text:
Town Square
Is fireplace smoke second hand smoke?
Original post made by Paulette Kenyon, Val Vista, on Dec 29, 2007
Recent letters from a woman who wrote to a few local newspapers complaining about how fireplace smoke makes her horribly ill every winter brought this issue back up for me. I suddenly knew that I wasn't alone in my suffering from fireplace smoke.
Last year, my good friend's son died on Xmas eve from cystic fibrosis, a lung condition. I have no doubts that fireplace smoke makes people with lung problems ill in the winter; and, I wouldn't be surprised if that is what pushed him over the edge.
I've noticed when I take a walk with the dog that I feel worse when I walk by patches of the artificial log smoke than when I smell ordinary wood smoke that doesn't also have the smell of burning garbage mixed in. I went to an allergist to see if I am allergic to fireplace smoke. He told me that fireplace smoke is a toxin; and, that people aren't allergic, that we are suffering genuine responses to a toxin. So, I guess some of us are the canaries in the coal mine.
I wish that people didn't feel the need to have fires in the winter. But, I know that people are almost militant about this issue. Tonight as I write this, my lungs hurt and I feel sick. I couldn't take the dog out today because it was too smoky outside. I don't know how many people suffer from fireplace smoke. Maybe there are only a few of us, maybe thousands. I wish more research would be done on this subject, though; particularly in regards to those artificial logs (that I believe are worse).
This problem for me began about 5 years ago and I have no idea why all of a sudden I have this reaction. But, it has made me sensitive to the difficulties that those who have asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and other pulmonary disorders must endure.
If cigarette smoke can be considered a public nuisance, than I think it is only reasonable to admit that fireplace smoke is just as injurious if not worse. People can usually escape cigarette smoke, but, people who suffer cannot escape the abundant fireplace smoke that fills the air every winter in the trivalley.
Comments (34)
a resident of Birdland
on Dec 31, 2007 at 9:55 am
It is sad about your situation but banning fireplaces is probably not going to make it that much better. Part of the reason we light fires in the winter is to conserve money on our heating bill. We save a lot of money but liting a fire and heating our house, not to mention the family time we spend together by the fire. Most people only light fires in the late evening, maybe you can take your dog for a walk during the day when it is warmer or take him to a park where there is no smoke that you are walking past (yes, I know it is in the air but probably less the more you go away from houses.) You also should see a doctor to make sure there is nothing wrong with your health. A sudden onset of all this probably means you should get it checked out.
Like I said, sorry for your situation but having a city deny people to have a fire isn't going to help. Imagine the cost of having to regulate that and the money PG&E is going to make off the heating bills!!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Dec 31, 2007 at 10:08 am
Just the facts:
Emissions Profile for Alameda County
Source: BAAQMD
Particulate Matter
On- and Off-Road = 40%
Wood Burning = 37%
Metals & Minerals Manufact. = 1%
Commercial Cooking = 12%
Geological Dust(construction, road dust) = 10%
Web Link
a resident of Val Vista
on Jan 3, 2008 at 10:48 am
Thanks Birdland for the response. I do walk my dog in the day and wouldn't go out at night for love or money during these smokey winter months. You'd be surprised how many chimneys are belching out smoke in the middle of the day during the winter. I've heard that chimneys suck the warm air out of the house, leaving only the area directly around the fireplace warm; that it doesn't save energy or not a great deal. Energy saving furnaces really do make a huge difference. But, I know that some wood burning stoves also save energy; and, I'll take your word for it that you, personally, are saving alot of money.
I have seen doctors about this problem. They give me asthma medications, nosesprays, and all kinds of drugs to supposedly make it better. They help a little tiny bit; but, they too have unpleasant side affects. I wonder how many people take medications for this problem?
My dad's side of the family has a history of lung disorders. And, my dad's mother and 5 of his brothers and sisters died from lung disease. My dad isn't allowed to go above a certain elevation anymore. My grandmother never could travel to high elevations. My dad, the youngest, has emphysema; and, he also suffers in the winter.
I understand the fun of sitting around a fireplace in the home; but, like cigarette smoking, your funtime ends of pouring out into the sky and becoming someone elses medical nightmare.
If people could at least try and burn materials that aren't toxic (like plastics, garbage, Xmas wrap, etc) and maybe just cut down on the fires a little, that would be better than nothing. I also would like to see some studies done on those artificial logs and the ones that clean chimneys. If they can clean off the gunk in chimneys, they must be pretty toxic. On the other hand, dirty chimneys make more toxic smoke, from what I understand. So, people who keep their chimneys clean are being better neighbors.
I would like to see stats on how much money people save burning in their fireplaces. Is it worth the cost of making some people's lives miserable or even shortening a neighbor's life, which is a possibility. Why aren't government dollars spent on these kinds of studies, rather than some of the ridiculous things they spend money on? This is pretty basic public health stuff. Someone contacted me through another route, who knows more about air quality issues. Maybe they know. I'll let you know if I find out anything of genuine interest.
I think ordinances are a drag; but, if it means a child with cystic fibrosis has another 5 years tacked onto his life, maybe it's worth it. Rather than ordinances, I'd rather see people just use their common sense and make compromises. I do. I lock myself in the house at night and use medicines I'd rather not take. I'm not outside of people's houses picketing because they have a fire. You can do as you like; I don't bother you.
I just wonder how prevalent this problem is. From the email that lists the particulants, it seems that fireplace smoke is up there with car exhaust. I do live near a freeway soundwall and the sewage plant. When winter comes, the addition of the smoke to the air could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for me. Maybe some neighborhoods have worse air quality than some others.
a resident of Highland Oaks
on Jan 3, 2008 at 11:55 am
people complain too much, no-one has any right to say wether or not you can burn a fire, smoke a cigerette, or anything of the sort. i don't walk by a porta porta and say it has to be removed cause it smells. i don't tells people with too much cologne/ perfume they need to wash up. though i have choked harder off bad smelling fragrences than of smoke from a cigerette, pipe, or than a chimney smoke. it sounds like personl problems than social problems. it is upsetting that so many people think there wants, and bigger than others rights. not just of chimneys but of cigerettes as well. it is rediculous. and people need to stop complaing. otherwise you might start getting people trying to elimate the use of fragrences, or care product which have unpoleasant odors. i don't mean to come of as unsensitive, it is simply that people only care about there own interests and wishes. if it's so bad walk around with a mask.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 3, 2008 at 2:07 pm
My family occasionally burns logs in the winter, but we have switched to JavaLogs and they are much less irritating. If you burn logs, please check them out (www.java-log.com). They are made from recycled coffee grounds (but do not smell like burned coffee) and burn a lot cleaner than Duraflame style logs. They also don't have the lighter fluid smell of Duraflames. Nob Hill on Santa Rita carries them, but Safeway does not. They are a little more expensive, maybe $3-5 more for a whole case. It doesn't solve the problem of air pollution but it does help.
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Jan 3, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Reading this thread invokes all sorts of negative emotions in me. A large one is the extreme lack of understanding by posters of some basic facts supported by sound science regarding energy and toxins.
Fireplaces as a source of heat: fireplaces have been studied and measured for efficiency many decades ago and found to be extremely inefficient. The energy content of wood, when burned, throws out only a small fraction of the total into the house in the form of heat. Most goes up the chimney, wasted. A wood-burning fireplace without glass doors is 10 percent efficient at best. Meanwhile, leaving the damper open when the fire burns down provides an extreme heat leak for the house (especially if there are no closed glass doors). Depending upon how carefully you operate your fireplace (closing the damper, closing the glass doors), it in many cases creates a higher PG&E bill and certainly does not save energy relative to clean burning gas. Furnaces, on the other hand, range from 60 to 90 percent efficiency and are very clean burning. Maybe if you are really careful you save a bit of energy but considerably stink up and poison the neighborhood.
A cast iron, wood burning stove in the center of your room is often much more efficient than a wood-burning fireplace, but also needs to have damper control. How many of you have these stoves?
The completeness of burning of wood and other products (garbage?) in a fireplace or wood stove is very poor, and the smoke going up the chimney contains a large amount of bad things in the form of a host of hydrocarbons, all of which are known carcinogens. These molecules are mostly benzene-ring-containing partially oxidized hydrocarbons. By the way, it is a well known anthropological fact that the women of ancient peoples who cooked indoors with unvented fires (smoke went out of a hole in the room ceiling) had a life span of about thirty years. Can you guess why?
Now all this stuff claimed about saving energy using the fireplace and the family sitting around bonding or something about the rights of cigarette smokers while the massive amounts of carcinogens go up the chimney and lower the life span of the surrounding neighbors is disheartening to read about. Unfortunately, the basic science understanding and critical thinking skills of the average American to which this thread is witness is a shame to our nation. What I'm stating in this post is not opinion, but established fact. If you disagree, I challenge you to research my claims and present rebuttals based upon citations that can be corroborated.
Oh, by the way, here is a portion quoted from a source discussing the famous London air pollution problem...anyone every watch "Mary Poppins"?
Web Link
"The modern field of environmental health owes much to the tragedy that befell Greater London, some 50 years ago this month. From 5 December through 9 December 1952 a heavy, motionless layer of smoky, dusty fumes from the region's million or more coal stoves and local factories settled in the London basin." Walking outside at night in Pleasanton in the winter sometimes makes you think you are living in 1952 London with Mary Poppins and the kids climbing the smoke staircase!!!!!
a resident of Birdland
on Jan 4, 2008 at 10:16 am
Frank: First off, I said I was understanding to the posters problem and gave some advice that maybe they hadn't thought about. (Which they have) I did not bash her problem nor was I inconsiderate. I see your reports and your statistics and if I had enough time I bet I could find a rebuttal to each and every one of those. Fortunately, I do not see a ban being placed on chimney smoke anytime in the near future, so I will save my time from doing so. There are always two sides to every story. for one have saved money on my PG&E bill, maybe someone there loves me, but that is a proven fact from my bill. People who burn garbage and other stuff in their fireplace are crazy to do so.
Like I said previously, I sympathize with the poster and the problem that she feels fireplace smoke is partial responsible for but I am not going to stop burning a fire in my own home for that reason. I am sure that she is not the only case but according to her, there seems to be a family history with lung problems which could be why she is more sensitive then most to the smoke.
And by the way, my family does bond in the family room with the fireplace instead of sitting the kids on front of the TV or separating the family like many people do. I enjoy a fire, my kids enjoy the fire and we enjoy the time together that we have, in front of the fire.
PS Most people in ancient times had a shorter life span then we do now due to numerous causes not related to chimney smoke.
a resident of Walnut Grove Elementary School
on Jan 4, 2008 at 10:12 pm
My kids and many like them in Pleasanton cannot go outside in the winter when people are burning their fires without coughing and having to go back inside. The air quality indexes on such days indicating bad air quality back me up on this.
People who claim that they like their fire and won't stop burning their fireplace despite the health hazards are like smokers who could care less about secondhand smoke. It's selfish and unconscionable.
And yes, I have a gas fireplace. Not a real one. We light it; sit around it; enjoy it. All without being hazardous.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jan 5, 2008 at 9:37 am
Saving energy with a fireplace? Have you added in the cost of your fuel logs and done temperature tests throughout the house to see if you're keeping the rest of your house colder than it normally would be with the furnace on or just looking at a number on a bill? Wood isn't exactly the most efficient/cheap energy source to burn (compare with coal or oil). A better way to save energy and lower your bill is to check out energy-saving resources like this one: Web Link
I think the bottom line isn't that using a fireplace is some sort of energy saver, but is completely sentimental. "Fireplace Lover" is a perfect pseudonym that illustrates this concept. People are emotionally attached to their fireplaces. I know I am. We have one in our house and even though we haven't used it in like 3 years I'm hesitant to have it torn out to make room for more wallspace. A fireplace sure doesn't serve the basic survival/cooking purpose it used to in history. The only purpose for it these days is the sentimental value!
Paulette, there _are_ some newer housing developments that are built without fireplaces or have natural gas ones.
BTW, a fireplace isn't the only way to bond with kids.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 5, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Occasionally, our family also enjoys the warmth and coziness of a fire but we have also taken steps to make the fire as efficient as possible by installing a fireplace insert with a catalytic combuster making a few pieces of wood last for an entire evening. Our unit has a 73% efficiency rating and low emmissions. The built in fan distributes the heat generated to warm our entire house.
It is not the perfect solution but all fireplace users should think of others as well as the environment and spend the money necessary to upgrade to a gas only or highly efficient wood burning unit if they want to be able to continue enjoying a fire. It is not acceptable to tell our ill or sensitive individuals to change their lifestyle, wear a mask or not leave their homes.
a resident of Oak Hill
on Jan 5, 2008 at 5:16 pm
With the big storm that just passed through, do you suppose any of the homes that are still without power are using a wood burning fireplace for heat....Talked to a friend in the foothills that expects to be without power for several days. He's sure glad he has a fireplace. Without power his propane furnace doesn't work...
a resident of Walnut Grove Elementary School
on Jan 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Without power my gas fireplace has a battery starter. So I have heat just fine without power AND I don't pollute the atmosphere and cause problems to people who go outside.
There's always an alternative.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jan 5, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Speaking of the rain, it sure does a good job of washing the air of the wood and garbage particles sent up by everyone's fireplaces and sending it right back down to us. :)
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Jan 6, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Bob's fireplace should be the model for those who want to burn wood and its varieties in their fireplaces, for whatever reason (nostalgia, replace gas costs with wood costs, experience the warmth of radiant heat on a cold night, etc.) It has high efficiency (saves money buying firewood) and its catalytic converter produces more complete burning of the fuel, which is one reason for its high efficiency. But more importantly, it greatly reduces the toxins going up the chimney since complete burning results in water, carbon dioxide, and a bit of NOx (nitrous oxides). Much less of those nasty partially oxidized carbon molecules and carbon soot particles. Other than adding to global warming, our lungs will be largely spared.
Maybe when BAAMQD gets around to regulating away the use of fireplaces some day, they may permit only these conversions for those who need to use their fireplace.
Fireplaces and their role when the power goes out.... How did the topic of this post get changed to this? Or, how is this connected to this post's topic which is the prevalent use of fireplaces in a dense city environment when the power is on?
a resident of Downtown
on Jan 7, 2008 at 3:21 pm
New rebate program to get rid of your polluting fireplace:
Web Link
Also, take a look at the draft of BAAQMD's Regulation 6, Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions, Rule 3, Wood-Burning Devices:
Web Link
Look at point 6-3-301 and 6-3-302. In summary: they are making it unlawful to burn wood during a curtailment period (spare the air day, which also occur in the winter).
The best part of this document is the warning labels that will be attached to the packages of wood people buy to burn (reminds me of the warning labels on alcohol bottles and cigarette packs):
"HEALTH WARNING: Wood smoke contains harmful particulate matter.
On cold, windless days the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
may announce a curtailment on burning wood or any solid fuel. On
these days you should not burn either indoors in your fireplace or woodburning device or outdoors in fire pits.
Burning during a curtailment is a violation of air quality regulations, unless it is the only source of heat."
So yes, fireplace smoke is like second hand smoke.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jan 7, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Awesome, Shelley. Looks like BAAQMD may actually do something about this, which they should if the data about 37% of particulate emissions is from wood burning is correct. That is quite a huge chunk.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 8, 2008 at 8:46 pm
America means freedom to me. Freedom to do what I please. I try to be considerate which is more than I can say for most Americans. Don't turn into a bunch of communists. Don't trade your freedoms for those few who squeak. It is not worth it. If you legislate for them you will end up in a dark, cold, dreary, colorless world where everyone and everything looks the same - for the greater good you will be told. It never works out that way.
a resident of Downtown
on Jan 9, 2008 at 12:40 am
"Freedom to do what I please." -This statement is inherently flawed. So if it were my pleasure to murder people and I am put in jail, then my freedom (or right to do what I please) is being taken away? Don't confuse the freedom of our democracy with that of anarchy.
America is about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," not "life, liberty, and the pursuit to consume all available natural resources at the expense of our neighbor's health or our children's future."
Freedom is not expelling a bunch of hydrocarbons into the air.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 9, 2008 at 5:50 am
Anyone ever hear of a pellet stove insert? Much cleaner burning and fuel efficient.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 11, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Bob, I agree with you!!
In past years we have burned in our fireplace and still used our brand-new, "efficient" furnace to heat the rest of the house for our small children. Our gas bill last winter was outragious!!
This past November, we invested in a fireplace insert with a catalytic converter. Concerned about those sensitive to smoke in and around my neighborhood and concerned about the environment we went for the most clean and efficient stove. The stove heats our entire house in the evenings and into the morning. We haven't turned on our heater at all this winter!
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Jan 11, 2008 at 3:04 pm
A couple of questions for Fireplace Insert Advocate:
How are you circulating the heat from your fireplace throughout all rooms in your house? Are you using the furnace fan?
Also, can you share with us what your monthly costs for firewood have turned out to be? If you are cutting and hauling your own, or using supplies of old lumber, etc., can you quantify the monthly amounts?
Your experience sounds really good and was wondering what it takes to duplicate it.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 11, 2008 at 4:43 pm
The insert we purchased heats about 2200 sq. ft. and is approx. 70% effecient. Our home is a single story just over 1800. It heats every room pretty comfortably except the master which is the farthest from the insert, we like it a bit cooler there anyway. The unit has a fan but we rarely use it as it gets too hot.
We typically start a fire at around 5pm with about 3 pieces, we add about 3-5 more pieces throughout the evening which keeps the house warm until late morning the next day. We have the wood delivered which, by the end of the cold weather, will average out to about $50/mo. if we use the entire cord. To date we have saved an average of $127.00/mo on the gas portion of our PG & E bill.
This spring we're looking to haul and cut our own wood (almond) for a bigger savings.
There are so many clean and creative ways to keep a living space warm without breaking the bank. We have heard many great things about Pellet stoves as well. After doing some research, we felt this particular solution would work for us, and so far we have no complaints! Good Luck!!!
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Jan 11, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Thanks. Good info.
The only thing I don't quite relate to is getting the heat spread to all rooms of a house. 1800 sq. ft. is not all that small and in my personal experience of living in houses that did not have forced air central heating is the heat distribution. I grew up living in two much smaller houses in a frost belt climate without forced air heating during early childhood and my personal experience is not quite what you describe. Most likely it's the mild California climate at play here.
a resident of Val Vista
on Jan 20, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Wow! This is great! I really applaud the people who actually have taken measures to cut back on their fireplace emissions. And, at least now I know I'm not the only one suffering and that there are people out there who like fires and are taking measures to make their fires less toxic to us.
FYI, there is a great article on this subject in today's (January 20th) SF Chronicle that has all kinds of data and information resources. 33 percent of the sources of bad air on "bad air days" is from woodsmoke. I think that's pretty substantial. Only 10 percent less than the collective emissions from off and on-road vehicles. It comes in second as the worst pollutant. They also supplied data about how scientific studies have shown an increase in lung related illness and death during winter, which they attribute to woodsmoke.
As our population increases, these pollutants only become more toxic and noticeable. I hit my breaking point 5 years ago. Those with severe lung diseases may die this season. It's not about freedom to be who you are, it's whether your freedom to enjoy a non-necessity (in most cases) is taking away someone elses freedom to thrive. There are compromises and ways to make your fires less toxic. But, there are those of us who cannot escape your smoke. And, we suffer. And, some will even die this winter from it.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jan 22, 2008 at 6:36 pm
"Consumers get discounts on cleaner-burning fireplaces, wood stoves"
From sfgate.com Web Link
a resident of another community
on Dec 28, 2009 at 10:29 pm
We just moved into a house, and as much as a wood stove insert sounds wonderful and much more enviromentally safe and efficient. We can not afford it. My husband lost his job and we lost our house. We were very fortunate to have found a way to move our family to another home. It was built in the 70's and of course has a huge fireplace that has glass doors but is completely inefficient. We have four kids and November's propane bill was $600. It will only get worse. The kids have electric blankets on their beds, we have placed blankets over the windows and have done everything we can to try to conserve. Sometimes there is a reason the fireplaces are going. I believe we try too hard to make laws and rules. People need to stop and understand that everyone isn't trying to be ruthless and inconsiderate, but that just like you, alot of the time other people have a reason for doing what they are doing. I read this because I was looking into smoke hurting my family, but instead read about how I was mean because I burnt a fire, and how laws should be placed so that I can not continue to do it. All these laws just make it so that I can not take care of my family, especially in time of hardship.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Dec 28, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
Have you considered sleeping all in the same bed for warmth?
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Dec 28, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
I don't mean to sound silly. There is probably a lot more you can do than spend $600 on propane. Our house is by no means the best insulated either. $600 sounds extreme.
a resident of another community
on Dec 28, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I know $600 sounds extreme and I can not afford to pay it. And, I wish I were exaggerating the amount. There is nothing in the house that is energy efficient. But, this blog just makes you feel like a complete jerk for even looking at using your fireplace. We have turned our heat off, and so far this month, it looks as though we will use one cord of wood, (which we bought for $180) and our house has been okay. The bedrooms are cold, so for whoever made the "sleep in the same bed" comment, my kids are sleeping in the family room on a futon bed front of the fire with an electric blanket. I understand that fireplace emissions are not great but before anyone talks about banning and make laws against it, I could never afford to heat my house for $600 a month in the winter. I can not afford to put in energy efficient blinds ($5500) I can not afford a new environmentally efficient wood stove insert (app $3000). A lot of people have a reason to burn a fireplace, and before you talk of MORE laws and regulations on it, maybe there needs to be more understanding. Like, maybe there is a reason.
a resident of Country Fair
on Dec 29, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Thanks Shelley for posting the BAAQMD info.
Since the EPA has declared that carbon dioxide 'threatens the public health and welfare of current and future generations' (Web Link) and since BAAQMD wants to put labels on firewood, should every human get a tatoo that says "HEALTH WARNING: Human breath contains harmful gases."?
a resident of Avila
on May 24, 2010 at 11:28 am
To Aaron, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood:
Are you an idiot? Do you really think that it's your right to smoke a cigarette? Cystic Fibrosis is a health condition. You can kill yourself and someone else by smoking. What if you had Cystic Fibrosis? Would you still be the red, white and blue, it's a free country, i can smoke where ever i want, american that you are? Do you know how much people like you complicate the situation of people with cystic fibrosis? Walk around with a mask? Are people with cystic fibrosis circus freaks? What is a person with Cystic Fibrosis supposed to do if they want to go to a club to see there favorite band, or play a concert where there is smoking, or eat at a resturaunt(even non smoking sections contain traces of smoke.) or anything.
People like you can go to hell.
You are america.
a resident of another community
on Sep 18, 2016 at 4:17 am
Wood smoke has been shown in at least one research study to cause even more damage to the lung cells of cystic fibrosis patients than to the lung cells of others. Wood smoke quite likely did push that cystic fibrosis patient off the terminal edge. (See: Web Link)
Wood burning is an extremely polluting anachronism that should go the way of the horse-drawn carriage. Nobody should have to live a sicker and shorter life simply thanks to the neighbors' choice of heating.
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Livermore trustees demonstrating wisdom
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subset: commoncrawl


