Things to read

TRPinc.:::BLOG:::.: Going With The Grain: Hardwood Flooring Inspired B...

2011-06-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

TRPinc.:::BLOG:::.: Going With The Grain: Hardwood Flooring Inspired B...: "Why does hardwood flooring have to look like a machined product? Why does does a machined natural product have to lose its connection to its..."

ATV Adventure

2008-12-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

ATV Adventure

2008-12-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

ATV - Adventure

2008-12-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

ATV Adventure - video -1

2008-12-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

greenergrassdesign

2008-11-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

great designs for a unique, curated collection of design goods for your home, office, family and pets. Gifts for weddings to birthdays- your search refined.

http://www.greenergrassdesign.com/

test for thesis posting

2008-11-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

Items to Be Addressed

Get your own at Scribd or explore others: Literature Thesis

are you fast enough?

2008-10-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Test your download and upload speeds....

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

How to waste money for the next 30+ years...

2008-09-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Natural Gas Conversions for Pickup Trucks

Hey there all who think this is actually a good idea.... think again.. Look at the calculator at the following website: http://www.transecoenergy.com/pages/calculator.htm. I plugged in my info and this energy monster Pickens is right you can save considerable at the pump.. I would save nearly $400 a year at the pump.. wow right... not really... by the time I buy the conversion kit, install it, and start saving at the pump... it will take me over 31 years to get my "investment" back... this is just as effective as Carbon offsets... putting money in the liberal left's pocket... I would rather put money in the oil companies pockets who will then put that money into drilling in the ANWR or cost lines and we would see our oil/gas prices drop again... (if that incompetent speaker would ever allow a vote... that's right she has nothing to gain from allowing the vote.. only lots to lose as she has invested heavily in the Pickens plan and his "wind farms" that would take farm crop lands from multi-generation farmers so she can make millions... look it up for yourselves) than give my hard earned money to the crazy, people hating left.

these 373.33 months... yeah... that's just over 31 years years!!!

that's what I call a "great" alternative...

Distance

2008-05-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

This is the craziest thing I've seen in a long time. Youhave to get out of your seat and walk away fromyour computer. People may think you're crazy.But it's well worth it. When you look at this picture in acloser look you see its Albert Einstein.But if you stand 15 feet away, It will become Marilyn Monroe. Give a try

http://roeiboot.com/funny/Pics/trust_your_eyes.jpg

::AREA-56::

2008-02-24T22:00:00.001-08:00

Great web site...
Goro is a skilled artist, he has mastered the "new" media of the digital era. His work on display at ::AREA-56:: is living testimony of his mad skills!

"Non-newtonian fluid"

2007-12-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a great design blog website I found today... Designverb.com

the deeper you dig into this blog the more you want to exlore .....

here are a few examples... Non-newtonian fluid or Paint Chip Card Holders

Lyre Bird

2007-12-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

this bird is the best mimic ever! [unless of course, this is fraudulent]

Attenborough - Lyre Bird

Global Warming... really?

2007-11-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a link that made some sense to me and one has to really wonder how and why global warming could be true?

...residents in Argentina and Brazil are wondering if this winter will ever end.

2007-10-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Don’t miss the second session of USGBC’s Carbon Reduction Webinar Series on October 24! Partnering with climate change experts from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, World Resources Institute, and CTG Energetics, Inc., and media partner Stamats Commercial Buildings Group, USGBC brings you its newest educational webinar series.
What You Will Learn
Upon completing this 90-minute webinar, you will be able to:
Define climate strategy
Define greenhouse gas inventory
Describe the benefits of having a greenhouse gas inventory and a climate strategy in place
Plan, develop, and report a greenhouse gas inventory

This is the second of two Foundation sessions that form the basis for the two tracks of the webinar series: Building Projects, and Organizations. The first session of the Building Projects track will premiere on November 28. The webinar series will continue through 2008.

