mauiBob

How come you didn’t congratulate me too? As for Miss Renton’s case, I doubt that happened. Maybe she passed the first time and the process took extra time to correct itself. I thought those “frivolous” redline reviews only showed your mistakes without further explanation. If the redline reviews would cease for two years with nobody forking over…[Read more]

If you heard me say these comments, then you would know I have a friendly voice. My “opinions” are brutally honest and I refuse to look at situations through rosy colored glasses and dance around the subject matter!

Make that one grading plan in 12 years and counting!..
Yeah, that’s one measly grading plan as in Uno. Comprende amigo? Why only one? Because, if you look at my previous places of employment, which are comprised mostly of large scale design firms. They tend to favor the large conceptual, design development and Master site planning. The Civil e…[Read more]

You LAs crack me up with your obsessions to pass the test! That is your first downfall. I didn’t take this exam until my 9th year in the profession and passed all sections on first try. Why? Because I didn’t place any self imposed pressure on myself and go through all the money inducing LARE workshops and fancy preparations. The job you’ve been…[Read more]

If you’re willing to move out of your present city and state…then there’s jobs all over the place!! So many American design firms need workers in China or overseas. Go there for 2 or 3 years!
I’ve seen more job ads in ASLA job listing now than I did last year. Things are slowly picking up! Yet, if I was a student…no way I pursue this…[Read more]

David,
Spoken like a true Republican! I’m not going into a political debate, but Government and Private sector need each other. Neither one has all the answers and solutions, both require checks and balance! 
If you let “private sector” have its way, you get guys like Bernie Madoof and Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom. Most economists agree the two…[Read more]

Landscape Architects to form a Union?! When I stop laughing long enough, I’ll put in my two cents worth of an opinion.

You said it all, brother! Haha. Excellent post.
 
And let me add about our friend the civil engineer. Just yesterday, we LAs and Planners came across this plan. This is a high end hotel design with beautiful landscaping, lighting, signage, etc. The engineers decided to place the backflow preventer, all the utility boxes…right in front of the…[Read more]

The “girl you meet in a bar” is more interested in knowing what landscape architects do than a boring, yawn civil engineer! And the girl you meet in a public library or art gallery is curious about your occupation, but the bar girl only cares for how much you make and the car you’re driving!
 
Other than the small backyard, I don’t see much of a threat.

Are you kidding me? Have you seen all the ridiculous and ill-conceived designs made by engineers out in the public spaces? Most have no aesthetics quality or even know what that means…zippo, nada, ziltch! You haven’t been in the profession long enough, otherwise you wouldn’t ask the question about architects and engineers being able to “stamp”…[Read more]

Thomas, you absolutely crack me up, brother! You really are down about this profession. One of these days, an employer (future) is gonna make you feel like a kid in a candy store…again! Like your college design studio days when you can do any design with no budget concerns.
 
15 minutes of time wasting! Maybe the small 600sf backyard can get…[Read more]

Everyone above made some great points!

The RLA is all you need and the rest is fluff. Complete Fluff! I would advice others to not waste time with LEED, AP, etc “until” you first get licensed. Then, do the other things to boast your ego. I see plenty of entry level grads with LEED and are they more knowledgeable than myself or someone with an…[Read more]

Hey hey, is this Andrew from U of I? The former Vandal. How are things? Have you heard from any of our classmates? Jen G is the only one I know of that is still in landscape architecture, well sort of anyway. Everyone else disappeared.
Yes…I’m still waiting for the Chargers to win a Superbowl…maybe forever waiting!

Aloha Craig,
You goofball! My comments were directed specifically to Thomas and BZ Girl. If you read my original post, it had no mention of Hawaii and anything else about my personal life. Thomas decides to inject the “lets hear your sob story” questions.
And did you read Jersey man and his comments to me regarding “fluff” statements? Am I suppose…[Read more]

Aloha! This is harsh but truthful. From my personal experience with entry level positions:
Forget the “formal knowledge” of regional vegetation. You’re not gonna do the plant design anyway and certainly won’t select it for use. You will learn on the job as you do the redline or setup the production work in autocad. Site analysis? Are you kidding?…[Read more]

I love it!! Thanks for the info. Mahalo. I’ll try to read it this weekend.

Please read above my comments to Thomas!! And pay CLOSE attention to paragraph 4, beginning with “Obviously”. Some of us really do have dream jobs we love and live in paradise too. If I lived in Jersey, I wouldn’t look forward to a day in the office either. 
“Odds are that if you quit, the next job you find will only be crappier.” Well said. P…[Read more]

Okay…we’ll have to agree to disagree and stop it there! I see this going around in circles.
Thomas, your “experience” is nothing compared to my so-called sob story. You are single and can move about in an instant, basically…liquid. Shoot, job opportunities should be knocking on your door day and night. Food? Who needs it? 2 meals per week are p…[Read more]

Huh…What are you even talking about? Did you read my previous comments on page 4? Yeah I know there are people who look at the glass half empty. If money is the first reason on why you accept a job, then you won’t be there for long. Obviously, you haven’t walked in my shoes or know the circumstances of my life, so you shouldn’t make such…[Read more]