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Re: st: comparing coefficients across 2 models
Maarten Buis <email@example.com>
Re: st: comparing coefficients across 2 models
Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:34:52 +0100
On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 11:08 AM, <email@example.com> wrote:
> I am struggling with a model and I am interested in understanding if an
> independent variable (x1) changed its impact on the dependent variable (y)
> following an event (prepost=0 if pre event; prepost=1 if post event).
> I know that I could run a model considering the interaction of the two.
> xi: regress y c.x1##i.prepost x2 x3, robust cluster(firmcluster)
> The problem is that I got really high VIFs (above 30!!)
> I investigate the possibility of centering or orthogonalising the variables
> (I saved the residuals of regress x1_prepost_interaction x1 prepost). I got
> quite nice results.
> Do you think this is ok and acceptable? Can you suggest other methods for
> overcoming the problem of multicollinearity?
> Moreover, I thought to split the model and run the following two commands
Modeling is always a judgement call, so we cannot give you our
"statistical blessing" and say your model is correct. That is in the
end your decision and your decision alone. Moreover, multicolinearity
(high VIFs) is not a problem, it is just a description of an
unfortunate state of the world, or at least, your data.
Having said that, centering is usually an excellent idea; it often
helps interpretability of results and reduces numerical problems, so
that is a win-win situation. Orthogonalising variables can reduce
numerical problems, but often makes it harder to interpret the
results, so that is a trade-off you need to make. Estimating separate
models as a "solution" to solve multicolinearity is a horrible idea;
it does not make the multicolinearity go away, it just makes it harder
to detect.
Hope this helps,
Maarten L. Buis
Reichpietschufer 50
10785 Berlin
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/statalist-faq/
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/


