mauiBob

Elizabeth, What you’re talking about and the original discussion question are day and night. If you are doing a private estate with a playground, maybe your idea is ideal, but most other clients want those plastic structures which allows kids physical play. Better than PlayStation for 4 hours a day. Sometimes you have to be practical.

Dennis, Read my comments below. Never assume you know the entire story of a design by just looking at its current condition. Maybe the condo home associations board wanted to install it “after” the original design was made 20 years ago to keep the lava rocks from being easily swept onto the sidewalk. Who knows?! Why would someone buy a BMW when a…[Read more]

Jordan, Unless your regional area has a completely different “bend-a-board” product; I have no knowledge of the kind of plastic edging you are referring to. From what I know, even the so-called firmer “boards” bend the same way…maybe you and I are just not familiar with all of the products available in the market.
 
FYI you and Dennis: I stated…[Read more]

WOW!! America has become a country of wimps! I guess I can understand because of liabilities and lawyers. Seriously, the actual playground equipment can do more harm to kids than a 1/2″ or less, protruding edge product in the perimeter. Give me a break!! What’s more likely to cause injury? The climber rock wall, trapeze bar, loop ladder or the…[Read more]

I agree with you 100%, Craig. Now its not just the young yahoos who want to call themselves LAs, but now we get seasoned veterans who never were motivated enough to earn the title. If you tell your family or close friends you’re an LA, then okay…but the minute you start introducing yourself as one in any social situations, you are really…[Read more]

In Hawaii, especially on Maui, about 50% of the construction work uses “Bend-A-Board” and your contractor doesn’t have any idea what they’re talking about…maybe time to consult with another. It’s called bend-a-board for a reason! Enclosed are a couple of photos taken around my condo. The LA firms submit their permit plans for review and…[Read more]

Let me be the devil’s advocate here. If obtaining a license is your main goal, then working in that nonprofit field isn’t going to adequately prepare you for the exam…no matter how many contracts or project management you are doing.
 
Nothing against you and please don’t take this the wrong way, but your case is exactly why I wish LARE would…[Read more]

I agree with nrschmid! In my opinion, graduating students or entry level candidates should NEVER be allowed to take the exam. Or make the exam more difficult: Take out the multiple answer test of Sections A, B & D and replace it with write-in answers. So there’s no chance, zippo, nada of getting it “luckily” correct. You either know it or…[Read more]

…for every success story, there’s about 10 failed stories! Tanya, sometimes you need to fail at something to make you realize that your talent is better suited for another profession.

…I thought it was about hunting for hot chicks! We’re both wrong!

It’s always been my belief that if you’re willing to move and change locations…you can get employment. Compared to same time a year ago, the ASLA job listing now has a “ton” of open positions. I’ve always used it to gauge how well the mainland is doing construction wise. And forget China, India is the next frontier. Watch out for the explosion…[Read more]

Puhlease! Obviously you have no idea how to get a position in the public sector or what we do. Stop drinking the Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker kool-aid. And if you did get a job in a public office…I seriously doubt you would walk like you talk. The original question does not ask private vs public sector employment. So the school’s your…[Read more]

Wow! Miracles do happen! Finally, a subject Russell and I can agree on. I agree with his comments 110%. You might be living in Disneyland or Pixar Studios if you don’t think there’s discrimination of any kind in the workplace. A white man, during 95% of his life span never encounters racial discrimination…unless he is living in Hawaii. Then, he…[Read more]

Aloha Zeke, I never “bashed” Mike and thank you for showing your true motive! You’re a TA in his workshop, meaning you directly benefit. Well, of course you give it high marks! Why only respond to my comments? There are several others here who share my views. Please read their post.
Welcome to the real world, Zeke. No matter how grand your idea is…[Read more]

Ohh Noo, she didn’t?! Claudia, your comment is too juicy to pass up. I’m trying to refrain myself from blowing a gasket! Then, I realized it’s just someone’s opinion…which is on opposite ends of my experiences. I’ll keep my views at a minimum. At my past employers, the married co-workers were always the last ones into the office in the morning…[Read more]

While I respect everyone’s opinions…you can’t convince me the workshop at around $245+ per day plus cost of own food is worth it. All the students that come out of the workshop all possess the same graphic style shown in the book. Nothing worse than cookie cutter style, especially the plan view graphics of trees and shrubs.
 
While graphics is…[Read more]

Don’t pay!! The workshop sounds like a complete waste of time. Save your cash and buy stocks instead. Learn from others and then develop your own techniques and style.

GreenSpace, are you addressing my comments or Michael? Maybe you didn’t read my comments close enough. I never mentioned anything about “old school” vs “new tech” and was merely suggesting to Michael that he needs to get a grasp of what good design is as a first year student “before” diving into photoshop and other softwares. Who are you calling a…[Read more]

Do you know why most of those epic, huge on special effects type of movies turn out to be a bust for viewers? Because it lacks a foundation or story! A great screenplay is a prelude to a memorable film. Learn the basics of great design. Find out what your client wants and give or show them alternatives. Learn to communicate through sketches and…[Read more]

Aloha Lola,
You should’ve been asking this question 2 years ago! By now, you would be an expert in SketchUp and ArcView. Anyway, start with Autocad. The changes from 2008 to 2009+ are quite a huge leap forward. I’m sure Consumes River or Sac City College offer the latest version of autocad classes. Then, photoshop, sketchup, illustrator and…[Read more]