Each session will be registered for one hour of credit toward these continuing education programs: AIA/CES, BOMI, CoreNet, IDCEC, IFMA. Continuing education units will be awarded to the individual whose name is on the webinar registration.

Who Should Participate
Building industry professionals, business and organizational leaders, and others interested in reducing the carbon footprint of their buildings or organizations will benefit from this webinar.

Webinar Sponsor
This webinar session is possible thanks to:

Ozone Hole Science Revisited

2007-09-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

Ozone Hole Science Revisited

Ronald Bailey September 27, 2007, 10:02am
Scientists are commemorating the discovery 20 years ago that man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used chiefly in refrigerators and air-conditioners were responsible for creating the "ozone hole" over the Antarctic. The scientists concluded that CFCs would drift into the stratosphere where they would produce chlorine compounds that react with ice particles and sunlight to efficiently destroy ozone molecules that shield the surface from ultraviolet light streaming from the sun. In 1987, the world adopted the Montreal Protocol to eventually eliminate the production of CFCs. Activists often cite the Montreal Protocol as a model for a future treaty addressing man-made global warming by banning the emission of greenhouse gases. A Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded in 1995 to the three scientists who identified the ozone/CFC connection.
This neat story of the scientific identification of a man-made cause for stratospheric ozone depletion followed by a successful international response to the threat is now being challenged by some very recent research. News@nature.com (sub required) is reporting a new analysis by Markus Rex, an atmosphere scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany, which finds that the data for the break-down rate of a crucial molecule, dichlorine peroxide (Cl2O2) is almost an order of magnitude lower than the currently accepted rate.
What this could mean according to the Nature news article is that:
"This must have far-reaching consequences," Rex says. "If the measurements are correct we can basically no longer say we understand how ozone holes come into being." What effect the results have on projections of the speed or extent of ozone depletion remains unclear.The rapid photolysis of Cl2O2 is a key reaction in the chemical model of ozone destruction developed 20 years ago2 (see graphic). If the rate is substantially lower than previously thought, then it would not be possible to create enough aggressive chlorine radicals to explain the observed ozone losses at high latitudes, says Rex. The extent of the discrepancy became apparent only when he incorporated the new photolysis rate into a chemical model of ozone depletion. The result was a shock: at least 60% of ozone destruction at the poles seems to be due to an unknown mechanism, Rex told a meeting of stratosphere researchers in Bremen, Germany, last week.
Other groups have yet to confirm the new photolysis rate, but the conundrumis already causing much debate and uncertainty in the ozone research community. "Our understanding of chloride chemistry has really been blown apart," says John Crowley, an ozone researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz, Germany.
"Until recently everything looked like it fitted nicely," agrees Neil Harris, an atmosphere scientist who heads the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit at the University of Cambridge, UK. "Now suddenly it's like a plank has been pulled out of a bridge." ...
Nothing currently suggests that the role of CFCs must be called into question, Rex stresses. "Overwhelming evidence still suggests that anthropogenic emissions of CFCs and halons are the reason for the ozone loss. But we would be on much firmer ground if we could write down the correct chemical reactions."
Of course, it may be that Rex's research has gone wrong somehow or that another chemical mechanism involving CFCs will turn out to be chiefly responsible for ozone depletion. Nevertheless, it is good to keep in mind that all scientific results are provisional and may change in the light of new evidence.
By the way, for anyone who cares about my own take on the ozone hole/CFC issue, in chapter 8 of my 1993 book, Eco-Scam: The False Prophets of Ecological Apocalypse, I concluded:
Despite a great deal of continuing scientific uncertainty, it appears that CFCs do contribute to the creation of the Antarctic ozone hole and perhaps to a tiny amount of global ozone depletion. If CFCs were allowed to build up in the atmosphere during the next century, ozone depletion might eventually entail significant costs. More ultraviolet light reaching the surface would require adaptation—switching to new crop varieties, for example—and it might boost the incidence of nonfatal skin cancer. In light of these costs, it makes sense to phase out the use of CFCs.