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Pine River State Bank to host free community Shred Day
Pine River State Bank will have a free Community Shred Day from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at the bank in Pine River.
Safeguard yourself and your family against identity theft by participating in this quick and free opportunity to shred old documents, statements and papers you no longer need to keep.
The event is sponsored by Paper Storm Document Shredding and Pine River State Bank, Pine River.


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A belief in the imminent return of Bob Knight to Indiana University; soon to be followed by a National Championship.
Through this overly long Dark Night of the Basketball Soul, Heather was consoled by her Hoosier Sebastianism belief: soon Bob Knight would return; soon the Big Ten forces of evil would be vexed; soon the Red and White would triumph!
by Duckbutt December 28, 2003


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Do I really have to call Monsanto or Dow or Bayer and ask if they're a charity or a business? Do I have to call up the universities and get a notarized statement from a researcher that states "Yes, we have an interest in studying stuff like CCD and the better our research is the more funding we receive"? Shall I call the almond growers and ask for scientific proof that they're interested in raising a profitable crop?
We're talking an industry here. Of course there's a money trail.
Come to think of it, your accusation that people are stealing and embezzling money should be proof enough that there's a money trail, don't you think?
I've been working with people from each classification listed, and the
common theme so far, the only common theme I've seen at all has been
that each has been stealing/embezzling money set aside for other
purposes to attempt to help out with this CCD thing.
Perhaps you'd like to post the names of principles who are stealing this money? Surely their bosses would like to know. Dealing in facts and all that....
p.s. Glad to see you back and posting.


