Rants and Raves

the Genral · #1 Posted **Dec 4, 2012, 8:55 PM**

I think we need a thread to voice our opinions instead of doing so on a thread that would take it off topic. We need to keep it relatively civil, by that I mean not hurling insults at the person posting, but I think lively pro and con debates would be interesting. Let's just not make or take it personal.

the Genral · #2 Posted **Dec 4, 2012, 9:08 PM**

For me, in order to accept a building as iconic, it needs to look proportionate and good from all angles.
Frost looks good on its south side, the pedestal detracts from the other 3 sides. One American Center looks good on the east side and terrible on the other 3 sides.
I guess I need to see the Courthouse in person to get a better opinion of it, but from the pics alone I just don't care for it. Do the pictures do it justice, or do I just need to see it in person before I bad mouth it again?

lzppjb · #3 Posted **Dec 5, 2012, 12:53 PM**

I'll rant a little.

While I'm fairly young still (29), but I'm a little old school with names. I refuse to call it anything but Town Lake or The River. I cringe when I see it called it's "official" name.

llamaorama · #4 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 5:25 PM**

I think the courthouse just looks awkward and brutalist and its proportions are weird. Its really big and and many stories tall but basically a cube and the windows obfuscate how many floors it is supposed to have.

Jdawgboy · #5 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 4:19 AM**

I call it the Borg Cube lol.

austin242 · #6 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 6:18 AM**

POWER LINES HAVE GOT TO GO UNDERGROUND!!!!!

. They turn what would otherwise be a really nice neighborhood into only a nice or ok neighborhood.

lzppjb · #7 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 7:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austin242

POWER LINES HAVE GOT TO GO UNDERGROUND!!!!!

. They turn what would otherwise be a really nice neighborhood into only a nice or ok neighborhood.

We have 10 acres in the middle of Lampasas County. Has a nice hill with a grove of 16 old oaks on top, 3 of which are 60-90" circumference. Great breeze and views. No house yet, but someday a little getaway cabin.

So what happens? GIANT power lines get put up about a mile away. Cut right through the hill country. Now that's in our view. So lame.

electricron · #8 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 5:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austin242

POWER LINES HAVE GOT TO GO UNDERGROUND!!!!!

. They turn what would otherwise be a really nice neighborhood into only a nice or ok neighborhood.

Well, it is our choices that determines where the neighborhood power lines go. If everyone didn't move into neighborhoods with above ground power lines, developers would stop building neighborhoods with above ground power lines.....or....if everyone bought new homes in neighborhoods with below ground power lines, that's what all developers would build everywhere.

Supply meeting demand.

Obviously, not everyone cares where the power lines are, therefore you see developers building both types of neighborhoods.

AviationGuy · #9 Posted **Dec 9, 2012, 3:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Well, it is our choices that determines where the neighborhood power lines go. If everyone didn't move into neighborhoods with above ground power lines, developers would stop building neighborhoods with above ground power lines.....or....if everyone bought new homes in neighborhoods with below ground power lines, that's what all developers would build everywhere.

Supply meeting demand.

Obviously, not everyone cares where the power lines are, therefore you see developers building both types of neighborhoods.

I'm betting most people don't even notice power lines. I definitely do, though. I don't mind so much when they run in back of homes or buildings, but in some neighborhoods, they run along the street in front of the houses or buildings. That seems common in many American cities, based on what I've seen on Google Streetview.

KevinFromTexas · #10 Posted **Dec 9, 2012, 4:30 AM**

They run through the backyards in our neighborhood. We have a pole in our backyard actually.

My sister lives in a suburban neighborhood in Del Valle, and the wires are under ground right in the neighborhood. Outside on the major streets they're above ground along the street, but none within the boundary of her subdivision.

austlar1 · #11 Posted **Dec 9, 2012, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Well, it is our choices that determines where the neighborhood power lines go. If everyone didn't move into neighborhoods with above ground power lines, developers would stop building neighborhoods with above ground power lines.....or....if everyone bought new homes in neighborhoods with below ground power lines, that's what all developers would build everywhere.

Supply meeting demand.

Obviously, not everyone cares where the power lines are, therefore you see developers building both types of neighborhoods.

I think here in Austin we are talking frequently about a whole other level of power line. Huge metal poles with very high tension lines carrying large amounts of power ripping through neighborhoods like Rainey St. or 38th ST to the north of campus. SOme really ugly, butt ugly stuff that is unrelated to any developers building plans.

nixcity · #12 Posted **Dec 10, 2012, 1:31 AM**

One of many rants I have is about the vines that wrap around and strangle so many of our trees. It looks real bad as the tree has less and less leaves each year because of them.

gmsalpha · #13 Posted **Dec 10, 2012, 4:23 AM**

I know how bad those gigantic steel power lines look. What's worse to me, is that they don't even get rid of the regular lines, where at least trees could grow without having to be mutilated.

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7250

Anaheim, California, decided to completely convert its system for aesthetic reasons. To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.

I would be in favor of 4% surcharge/month over 50 years to bury all of Austin's lines. Maybe I'm crazy.