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/122712.html

The Beer-Launching Refrigerator

2007-08-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

previously posted on 4/11/07

Beer-Launching Refrigerator

Do you think the BAC will install one of these for us in the studio?

County official caused pileup, LV police say

2007-08-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 4/11/07

This is from todays Las Vegas Review-Journal, writen by By FRANCIS McCABE, REVIEW-JOURNAL

A Clark County building inspector fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run wreck caused an eight-vehicle pileup at Desert Inn and Sandhill roads Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Seven people suffered non-life threatening injuries in the 1:45 p.m. crash, said Las Vegas police spokesman Jose Montoya. They were taken to area hospitals.

The driver, identified by county officials as Jeffrey D. Sudweeks, was fleeing at a high rate of speed from a wreck at Desert Inn and Horizon Street, Montoya said.

"This looks pretty nasty," Montoya said.

Investigators will be working to determine whether Sudweeks was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, suffering from a medical condition, or intentionally driving recklessly, Montoya said.

Sudweeks has not been charged, but the investigation is ongoing, Montoya said.

The intersection was closed for more than four hours after the wreck.

Sudweeks has been with the county Development Services Department since Sept. 15, 2004.

County spokesman Dan Kulin said that if a medical condition caused the crash, the county would require a physician to certify that Sudweeks was able to perform his job.

Sudweeks will be asked to take a drug and alcohol test, and if he does not release the results, he will face disciplinary action, Kulin said.

"Safety is our utmost concern," Kulin said. "We will be conducting a complete review of the incident and the circumstances surrounding it."

Sudweeks is one of about 150 county building inspectors whose responsibilities include checking to see that construction conforms to plumbing, electrical, mechanical and structural building codes.

EDITORIAL: 'In the dust'

2007-08-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

previously posted on 4/11/07

This is from todays Las Vegas Review-Journal,

Democrats campaigned and won control of Congress last year on their withering criticism of President Bush and "do-nothing" Republican lawmakers. They vowed to change the culture of Washington and bring a renewed work ethic to the Capitol.
After a few months in the majority, Democrats are mighty pleased with themselves. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this Congress has left its predecessor "in the dust." Her charges have boasted of legislation to increase the minimum wage and establish a timetable for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Meanwhile, their efforts to undermine the Bush administration have not ceased. News conference sound bites are the light stuff. Democrats are now using committee hearings to extract pounds of flesh, and they're traveling abroad to torpedo the State Department's foreign policy.
It's a curious strategy considering Democrats need President Bush's signature to turn their initiatives into law. In fact, the numbers show the only thing that's "in the dust" is the Democrats' agenda itself.
"Democrats have successfully passed 16 bills into law, 10 of which name a federal building, post office, courthouse or national recreation area," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. "Zero make any legislative impact on fighting the war against Islamic extremists, balancing the federal budget, creating jobs, cutting pork-barrel spending or saving Social Security."
Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle like to judge the performance of an elected body based on the number of laws its members create. Such a formula doesn't evaluate whether the new laws bring new forms of regulation, intrusion and taxation upon Americans.
It's a good thing that this Democratic Congress hasn't been able to force any of its most dangerous ideas into federal statute. And as long as the party's leaders insist on demonizing the White House, their legacy will be as undistinguished as the big-spending Republicans who came before them.

Better Living Through Activism

2007-08-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 3/24/07

These carbon offsets.... are they really effective?

Better Living Through Activism

The counter-part to the 3D model printer

2007-08-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 3/19/07

Here is a crazy cool article using the same principles of the 3D model printer that we heard about at Chris' office. Some us were able to touch and examine the product of the crazy "printer" that created the model... I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the technology that can create a 3d model from a printer and line drawings.... but to imagine a printer that can create human skin from human skin cells... WOW!!!!

take look at the article.

http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_skin_printing.html

Nation, Meet the New Rebels

2007-08-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

an article from the Sports Illistrated online blog by Luke Winn.