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Justice Gay and Darrell Krause attend the 2012 BayouCon. (American Press Archives)
Last Modified: Thursday, June 27, 2013 12:05 PM
By Cliff Seiber / American Press
An anime voice actor and a homeland security expert turned "Star Wars" actor will headline the fifth annual BayouCon convention Friday through Sunday at the Chateau Du Calcasieu event center, 932 Enterprise Blvd., between First and Second streets.
Vic Mignogna, voice actor from the anime series "Fullmetal Alchemist" and Capt. Kirk from the Web series "Star Trek Continues," will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. There will be a special showing of "Star Trek Continues."
John Morton, who was gunner Dak in "The Empire Strikes Back" and donned the costume of Boba Fett when Jeremy Bulloch was not available, will also attend.
Mignogna will conduct a question-and-answer session at 4 p.m., and Morton will answer questions from fans at 5 p.m., both on Saturday. On Sunday, Morton will speak at 2 p.m. and Mignogna at 3:30 p.m.
Morton, who has switched careers back and forth between government and show business, said he got into the convention circuit via his daughter Wendy, who worked on modeling and creature-making in "The Empire Strikes Back" and in other projects.
"I am a member of the 501st Gallery Rebel Legion," a worldwide costuming organization of "Star Wars" fans, Morton said in a phone interview.
"I scratch my head every day," he said of the "Star Wars" fan movement. "It is a very compelling phenomenon, the way George Lucas structures his films. Gary Kurtz, producer, works in a collaborative way, and he is a Quaker. A spiritual dimension is very much a part of the Lucas films."
The sense of spirituality is not only on film but in the way the company works with its people, he said.
"When I got to the set, all were enthusiastic, and everyone looked after everyone else. Now that they have transitioned into Disney, I hope it will continue," Morton said.
"It's as if George has created his own sandbox and says, 'Come play, and bring your own toys.' He listens to everyone. You bring something to the table, and you are part of the Lucas family."
Morton is completing a book, "Next-Generation Homeland Security," with a foreword by Tom Ridge, former U.S. homeland security secretary. He earned his degree in international affairs from the London School of Economics.
Mignogna has been involved in voice acting for anime for 13-14 years and has done voices for more than 200 films and video games, he said.
"I have seen it explode. I was into anime before I knew it had a name. I was excited by 'Speed Racer,' the television cartoon series of the late 1960s," he told the American Press.
"The industry has suffered as the shows are ripped off and the DVDs put online illegally. Some franchises have been put out of business, but the industry is still strong."
Mignogna has worked in stage and film acting, writing, production, music, camera work and just about any other position that exists. When asked if he had to narrow it down to just one, he responded, "I wouldn't want to give any of it up. I love it all."
He said he enjoys the convention circuit. "It is meeting the fans and interacting with them," he said. "I have met thousands, and I'm a big sci-fi fan myself."
Although he is a seasoned veteran of stage and film, voice acting requires its own set of skills, he said. "Not every good stage or film actor can be a good voice actor, and not every good voice actor can be good on stage and in films," he said.
Mignogna has composed and performed music for many productions. He has released six music CDs, including theme music from the anime productions he has provided voices for.
He worked out of Houston for a number of years and still owns a home there. He still likes to get back as often as possible. However, since most of his work is in Los Angeles, he spends most of his time on the West Coast. This will be his first trip to Lake Charles, though he has been through to other venues in Louisiana. He wrote a stage play for a church in Bossier City.
"BayouCon will also have several featured cosplay artists donning their different costumes," reads a news release. "More than 20 artists and authors will showcase their independent works along with custom commissions."
Other features will include Carnival Epsilon, which performs a steampunk stage show, and the Orion's Envy cosplay group. "The conference will feature panel discussions on subjects including costuming, steampunk creations, Star Trek, Star Wars, and more," reads the news release.
"BayouCon is a fan-driven and fan-produced event," Justin Toney, BayouCon founder and director, said in the news release. "We are excited to be able to offer this type of entertainment to an area rich in arts and culture. Our headlining guests will offer a lot to the convention this year."
• Tickets for the weekend are $25 at the door for adults and $15 for children. Saturday-only admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children; Sunday-only tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children. All tickets include a year's membership in the Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation, producer of the convention.
• A meet-and-greet preview party will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday.
• Saturday hours are 9:30 a.m.-midnight, with dealer room open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Sunday hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., with dealer room 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• For more information, visit www.bayoucon.net or www.facebook.com/bayoucon. Parking plans will be posted on Facebook.


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Didn't you want him cut last off-season?
Didn't you want him cut last off-season?
Rolle should be getting $10 mill extension for 2 years if he makes it through next season.
How strange is it that Rolle and Tuck are finally playing well when their contracts are almost up....same can't be said for Nicks unfortunately
If he still wants $8-9 million a year then I wish him the best in all his endeavors.
Because of all of the effort and examination being poured into these predictions, the draft is a robust market that, in the aggregate, does a good job of sorting prospects from top to bottom.1 Yet despite so many people trying to beat the market, no single actor can do it consistently. Abnormal returns are likely due to luck, not skill. But that hasnt stopped NFL executives from behaving with the confidence of traders.
As for Rolle, I hope/think he would take a paycut to come back to this team which he loves with every bit of his heart.
Rolle's a very good safety. He's just not good at playing the slot receiver when the rest of the Giants secondary gets injured. I like Rolle's play, and I like his leadership. I'd keep him.
If they bring him back, however, it better be at a contract that doesn't interfere with our rebuilding of the o-line because that comes first over everything this offseason.


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A man charged with the death of his infant son may have a later trial date due to further discovery in his case.
Quentin Stone is charged with felony child endangerment and abuse of his infant son, who died as a result of the injuries alleged to have been inflicted by Stone in Woodland on Oct. 3, 2012. Stone was present and out of custody for the Wednesday morning hearing.
Yolo County Superior Court Judge Paul Richardson began the trial readiness conference by releasing further discovery from the local ambulance firm, American Medical Response, to Public Defender Monica Brushia.
Brushia moved to continue the trial readiness conference to the following week. She stated that in addition to the AMR report, her office received about 1,700 pages of discovery for the case on Tuesday, a majority of which were documents she already possessed.
Brushia said she wanted to be "extra cautious" in reviewing the materials, and moved to continue the trial readiness conference to next week to give her more time to do so.
Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Mount agreed with the motion and said that "a further trial readiness conference would be appropriate."
Richardson granted the continuance and scheduled the trial readiness conference for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, April 11, in Department 1.
Mount estimated that the trial would take four weeks to complete. Brushia said that "if all goes well" the defense would be ready by May 14, four weeks after the current April 21 trial date that is scheduled.
According to court documents, Stone "did inflict unjustifiable physical pain and mental suffering" while having custody of his son. It is further alleged in the enhancement of this count that he inflicted "great bodily injury" upon the child that resulted in death. Stone also faces a misdemeanor charge for child endangerment.
Follow Sarah Dowling at twitter.com/woodlanddowling


text:
Red Sox Destinations trips provide an opportunity to follow the Red Sox both at Fenway Park and on road trips across the country.
Road trips follow a similar schedule!
* This is a typical itinerary, your actual itinerary may vary depending on your particular trip.
¹ Weather permitting.
² Base package can include second and third games in series.
Still have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions guide.
If you would like more details on any of our packages, please call us at 617.226.6400 or e-mail us at email@example.com.


text:
This winter warrior made the gravitational waves discovery possible
Engineer Steffen Richter wintered in the South Pole to keep the BICEP2 telescope running
By Andrew Grant, 12:39 PM March 28, 2014
The wind chill is −80° Celsius when Steffen Richter, donning a red parka, hops on a snowmobile and heads to work. Lighting his path are the stars, a sliver of moon and the faint green glow of the aurora australis, the southern lights.
It's the kind of day that might make him miss home — but Boston is nearly 15,000 kilometers away, and no pilot would dare fly anywhere near Richter's location for months. Plus, the Harvard engineer has a job to do. Hitched to Richter's snowmobile is a vat of liqu...
Source URL: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/winter-warrior-made-gravitational-waves-discovery-possible?mode=magazine&context=188379


