Slog - Comments on ''We turned a lot of backyards into an oasis." http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas For those looking for hot business opportunities, consider the market for this commodity: fake palm trees: About 50 percent of the business is still residential, but commercial customers now demand half of his attention. A growing number of them are communities or telephone companies interested in hiding the ''visual pollution'' of cell towers. Beringer said he's in a niche with few competitors, and — aided by a weak dollar that makes American products more affordable to foreign buyers — he's been fielding requests from El Salvador to India. The disguised cell towers, in particular, ''are becoming quite popular'' overseas, he... Copyright 2008 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:17:44 -0800 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:01:44 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Uncle Vinny Bless you, Charles, for bringing a little tropical light to our grey Monday.

]]> Uncle Vinny http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171336 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171336 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:11:42 -0800 Comment by olechka Charles, why why why do you objectify women in pretty much every post you ever write? Is there some sort of philosophy behind it? Do you believe that women exist simply for your sexual gratification? Maybe if you could give a rational reason for this, we the readers could find you a bit less despicable.

]]> olechka http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171338 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171338 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:11:57 -0800 Comment by LDP Please post more recipes with palm fronds in them. (Delicious.)

]]> LDP http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171343 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:14:29 -0800 Comment by Mikki Could you please post another lady, possibly with more T&A? This one is a little too "dance 10, looks 3" for my taste.

]]> Mikki http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171346 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171346 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:14:46 -0800 Comment by Fnarf @2, why do you assume that Charles believes women exist SOLELY for his gratification? Certainly no one could disagree that they exist IN PART for that reason, for him and for everyone sexually oriented towards them. So where are you getting this "simply" from?

Oh, wait -- it's October. Classes have started. Duh.

I would like to point out that most workplaces don't make a lot of fine distinctions in their prohibitions. "Using office computers to view pictures of naked women" doesn't usually make any allowances for angles of view or bits that are visible.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171350 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171350 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:17:23 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 @2 if you really knew Mudede you would know that this post was really an excuse to eroticize about and objectify concrete.

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171355 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171355 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:19:30 -0800 Comment by John Bailo A few more years of global warming and the real thing will be native to Kent.

]]> John Bailo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171368 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171368 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:25:40 -0800 Comment by Don't Spoil My Monday @2
Settle down Mabel.

]]> Don't Spoil My Monday http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171395 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171395 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:39:53 -0800 Comment by olechka #6 You are right. I don't really know Mudede. This is why I am giving this the benefit of the doubt and trying to understand how his view of women relates to to posting nude photos of them next to totally unrelated posts. Because maybe there is some actual relevance I am missing.

#5 Classes may have started, but I do not see how my PhD courses in Chemical Engineering are relevant, do you? Even though I happen to be a woman, I also happen to be attracted to them. So I very much enjoy the female body, and photos of such. However, I cannot help but think that Charles uses these women and their bodies as decoration, completely irrelevant to the point of the post. If he had a series of posts titled: sexy girlie pictures, then great. But he is discussing politics, or economics, or whatever, and this seems like he only sees women's contribution to these subjects as relevant if they are showing T&A.

]]> olechka http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171405 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171405 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:43:25 -0800 Comment by superyeadon wack wack wack, huh charles?

]]> superyeadon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171406 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171406 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:43:41 -0800 Comment by Hartiepie @9---Charles' posts help me whenever people point out how sexualized gay culture is. The man can't write fake palms without including naked women. At least he avoided his favorite pompous third person style of "What do we see? We see..."

Oh ugh... I dont know why I bother....he obviously doesn't care what others think of his puerile ramblings here...

]]> Hartiepie http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171421 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171421 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:49:39 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi I'm about as rabid feminist as they come, but Charles' posts don't bother me for some reason. Maybe it's because I get the sense that he genuinely likes women, which is an all too uncommon trait among straight men.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171424 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171424 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:51:56 -0800 Comment by Karlheinz Arschbomber Whatever. I'm as critical of Mr Mudede as the next slogger, but in this case, keep the great photos coming, Charles.

I've seen those fake-tree cell towers. They look like absolute shit, not sure they are an improvement over the basic ugly functional cell tower.

]]> Karlheinz Arschbomber http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171472 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171472 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:14:01 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways Charles has been auditioning to be Playboy's House Pundit for how many years now?

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171499 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171499 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:26:33 -0800 Comment by Greg Is it really Monica?

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171524 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171524 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:36:41 -0800 Comment by erin @11 "we" is first person

sorry, i just had to.

and i hate chaz's use of women as decoration, too. blech.

]]> erin http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171529 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171529 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:40:35 -0800 Comment by hartiepie @16--you're right, of course. I was thinking of first person plural and the royal We, and how readers are expected to agree with The Writer etc but I messed up....

]]> hartiepie http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171548 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171548 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:53:25 -0800 Comment by olechka hi erin. olechka is olga by the way. funny.

]]> olechka http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171557 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171557 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:58:02 -0800 Comment by Frank Sinclair Charles, do you have any photos of this chick showing copper and bush?

If so, please post.

]]> Frank Sinclair http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171587 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1171587 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:18:00 -0800 Comment by brian "In northern locations, the same processes are used to mimic pine trees"

Wait, what? Northern locations? How come I've seen these in Los Angeles then?

]]> brian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1172146 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/we_turned_a_lot_of_backyards_into_an_oas#c1172146 Money Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:01:44 -0800