How green is your school, office, or home?
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Dude my building is so green. I work in the Cal/EPA building in Sacramento so we kind of have to be green as an example. Don't get me wrong - I love this building, but some of the green features are a bit wonky.

Here is what the website says (my notes in red).

"Green" Elements at the Cal/EPA Building

Cal/EPA Wins Award

In December 1999, California Construction Link magazine awarded the new Cal/EPA building "Best of 1999 Awards--Outstanding Engineering" for "innovation in air handling, window placement, and recycling, resulting in a 25-story office tower with significant energy savings over California’s stringent energy codes."

Cal/EPA's new home has many environmentally sensitive features. A few are listed below:

• Building design that maximizes daylight penetration through the optimal placement of windows, and by minimizing the number of hard wall offices close to the windows. (AKA - NO ONE GETS A GOOD WINDOW SEAT)
• Dual pane "Low E" exterior glass for energy conservation.
• Super high efficiency/low mercury lighting tubes, and perimeter light sensors that automatically dim the lights when the sun shines in brightly.
• Solar energy generation of up to 55,180 KWH by the 736 photovoltaic panels mounted on the low rise roof.
• Low-flow toilets. (THESE DO NOT FLUSH NUMBER 2 SO WELL...) 
• Each floor has at least two mechanical rooms, which also function as "fan rooms" that serve only that floor, and can flush that floor with outside air, on command.
• Use of environmentally sensitive and resource efficient materials throughout.
• Provision of 25 electric vehicle charging stations on the roof of the city's Lot I parking garage (Cal/EPA is also pursuing solar panels for electrical generation in connection with these stations).
• Siting for the future placement of a 250 KW natural gas powered fuel cell.
• Use of zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints throughout the interior.
• Use of 52 percent recycled-content carpet tiles, with a "sticky-back" feature that does not require wet glue, and therefore significantly reduces the introduction of VOCs into the work place. (YEAH THESE ARE UGLY AS HECK) 
• Special design of the dock area recycling center and recycling collection points on each floor to maximize recycling activities. (WE RECYCLE SO MUCH I DON'T EVEN HAVE A GARBAGE CAN) 

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Chinese year 4707 is the year of the ox. What's your Chinese zodiac animal and what does it say about you?

I was born in 1982, which was the Year of the Dog. Here is what it says about me:

Occupying the 11th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dog symbolizes character traits such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness. Dogs frequently offer kind words and useful advice, always listening and lending a shoulder when necessary. Dogs often become deeply involved in others’ lives and are sometimes perceived as nosy. Ensuring others are happy is more important to the Dog than wealth, money or success.

 I think in general I am pretty much like my zodiac sign. Especially the part about making sure everyone else is happy.

What's your favorite type of donut?
Submitted by tomatshonino.

French cruller

I'm not much of a donut junkie, but my boyfriend loves 'em, so we get donuts a couple times a month. My favorite are the chocolate glazed French crullers. They aren't quite as sweet as regular donuts and they are fluffy and slightly doughy inside. Yum. Perfect with a hot latte!

Who or what do you really love?

I love my boyfriend James and his little daughter too! We've all been living together for a few months now and it's been an adventure and a challenge and worth every moment.

My loves

What would you consider to be your 15 minutes of fame so far in life?

I've been trying to save it up by avoiding interviews from TV reporters and laying low until the time is right. Like I'd really want to waste my 15 minutes of fame unless I was winning a Grammy or something!

How have people mispronounced your name?  How is it supposed to sound? 
Submitted by Lorie.   

This is a good one because my name can be a bit hard to pronounce if you've never heard it before. I have a perfect example of name confusion from the weekend before I went to meet up with my good friend Anna to see Wicked over the summer. Glad I saved this, it's a classic...

Anna: yup. thanks. and so i don't make a fool of myself since i know i used to say it wrong...elo-eeze or eloy-se
me: eloise rhymes with please :)
Anna: ok, i'm really blonde..elease?
me: AHAHAHAHAHA
yeah you are a blonde
Anna: yup, i knew it
i couldn't think how else it rhymes with please :P i'm not an english major
me: Elo-weeze - the first way you had it
if you have a blonde moment just call me elle :P
AHAHHAHAHA - too funny
i'll just make fun of you either way ;)
Anna: ohh. haha. ok. that's what i thought at first. oh wow that does rhyme with please doh sorry for butchering that
butt head :P
me: hahaha
tis okay - i can't say my own name half the time either ;)
Anna: tis okay, you'd butcher my last name ;)
me: nuh - uh...
(last name omitted for privacy)....heavy on the throaty h sounds? right?
Anna: damnit

Who taught you how to ride a bike?

A bike?! Erm...I don't know how to ride a bike! Or at least I think it has been long enough that I've surely forgotten. Last time I was on one (okay, like a year ago), I was utterly confused that the breaks were on the handlebars and that I couldn't slow down by back pedaling so I had to bail out into some bushes to stop myself. Graceful, no?

You must have been a fashion victim at least once in your life. What hideous blunder did you commit? 

Submitted by Tina. 

This must have been in December 1990. I look like a dark-haired DJ Tanner...And that pink fanny pack is hot.

Fullhouse

4 comments

What's on your holiday wish list?

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0
• Creative Zen Vision:M (Pink)
• Wii
• V for Vendetta, 2-Disc DVD
• Any season of Scrubs on DVD
• Any season of 24 on DVD
• A new DVD player (now that I've realized mine is dead)
• No One Cares What You Had For Lunch by Margaret Mason
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• Pilate's Wife by Antoinette May
• Starbucks Gift Cards
• Ikea Gift Cards
• Macy's Gift Cards
• Professional chef's torch
• Christian Bale wrapped in a bow ;)
• Wine - preferably Merlot
  

What's on your Top 5 video games list?
Submitted by mileena.

In no particular order:

• Tetris (any version will do)
• Super Mario World (SNES)
• Legend of Zelda (SNES)
• James Bond 007 (N64)
• Mario Kart (N64)

Yeah, I know I'm old school and I need to get with the future, but I just can't find the time to figure out the new gaming systems. I want to smash PS2 every time I try to play it. I'll take a Nintendo Wii if anyone wants to get me one for Christmas though!