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View Comment
gloria mutua
Posted at 7:31 AM on June 12, 2012
gloria mutua
Posted at 7:27 AM on June 12, 2012
KIsakye Anitah Miranda
Posted at 7:11 AM on June 9, 2012
shannon may
Posted at 10:18 PM on May 30, 2012
I just love love love this couple Giuliana and Bill. They are positive and wonderful. They deserve to have a very happy life. As a single mom who is a teacher I admire their hard work and dedication to their marriage and each other. They should always remember nothing is better than true love. This child will be blessed.
Kimberly Freitas
Posted at 6:27 PM on May 26, 2012


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If you just have to go tell the bees that Dad, a former beekeeper, passed (even if they never "knew" him)........you may be a beekeeper.
If you just have to go tell the bees that Dad, a former beekeeper, passed (even if they never "knew" him)........you may be a beekeeper.
Bee Bliss, so sorry for the loss of your Dad. There is something healing about emptying some of the sorrow out by telling the bees. Nice to hear that someone was taught something about the "old ways". Best wishes, Roger
If you can't carry groceries in the back of the truck because it is sticky, and you can't fit groceries in the trunk of the old Cadillac because it is full of veils, gloves, and sugar, you might be a beekeeper.
If there's a 5 gallon bucket of honey sitting on your kitchen counter, you're probably a bachelor beekeeper.
And if your 2 car garage resembles a hive manufacturing facility with barely room to move, you know you are a beekeeper.
If Dee Lusby officiated your wedding in the desert and you spent 2 weeks on a working wedding/ honeymoon with her bees and got to sleep until 7 am the morning after your wedding you just might be beekeepers...
Only bachelors keep 5 gallon buckets of honey around the kitchen? hmmmmm.....
...if you can remember the day your queen emerged easier than your childrens' birthdays...
...if you hide the cans of RAID at Walmart behind other products...
...if you see a large swarm crossing your yard, and you get excited, instead of fearing an apocalypse...
...if you've spent all winter in your custom woodshop repairing hives/frames, while your wife is complaining about a wobbly dining-room table...
If your guest room has become a honey room with a honey warmer, Extractor and dozens of boxes of honey.
If under your eaves of the house is next years assembled boxes for expansion.
If you have a stack of sugar piled up on the front steps for winter feed.
If you scout piles of pallets behind buildings to convert into 4ways.
If you collect sugar packets from restaurants.
If you travel with end-bars in your suitcase so you can pound in eyelets in for wired frames in your hotel room.
If you travel with a case of honey in your checked bag to give or sell to co-workers.
If you tip people with a bottle of honey instead of cash.
If you try and pay for things with honey in a barter.
If a person you are with gets stung and you say "Better you then me."
If you try and save the bee that flew into your car and feel bad that it may never find its way home.
My wife has said. . .
-If you take your family on a "vacation" because you can get free bees doing a cut-out
-If your wife says "You need to leave the bees alone and work on the house or I'm going to swarm"
if you find yourself apologizing to a bee, which you just found in the container which you keep your burr comb, after realizing that she had been locked in solitary confinement for more than half her life. if you then state that that you must do inspections more often.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
If you have the best waxed garage floor in the neighborhood.
Why do bees have sticky hair?
Cause they use a honey comb.
When everything you own including your dog is sticky
if your wife tells you the supermarket is having a sale on sugar and you get more excited than she does.
When the guys at work are giving away a dining room set and you just look at the top to see if is good enough to rip into bee boxes or hive components (got over ruled and made it ended up making it into a coffee table).
Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up Alfred Pennyworth Batman Begins (2005)
Everything gets darker, as it goes to where there is less light. Darrel Tank (5PM drawing instructor)
It will take 450 packets to equal one pound of sugar. So it will take about 675 packets to get a quart of 1:1.
How long will it take to open 675 packages, to get the equivalent of about $0.90 worth of retail bulk sugar?
Or perhaps ESB does that on the plane while flying home ...
USDA Zone 7A Elevation 1400 ft
if you think about bees, when your giving blood, and the lady tells you the needle will be a stick and a sting.
Chris Cree
Cree's Bees


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Weekends last longer at Westin with late checkout on Sunday. Availability may vary.
Photos are representative of each type of room, and there is no guarantee that your room will be the same as the photo.
*Currency data provided by XE, a third party currency conversion provider, using live mid-market rates. This information is offered for informational purposes only, and does not reflect the rate you will pay to the hotel or the currency in which such payment will be made.


text:
Before Saban, UT had beaten UA the last 10 out of 12 games.
zero margin for error like our friends in Tuscaloosa do
quote:quote:This is where the major difference is.
Before Saban, UT had beaten UA the last 10 out of 12 games.
Please quit trying to convince yourself that your precious overrated rival will somehow get to where it used to be, even with a good hire.
Saban's not going to live forever. Neither will Miles. There's always drop offs when coaches get replaced. Had Kiffen stayed at UT they might be pretty good right now. Don't know why you'd think UT will never be good again.
If we hadn't played like crap against UF and managed to win, the strong schedule helps us. I like the stronger schedule. We just need to be better prepared than we were for the first half of the season. It's hard to go undefeated regardless of the schedule when you don't play well. I would rather lose to UF than UK.
If bama and tenn want yo keep their permanent rivalry, then fine, keep it.
They realize that the unbalanced schedule can cost LSU a chance at a BCSNC and it will happen this year.
Tennessee won't be good again for at least 5 years even if they make a great hire
The point is wins/losses matter much more than who you play. LSU loses a close game to Florida on the road and a close game at home to Bama. K St gets blown out by an unranked team. K St stays ahead of LSU.
Playing all cupcakes and one tough team gives you a much better shot. Congrats on the schedule Bama.
I want to play ALL the teams from the East on a regular, rotating basis.
That requires that Tenn/Bama/Auburn/Georgia be in the same division. Which is NOT feasible.
It's not that hard to understand.
I'm amazed that 4 teams continue to demand protection against equitable competition and we all just go along wih it.
I agree with your overarching point, but we still could have put ourselves in a position to win the NC by beating Alabama in Tiger Stadium. We didn't. Make no mistake, Alabama is the primary obstacle to achieving a title, not the SEC East. We've effectively lost the last two NC's to Saban and Bama.
As a fan i want to see more rotation. Doesnt matter the team because they can be better or worse from one year to the next.
Tennessee has more SECCs than everyone but Alabama. Before Saban, UT had beaten UA the last 10 out of 12 games. I bet y'all had no problem with UT being UA's permanent cross divisional rival then. And not for nothing but UT's record against LSU is 20-9-3.
Florida didn't win a SECC until 1991. They were chumps before Spurrier got there. So man up and quit whining
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text: 5 Weight-loss Lies We Tell Ourselves Despite decades of research and incredible scientific discoveries about how the human body works, weight-loss myths continue to persist. Perhaps it is Americans' obsessive quest for a quick fix, but the time has come to let go of many of these weight-loss lies and start moving toward a healthier, more realistic view of what it takes to lose weight and live a healthy life. Here are five common weight-loss lies and the scientific evidence that debunks them once and for all. Read More »


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Boutique Style in Historic Downtown
Colcord Hotel • Oklahoma City, OK
Escape Kit
- A One-Night Stay for Two in a Superior Corner King Room
- Parking and Late 3 p.m. Checkout
- Chocolates and Bottled Water
- Nightly Tea Service
The Destination
Combine the landscape of the Midwest with the cowboy culture and rich Native American history of the Old West, and you've stumbled upon Oklahoma City. While the largest livestock market in the world has long lured tourists, the bustling entertainment district of Bricktown—named one of America's Coolest Riverwalks by Travel + Leisure—is now at the top of travelers' to-do lists, with bars, restaurants, and shops offering something for every stripe.
The Digs
In the heart of downtown and just minutes from Bricktown, the boutique Colcord Hotel puts guests within easy walking distance of the city's top attractions. This four-star hotel was once the city's first skyscraper; today it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, blending timeless elegance with modern conveniences—complimentary wireless Internet, Bvlgari bath amenities, and in-room air purifiers, to name just a few. The hotel is fit with 108 guest rooms, with just 11 rooms per floor, and each 600-square-foot Superior Corner King Room is appointed with a sofa, a side chair, a work table, a 47-inch flat-screen TV, and a Euro-top king-size bed.
The Diversions
• Sit down to fresh, simple fare at the on-site Flint restaurant, serving three meals a day
• Peruse the shops, restaurants, and nightlife in Bricktown
• Explore 110,000 square feet of classic and contemporary art at the Oklahoma City Art Museum
• Stroll 17 acres of gardens, ponds, and fountains at Myriad Botanical Gardens
"The hotel is in a perfect location for Bricktown events and dining options. The room was spacious and comfortable. The mattress and pillows were equally comfortable. The historic atmosphere adds to the overall experience."-- TripAdvisor
the fine print
- Includes parking, nightly tea service, water, chocolates and 3pm late check-out
- Credit card information and photo ID is required at check-in
- Reservation Name must match the name on the traveler's photo identification, which must be presented at check-in. Bookings are non-transferable.
- Escapes Bookings are only valid for the date(s) purchased and may not be exchanged or redeemed for any other dates; Escapes Bookings are subject to forfeiture
- Escapes Bookings expire on the date(s) purchased and times indicated on the Confirmation Email. You must redeem your Escapes Booking on the date(s) purchased and times indicated on the Confirmation Email
- Valid for a maximum of 2 people
- 13.88% sales tax is not included and will be collected at time of redemption
- Incidental charges are not included
- No refunds allowed
- Not valid on existing reservations or toward group stays
- Escapes Bookings must be used in a single visit and cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
- Other standard terms and conditions may apply; visit www.livingsocial.com/terms for more information
- Other conditions apply
Other conditions apply
Except where noted in the fine print:
• Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
• Tax and gratuity are not included
• Merchant is responsible for the quality of the products or services provided to you at redemption
• LivingSocial Terms and Conditions - https://www.livingsocial.com/terms