"... The Rebels' underexposure meant much of the nation, up until this week, was unfamiliar with an astoundingly good basketball team. One that, even at this late juncture, is still in need of a proper introduction. "

for the rest of the article please Click Here

"BUY HERE, LIVE ELSEWHERE"

2007-08-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 3/16/07

"Local analysts estimate that investors and second-home owners comprise anywhere from 60 percent to 75 percent of the high-rise condo market in Las Vegas, leaving towers at Turnberry Place, Park Towers and SoHo Lofts as dark as caves in a city where lights define the night."

for more on the article click here!

May be it is not a "vertical sprawl" but I don't believe this is the best way to develop the Las Vegas downtown.

Rich and famous towering above the masses

2007-08-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 2/26/07

Here is yet another example of the "residential housing" that is being developed... yet it is not developed for the residents of Las Vegas, but for the "tourist" component of Las Vegas. This article if from the 'Las Vegas Sun' written by Liz Benston.

Here is the link: Rich and famous towering above the masses

Although this type of development is exciting and progressive and has been approved by the City/County, is this really the type of growth Las Vegas needs? The article title says it all, instead of creating separation of the "haves" and "have-nots" with urban sprawl (which many have decided that to be evil and all that is wrong with communities) these developments are doing the same thing in a vertical dimension. How is this to be any better or more successful than the typical urban sprawl? If we re-examine Brickford's essay from the beginning of the semester and apply her principles to the context of these developments; don't we still have the same issues?

'Urbanist village' planned near Henderson air field

2007-08-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 2/23/07

"We're sick of post-World War II homes," he said. "We fell in love with our cars and fell out of love with our neighbors. The street ends up looking like a line of garages."

Focus Property Group Chief Executive Officer John Ritter

Click here for the article link.

Learning from Las Vegas: The Book That (Still) Takes My Breath Away

2007-08-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 2/19/07

Here is another site that offers insight to importance of the book "Learning from Las Vegas" 1972.

Here is the link: Learning from Las Vegas: The Book That (Still) Takes My Breath Away

Here is a quote from this site posted by John Massengale...

"As an architect and urbanist, it seems to me that graphic design suffers from the same problem as architecture and urban design. Namely, the Modernist idea that design is about the heroic singular vision of the designer (see Howard Roark). Frankly, this is why our cities are so f***** up.
In the traditional city, the first role of the architect is to shape the public realm: the city is more important than the building. Within that framework, the civic building is more important, and gets a place of honor. But the idea doesn't work without the framework.
Peter Eisenman, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid et al don't believe this. They think the purpose of architecture is to allow them to erect monuments to their own genius."

This site is full of discusion....

Revenge of the Small

2007-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Previously posted on 2/19/07
Here is an article I ran across doing some research on Hardi Panels. The concept of building another single family home in the back yard of another is intriguing. Although this particular site was legally zoned for this type us us, etc, etc, I wounder how many people would support or oppose selling their back yard for $30-50K to let someone else build their home.

here is the link from an article on Businessweek.com

should it be in the code or city ordinances?

2007-08-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

Here is a great blog regarding the legality of green codes as city ordinance.

LEED Ordinances: Unlawful or Not? Philosophically Speaking...

also another kink for the same topic...

Stephen over at GreenBuildingsNYC

by the way, with the summer approaching (well in Vegas, it has been here for a little over a month) I am looking forward to the next semester!

"NCARB Votes to Allow Taking Portions of ARE Concurrent with IDP”.

2007-08-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

Here is a news letter that I just recieved regarding taking portions of the ARE while completing IPD.

Here are a couple of links to read:

Letter from the Editor (found on the AIA web site) and
Implementation resolution to be voted on next year (also found on the AIA web site)