re: Human Shrub Attacks English Town

roland — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:11:51 -0000

But what about escalation? You know, he plants marigolds and they shoot shrubs with machine guns.

Hasn't he watched the newest Batman movies?

Re: Environmentalists Agog about Airport in Central Park

roland — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:27:47 -0000

Sometimes it's hard to post an intelligent and civil comment. So, all I will say is that this must definitely be a joke.

Re: EATR: The Vegetarian Robot that Kills

roland — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:03:43 -0000

Does it transform into anything?

Re: EATR: The Vegetarian Robot that Kills

roland — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:06:53 -0000

Does it transform into anything?

Re: Bill Clinton Suggests "EVs for Clunkers" at National Clean Energy Summit

roland — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:31:34 -0000

Re: Cyclists Cause Less Than 10% of Bike/Car Accidents

roland — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:44:44 -0000

Re: City Repair: What Happens When Neighbors Paint Intersections (Video)

roland — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:37:41 -0000

Do they hire landscape architects?

Re: How Long Will Tomorrow's Automotive Lithium Batteries Last?

roland — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:12:38 -0000

Re: Robot Designed to Help Earth Plants Grow on Mars

roland — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:17:32 -0000

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the whole idea that we should move to Mars because we will destroy the earth is completely absurd! As Bill Mollison says, we already know everything we need to know to live sustainably. What he didn't add was "on earth". Fixing our problems on earth requires changing bad habits and being a bit more innovative with our technology. Moving to Mars requires not only adding oxygen to an entire atmosphere, but also somehow restarting the magnetic field. We'd also have to add huge amounts of water, even if there is some there. Then we'd have to move all of our population, along with all the animals we need, and enough food to get us established.

It would be cool to see colonies on Mars within my lifetime. But it bothers me that people think this is a solution to environmental problems. This shows a basic problem with the way we think about environmental issues. We always look for very technical solutions and ignore the fact that people survived here for thousands of years before us. Saving the earth means sacrificing a little bit, while colonizing Mars requires a huge undertaking. It's a great science fiction story,but it's not a solution.

Re: Is Aquaponics Cruel?

roland — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:00:43 -0000

I doubt I'm really qualified to make an argument on a subject I know so little about. But I imagine it depends on the species of fish and the practices of the farmer. Follow my uneducated reasoning: some fish tend to stay in dense schools, anyway, and might not mind, and there's a huge difference between a farmer who sees the fish as animals to be cared for and a heartless corporation who views things only in terms of economic efficiency.

Re: We Need Bigger Sidewalks to Avoid the \"Pedestrian Crush\"

roland — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:17:34 -0000

The video didn't work for me. Oh well.

I see another problem here in Boise, ID. Sidewalks here sometimes end very abruptly. There's one area on a fairly major route where the sidewalk ends on one side at the end of a block. So you cross the street to the sidewalk on the other side. Then that sidewalk also ends abruptly, but it begins again on the other side of the street. So you have to cross the street again. It's pretty absurd.

Re: Infrastructurist on Solar Roadway: FAIL

roland — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:17:13 -0000

I think what other posters have already pointed out is that this may be feasible, but is not necessarily the best solution. I like the idea of using the miles and miles of roads we have for energy production, but there are plenty of ways to do it.

Re: We Must Engage the Ethical Dimension of Combating Climate Change, Religious & Civil Society Groups Urge

roland — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:19:37 -0000

I actually see it the opposite way. I don't think we environmentalists stress practicality enough. People have been trying to force different ethics on one another for centuries. It has never worked. Some people just don't care.

Many people who object to the environmental movement do so because they think we are on a high horse. They think we care more about plants and other animals than we do about people. I think this is because we rarely talk about practical reasons for being green except to other environmentalists. We don't really stress the "how-to" aspect of things enough, either.

I actually started a discussion on this very topic a while ago on a landscape architecture networking site: http://www.land8lounge.com/forum/topics/the-bes... />
If you read the book How to Make Freinds and Influence People, one of the things it mentions is that you have to be able to show people what's in it for them if you want to able to convince them of anything. Like it or not, you will never convince anyone by telling them they should do it on moral grounds. Luckily, the environmental movement has logic and precedent on it's side. If we don't stress that, we will get no where.

Re: David Byrne on Changing Road Behavior: \"There's No Poop On the Streets\"

roland — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:35:23 -0000

Drivers say it's not their fault, and bicyclists say it's not their fault. Clearly we should blame Segway riders.

Re: http://jaycerxisempre.blogspot.com/2006/01/mis-abuelos.html

roland — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:28:00 -0000

Juanki,
La primera vez que leí esto, estaba hablando por teléfono con mi Tata (La Negra) y le comentaba que tal vez había algo de mi abuelo en el internet. Cuando lo conseguí, me extraño conseguir algo que hablara de “su” abuelo. Leyéndoselo a mi Tata se me aguaron los ojos. Estaba realmente tan bien escrito y, por supuesto, para otro nieto era sencillamente muy emocionante. Recuerdo que te llamé y te comenté cuanto me había gusta. Yo tenía idea de escribir algo de ellos, pero será más adelante. Ya te diré. Por otra parte fue bien interesante leer sobre los padres de Sylvia. Yo por su puesto los conocí, pero tengo vagas memorias de ellos. Una cosa que recuerdo es que como Adriana y yo íbamos a kínder Tobbi, Mercedes nos recogía a veces. Y también recuerdo la casa de Pablo en el Paraíso al lado de un parquecito al que me llevaba mi Tata y creo que Sylvia también. Gracias por haber escrito sobre tus abuelos, realmente que hay cosas que no se deben quedar allá arriba.

Rolando (Si, tu primo)

Re: Photo-des-Tages #105 – Cell-Mate

roland — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:36:25 -0000

Wo kann man das kaufen?
Finde niemanden der das verkauft, nicht einmal der Hersteller.
Ist ein super Geschenk

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2007/08/pianist-movie-dvd-review-2002.html

roland — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:09:00 -0000

did not see it but it will be on my list

Re: Gay Parents to Adopt in CO?

roland — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:21:48 -0000

Religious beliefs aren't grounds for discrimination.

Ever.

Re: CO Gay Couples to Adopt: One Step Closer

roland — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:55:20 -0000

Chris,
Religion isn't justification for discrimination.

Re: http://edittag.blogspot.com/2007/01/web-edittag-was-stolen.html

roland — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:14:00 -0000

Jangan Kuatir.!!

Orang kayak gitu gak bakal bertahan lama.Tunggu saja,seleksi alam segera datang padanya.Malah kita perlu kasihan sama orang kayak gitu.

Gak Punya Kreatifitas kok Bangga.

Re: http://www.ilanbresler.com/2008/12/2009.html

roland — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:58:00 -0000

Congratulations!