text:
What a wonderfully evocative description of Mysore and its enivirons! The author has brought to life small details that the less discerning tourist would surely miss. Loved the pictures and apt captions too. Looking forward to more of your travel journal entries.
In and around Mysore
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Where I stayed
Mulberry Bay Service Apartment, Vani Vilas Rd, Mysore
In spite of being peak May summer, the weather was pleasant enough and infinitely more bearable than in Mumbai. Magical Mysore v/s Muggy Mumbai?? Can there be any comparison?
A minor hitch was that most of the lower priced hotels were full, being tourist and wedding season. We ended up courtesy Google search, at the Mulberry Bay (www.mulberrybay.in), a service apartment that turned out to be most comfortable, and reasonably priced. Gayathri, the charming young lady who runs it, ensured that we had a memorable stay with superlative home cooked typical Mysore style breakfast and dinners.
What we enjoyed in Mysore city:
The fairy tale vista of the illuminated palace from the Chamundi Hills. Illuminations from 7pm-10pm weekends, holidays and in 'season'.
We went again in the morning to see the large Nandi Bull monolith and the imposing Mahishasura statue at the Chamundeswari temple.
A bonus was to see a pair of small mongooses scurrying through the hillside.
The Mysore Palace itself was well worth the visit. The Kalyana Mandapam (Marriage Hall) is particularly impressive. It is a pity that photography is not permitted inside the palace, perhaps to encourage sales of their own picture postcards!
Karanji Kere: Behind the Mysore zoo, this is a beautiful lake that is also a natural nesting site for avifauna.
Pelicans sailed gracefully on the lake giving us much delight. We don't see wild pelicans in Bombay! There is also a small walk through aviary. I could not find the hornbills, but there were plenty of peacocks around, proudly displaying their glorious feathers.
A small islet has been turned into a butterfly habitat, with profuse growth of larval host and nectar shrubs. It was full of Blue Tigers and Eggflies, and must surely attract several more species in their season.
Mysore Coffee which was consistently superb.
We stocked up on premium coffee from Gayathri Coffee Works. It was surrounded by several other Coffee Works, all milling with customers. With so much competition, they must all be equally good but we stuck to Gayathri based on the excellent coffee we had bought on a previous visit.
Sweetmeats from Mahalakshmi Sweets. I am still gorging on the last remnants of their melt in the mouth, ghee laden, moong dal variant of Mysorepak!
What was disappointing:
Dasaprakash: Food was tasty but not up to much hyped expectations. Very good service.
Vishnu Bhavan: Terrible. Appalling service and nondescript food. We went there on the recommendation of our taxi driver but the hotel was more interested in catering to tour groups. Never again.
We could not find Mylari which must wait for the next visit.
Anyway, the best food we had was the delicious home cooked, authentic Mysore cuisine served up at our hotel by Gayathri's experienced cook .
Day trips around Mysore:
Another plus point of Mysore is its close proximity to several places of natural beauty.
One day was spent in a series of gentle walks through the Maldare forest of Coorg where a cute Giant Squirrel greeted us from his lofty bamboo perch.
More walks followed along lush coffee plantation roads around Siddapur, Polibetta and Ponnampet. We enjoyed this area of Coorg immensely on our previous trip and just had to return. It is a perfect place for walking.
From Ponnampet, we attempted to go to the Iruppu falls but turned back due to the deteriorating condition of the road. Returning to Mysore via the Nagarhole forest road, we saw a majestic tusker quietly minding his own business by the side of the road. What a splendid sight!
To Bandipur the next day. A fascinating little pond barely out of Mysore city limits, alongside the busy Mysore-Ooty highway, was chock full of pelicans, assorted ducks, cormorants, darters, ibis, purple moorhens and many more. We could have spent the entire morning here. Delightful!
The Ranganathittoo bird sanctuary near the Brindavan gardens, which is about 30 minutes drive away, also has a fantastic display of migratory birds but it is so much more thrilling to see them in an ordinary pond in the city, instead of in a protected habitat. The locals here are not so excited but for us folk from the concrete jungle of Mumbai, it was quite a memorable sight.
The Bandipur forest starts from just beyond Gundlupet. No need to do any 'safari' here for elephants, spotted deer and monkeys are easily seen near the road, despite the traffic.
Prominent signboards with "No Parking, No Stopping, No Feeding Monkeys" and so forth, put paid to our walking plans. Nonetheless, we managed to sneak in a short walk through a little trail just beyond the TN border. Our driver helpfully suggested that we drive back and take the Gundlupet-Sulthan Bathery road where we could walk in the forest without restriction. This is also part of the Bandipur NP which becomes the Muthanga Sanctuary at the Kerala border. There was a lot less traffic on this road and the "No Parking etc" signboards were replaced with "Drive Slowly, Wildlife Crossing". This side of the forest was full of spotted deer, literally herds of them at every turn, and we also saw pugmarks on a side trail, perhaps of a leopard. Near the Kerala border, a riverine stream with gushing rapids added to the sylvan setting. The appearance of fresh dung was a gentle reminder that we ought not to be walking too much in elephant country. Back in the car to Gundlupet, where Udupi Upahar revived us with piping hot coffee and mouth watering tiffin.
On the way back, we went through to the Brindavan Gardens. The bridge just before the gardens afforded great views of the beautiful Cauvery. A painted stork and a pelican were perched on a rock in the middle of the river! So idyllic.
The Brindavan Gardens car park was ominously full with tour buses. Crowd management was however excellent, with no waiting for tickets, and plenty of place inside the gardens for all. The illuminated fountains were a pretty sight. What a lovely place for a family picnic where children can safely run around in gay abandon … and so close to the city.
The gardens seem well maintained; at least it appeared so in the twilight. I just wish people would not litter.
Enamoured with the Cauvery, we decided to visit Mahadevapura the next morning. After asking around and a few wrong turns, we eventually got there.
My favourite Mysore Pelicans were congregated on rocks in the middle of the river along with other feathered friends. Our attention was caught by one particular pelican who flew in multiple loops high above the bridge, as though 'shooting the breeze' on a warm summer morning.
Fertile riverine fields in shades of green and gold, completed the canvas.
We proceeded a short distance ahead, to walk along a canal parallel to the river. The densely forested small islets along the river bank here, have been designated as the Gende Hosalli bird sanctuary. We heard a lot of peacock sounds coming from the islet, but could not spot any. The sound of gently gushing rapids by the river bank was so tranquil.
Onward to Arakere which boasts a large serene lake fringed by colourful lantana shrubs, with low slung hills on the opposite bank. Picture postcard perfect, with cute little ducks and a coracle or two thrown in for added measure!
By and by, the sun became uncomfortably strong and it was time to move on. We found some interesting ancient looking carved ruins along the roads here. A village lady was cleaning a collection of broken old stone statues of assorted deities. A small stone 'mantap' was being used as a motorcycle parking lot!
The drive back to Mysore via Bannur was through scenic countryside, crossing the Cauvery once more. Spent the rest of the day at the Palace and shopping.
On our way back to Bangalore, we had planned to visit Talacad and the Shivanasamudram falls, but changed our mind as we learnt that the falls were dry. Instead, we stopped at the Ganjam Gosai Ghat – beautiful river but so much litter. The Cauvery Sangam was no better, there seemed to be more garbage strewn around than we remembered from our previous visit. Why do we have this penchant for littering???
The last halt was at the Big Banyan Tree near Kumbalgodu, just outside Bangalore. Even here there was some litter! This place is worth a visit. It is quite an experience to walk through those extensive banyan 'arches', 'bridges' and 'passage ways'. A teeny baby monkey regaled us with his efforts at climbing a banyan root. An early morning visit would surely be rewarding for bird watchers.
And so …… our trip came to an end. Short but sweet with so much more left over for the next visit.


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Hello everyone! I have been a member of duckhuntingchat.com for a while. I consistently visit the website, but I have not made too many posts. I have been an avid duck hunter since I was about 12 and took my first deer this past season.
I am a graduate student in Communications at Florida State University and am writing a research paper on one of my favorite topics-- Women in Hunting. I was hoping ya'll could help me out a little by answering a few questions. My main research question is how message board forums are helping the the trend of women in hunting grow and what women hunters are concerned with.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!


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Please explain to me how an analyst can go on the radio and say the Eagles look sensational, I mean he was gushing about how SENSATIONAL they look!
How can you even tell after 5 days of practice, and 4 of those without pads!!! Please explain this to me!
I am already hearing that we are doomed again too!
I cant wait for the season to start!!


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Games I Own: The Thief Series
Posted on 27th Mar 2009 at 15:07 by Joe Martin with 12 comments
I got introduced to Thief back when the first demo came out on a PC Gamer cover disc, though I actually only tried the demo as a matter of curiosity. Even back then the graphics were too ugly to attract my attention straight away.
When I got in to the demo though, which was the entire first level of the game, I was hooked. Not just hooked in the way that I played it three or four times either; I was physically addicted. I'm confident that, if someone put a gun to my head, I could play that level with my eyes shut. Lord Bafford's Manor was permanently etched onto my brain with the kind of furious heat that only comes from eyes that burn from staring at a screen so long.


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David Jack, Jack Lambert and Cliff Bastin scored in Arsenal's 3-2 friendly win over Gothenburg Combination in Sweden
Scottish inside forward Jimmy Logie was signed from Lochore Welfare. He was an inventive performer blessed with delicate ball skills, who offered tremendous service to his fellow attackers
Striker Bobby Gould was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Later he served West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City among others
Central defender Steve Bould arrived at Highbury from Stoke City. He netted eight goals in 371 outings for Arsenal between 1988 and 1999. He now plays a key role in the Arsenal Academy
Long-serving England international goalkeeper David Seaman moved to Manchester City. He won 72 caps during his Highbury sojourn


text: Hiya, everyone. Just got back home from signing the paperwork for a new Silverado LT. This is the third truck I've owned and the first in quite a while. I just got tired of not having any good way to haul stuff around. I take delivery of it Wednesday next week, 10 Aug. It's Blue Granite Metallic, extended cab, moderately equipped with the All Star package, Off-road suspension (I have no plans for deliberately taking it off-road, but that's what it had on it), 18" wheels, blah blah. Firmly situated in between utilitarian and luxury. Actually, it's quite civilized and comfortable on the road. We went for an extended drive this morning prior to signing the papers. I was interested in confirming that everything worked like it was supposed to, to experience the 8-4 cylinder transition, and most of all, hear what kind of road noise emanated from the back of the cabin. Fortunately, everything seemed fine. There was very little noise in the cabin at any speed, and the 4-8 transition was completely imperceptible. It's a little disconcerting to watch the instantaneous mileage vary from 7 to 15 most of the time, but the truck had only 4 miles on it at the time, so maybe (hopefully) this is going to get better. OTOH, it was reassuring to see 25-35MPG when it was in 4 cylinder mode, which it was for a significant part of the time on the highway. Since I plan to do little if any towing, I was a little concerned about the 3.42 axle ratio being higher than necessary, but with the 6-speed overdrive automatic, the engine turns only around 1500 RPM at 60 mph. That's pretty reasonable, so going even lower might accomplish very little. There are quite a few Silverado/Sierra forums out there. I decided to sign up with this one because it seems to have the highest volume of posts, many many members, and what appears to be official participation by GM representatives. I hope to be able to contribute something useful eventually.


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Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Just hurts to see pics like that with local pick-up only - Arghhh
Beautiful machine! FW's are very popular now and the prices are going up fast. It doesn't say where you live but I would check out all the thrift stores and antique stores. You might be able to find one that's just been there for a while they want to get rid of.
there have been a lot of fws for sale here in the Portland/Seattle area & generally, the prices have gone up into the $300 -$500 range. When I got mine 2 years ago, they were selling for around $100 - $250 in good shape & with attachments & a nice case.
$300 - 400 for average black FWs around Albany, NY despite insane asking prices of over $600.
$250 is a reasonable asking price. Here in New York they could go as high as $600-$700! The photos show a very clean looking machine. It says 'pristine'.....if it's nearby, go check it out and if you can afford it, I'd go for it! I have 3 FW's and love them all! I'll never be without one...ever!
oh my, i'm just south of there . . . but i already have one. that is a good price for around here, but i got mine for $225, also from a Portland suburb. dang, i'm tempted even though i don't "need" another one. it's probably gone by now anyway.
Here I like to check www.auctionzip.com for info on auctions. You enter your zip and how far you will travel and it pulls up auctions. They allow key word searches so I do featherweight, singer, feather weight, etc. and go from there. A lot of times there are pictures etc.
Here in the midwest, a price of $200-250 is a good range. Easy to get parts and a number are always at auction.
We also have a number on craigslist. If you use www.searchtempest.com (fairly hard to use) you can check craigslist over a large geographic area. Hope this helps.
note that the ad says "local delivery only". not the same as local pick up! if truly interested...i would email the person and ask if they would ship....
Maybe a local QB member would be willing to pick it up and ship it for someone?


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Town Square
The Danville Crab Feed will be Saturday, February 4, 2012
Original post made by Valerie Vicente, Danville, on Jan 6, 2012
The Danville Crab Feed will be held on Saturday, February 4th at Saint Isidore's Large Gym at 440 La Gonda Way Danville. The doors will open at 5:30PM. There will be both silent and live auctions, live music and plenty of crab. Food service will begin at 7PM. Tickets are $45/each and can be purchased at on line at www.danvillecrabfeed.org or by calling Valerie Vicente at 925.362.2288. This event will sell out, so purchase your tickets now! It promises to be a memorable evening sponsored by the Rotary Club of Danville!


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NotaCon 4 Pre-Con Report
I meet up with Oyle at a Coffee shop last night and we where able to talk shop face to face which is really cool since most of us will never see the people we make friends with here. Since we had WiFi in the Coffee shop I did a little APR poisoning on his laptop and some DNS redirecting to play around. We both shared our experiences with different kinds of scanners and other tools we like to use. Had a nice little talk about ethics and I showed him some cool tricks with Aircrack and Cain & Able. What i figured would be a quick one hour coffee shop visit turned into a long and fun night till we closed down the place and went are separate ways till the con. I would just like to say I think everyone should get out to a con and meet the people (your peers) that make up our community. It is very cool to hang out with like minded people and have so much to talk about. On another note I have arranged to meet up with Irongeek and hang out with him and his crew. It will be fun to meet some of the people I have chatted with over the years. Anyway I hope to have something cool to report to you tomorrow. Till them have a good time and feel free to post or IM me and the rest of the group here at notacom4.


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Binghamton University to host Science Cabaret program on being single in America
BINGHAMTON, NY – The Institute for Evolutionary Studies at Binghamton University will host a "Science Cabaret" featuring SUNY fellow and adjunct lecturer, Justin Garcia, in a presentation titled "Single in America: New Views on Relationships." The cabaret, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 1, in the Violet Room at the Lost Dog Café, in Binghamton.
Garcia, who serves as scientific advisor to the online dating site, Match.com, will discuss the results of recent study of singles that he co-facilitated.
The study was conducted by Match.com in collaboration with the Institute for Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) at Binghamton University and headed-up by researchers Helen Fisher, Stephanie Coontz, and Garcia. Titled "The Single in America Study," it is the largest and most comprehensive study of single men and women ever conducted. Although there are 105 million singles in the United States, representing one-third of the US population, these women and men have gone largely unstudied – even as their attitudes and behaviors are shaping America's cultural norms and challenging traditional notions.
Based on this groundbreaking study, a new picture of single Americans emerges, that is radically different than it was 50 years ago when the median age of first marriage for women was 20 and only 10% of women ages 25-29 were not married. The single today is defying gender and age stereotypes, adopting new dating habits, and changing the very definition of relationships.
Garcia's primary research focuses on the evolutionary and biological foundations of human love, intimacy, and sexual behavior. He is currently co-editing Evolution's Empress: Darwinian Perspectives on the Nature of Women (Oxford University Press), and co-authoring a book with Dr. Peter Gray on evolution and human sexuality (Harvard University Press).
This will be Garcia's second "Science Cabaret" appearance.


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Capture the essence of Vienna with these movies, books, and songs to get you in the mood for travel
Sissi (1955)
First in a trilogy of romantic films about Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph's meeting and falling in love with princess Elisabeth of Bavaria. Starring German actress Romy Schneider.
Mayerling (1968)
Romantic tragedy based on the novel, Mayerling, by Claude Anet. Traces the story of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria's clashes with his father Emperor Franz Joseph I and his violent death with his mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera. Stars Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve.
The Third Man (1949)
Classic crime film noir with Orson Welles features Vienna in the aftermath of World War II. The screenplay is by British writer Graham Greene, who wrote the novel by the same name.
Inspector Rex (1994-2004)
Television series about the adventures of the police inspectors from a Viennese crime squad who resolve their cases with the help of the German shepherd dog named Rex.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Dramatic film about a young American on his way to Vienna, his encounter with a young French woman Celine, and their brief romance in the Austrian capital.
The Man Without Qualities, by Robert Musil (1930)
Robert Musil's modernist novel offers original insight into the life of prewar Vienna during the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Radetzky March, by Joseph Roth (1932)
Describes the rise and fall of the great Austro-Hungarian Empire as seen through the personal histories of three generations of the Trotta family.
The Third Man, by Graham Greene (1950)
Novella set in post-World War II Vienna, divided into three zones and occupied by the Allied powers of Britain, France, the United States, and the U.S.S.R. Follows the story of pulp western author Holly Martins who comes to Vienna to work with an old friend, but discovers the friend is dead when he arrives. Greene also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film of the same name.
Wittgenstein's Vienna, by Allan Janik and Stephen Toulmin (1973)
Scholarly tome about the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the artistic and intellectual fervor in early 20th-century Vienna that helped shape and inspire him.
The Forever Street, by Frederic Morton (1984)
Explores the history of Vienna's vibrant Jewish community through Frederic Morton's treasure trove of memories, stories, and anecdotes.
The Vienna Coffeehouse Wits, 1890-1938, by Harold B. Segel (1993)
An anthology of texts by Austrian authors, including Peter Altenberg, Karl Kraus, and Hermann Bahr, on topics and characters typical of Vienna at the turn of the 20th century.
Marrying Mozart, by Stephanie Cowell (2004)
An entertaining historical novel about the Austrian-born musical maestro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the four important women in his life—the Weber sisters.
Greatest Hits of Johann Strauss, Ensemble Wien-Berlin (1994)
Includes some of the composer's most well-known and beloved waltzes including "On the Blue Danube," "Tales from the Vienna Woods," and the "Emperor Waltz," along with the "Overture" from Die Fledermaus and polkas.
Schubert Streichquartett, Alban Berg Quartet
Award-winning, Vienna-based chamber music string quartet plays the complete late quartets by Schubert.
Hannes Löschel: "Herz.Bruch.Stück," Hannes Löschel
Contemporary interpretations of traditional Viennese music.
Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Christmas, Vienna Boys' Choir (2003)
Selected Christmas songs performed by the world-famous Vienna Boys' Choir.
Best of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (2004)
A double CD with music by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, and other famous composers.
Classic Songs:
From classical and pop to traditional Viennese melodies, here are some great songs associated with the city of music:
1. "Wiener Blut" (Viennese Blood ) by Johann Strauss the Younger
2. "Radetzky March" by Johann Strauss the Older
3. "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss the Younger
4. "Grüß mir die süssen, die reizenden Frauen" from the operetta Countess Maritza by Emmerich Kálmán
5. "Vienna Calling" by Falco
6. "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco
7. "Olle Menschen Samma Z'wida" by Kurt Sowinetz
8. "Jö, schau" by Georg Danzer
9. "Die Reblaus" by Hans Moser
10. "Es lebe der Zentralfriedhof" by Wolfgang Ambros
Top Picks for Travel
2016 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest
Who Will Win?
Browse photos of nature, cities, and people and share your favorite photos.
Shop National Geographic
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"My Town" Custom Map Puzzle


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>> Video: UTSA music student Michael Cohen
(Video by UTSA Video Production Services: Ernest Hernandez III, James Borrego,
Dwayne Feuerbacher and Spencer Jones)
UTSA students compete in Southwest Guitar Festival
By Kris Rodriguez
Public Affairs Specialist
(Feb. 4, 2009)--This week, the UTSA Department of Music hosts the 2009 Southwest Guitar Festival featuring concert performances and student competitors from around the world. The first-place winner will receive $5,000, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $2,500, $1,500 and $1000, respectively.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
Among the 35 competitors are four students from the UTSA Department of Music. Representing UTSA are graduate students Jesse Garcia, Michael New and Tomas Vela and undergraduate student Michael Cohen.
A UTSA senior and San Antonio native, Cohen took up classical guitar after learning to read music and taking music theory classes in high school. He chose UTSA for its music department and the close-knit faculty who provide one-on-one instruction.
To prepare for the competition, Cohen has spent six hours a day practicing the required piece "Nocturno" by Federico Moreno-Torroba, as well as the second piece he selected, "Songe Capricorne" by Roland Dyens. For Cohen, it's his first competition and he looks forward to the week ahead.
"It's going to be exciting going up against some of the top talent in the world, and I think it will be an eye-opening experience that will show me the demands required to be a top acoustical performer," said Cohen.
According to Cohen, the festival brings the spotlight to San Antonio's music community and allows the city to receive more national attention and continue to grow musically. After graduation, he plans to pursue a master's degree in classical guitar with an emphasis in performance.
In addition to the four-day competition, the festival will showcase the UTSA music department's top faculty with the opening concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Arts Building Recital Hall.
The evening features the World Premiere of "Triqueta for Guitar, Horn and Chamber Orchestra," composed by UTSA Professor James Scott Balentine. The piece will be performed by UTSA Assistant Professor Matthew Dunne and conducted by UTSA Associate Professor Eugene Dowdy.
At 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 5, Nicaraguan Isaac Bustos, a runner-up in the 2007 Southwest Guitar Festival Competition, will perform in the UTSA Arts Building Recital Hall. At 7:30 p.m., Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic, winner of 11 international competitions, takes the stage.
The Southwest Guitar Festival is presented by the UTSA Department of Music and co-sponsored by Arts! San Antonio, City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, San Antonio Chamber Music Society and the San Antonio Symphony.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Southwest Guitar Festival Web site.


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ok here it is so far... (more to come soon i hope)
its actually a darker blue in person ... the flash makes it look really light
this is just the under coat of paint i plan to paint this all green and orange but i thought it would be cool to have jodo's card version underneath like both were right but at different periods of his life or something...
ok so the range finder is still off i plan to make my own and i don't have the visor ... i have decided to buy a welding mask to make that so i still have a ways to go and while I'm at it heres a slide show of my process.
um?... CRUD you need to click on this image i for it to bring up the slide show sorry about that i cant get it to work any other way
:fettpre -> :jodo


text: With Montreal's official winter sport and pass time locked up behind the closed doors of the NHL, we look towards the sky of falling flurries for answers. And there it is, white powdery snow. Grab your tuque, mittens, and child-like wonder and check out some of the winter sporting activities in Montreal:


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Since 1998, the Ramu Mine has been the subject of considerable controversy in both Papua New Guinea and overseas due to concerns that its ocean dumping (submarine tailings disposal or STD) operation could adversely affect the ecology of the local pristine Astrolabe Bay and Bismark Ramu sea.
In March 2010, the National Court granted landowners a temporary injunction stopping construction of the tailings dosposal system - read more.
The first pdf file below provides a brief history of the mine, the STD issue, and the arguments against it being allowed.
The second pdf is the Lutheran Church commissioned review of the risks of the STD plan.


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Alcoa Reports Q1 Earnings: Beats Profit Estimates, Lags on Revenue
Aluminum producer Alcoa (AA) officially started earnings season late Monday, reporting profit of 11 cents a share (excluding special items), up from 10 cents a share last year, on revenue of $5.83 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting profit of 8 cents a share on revenue of $5.91 billion. Alcoa's stock is up slightly in the wake of the news, after falling as much as 1%.
In its earnings announcement, Alcoa also gave its view for the rest of the year's aluminum demand:
Alcoa continues to project 7 percent global aluminum demand growth in 2013 and essentially balanced alumina and aluminum markets. However, the Company sees a slightly tighter market as supply contracts. The Company reduced its surplus projection for aluminum from 535,000 metric tons in the fourth quarter to 155,000 metric tons this quarter, driven by curtailments.
Alcoa projects global growth this year across the aerospace (9-10 percent), automotive (1-4 percent), commercial transportation (2-7 percent), packaging (2-3 percent), building and construction (4-5 percent), and industrial gas turbine (3-5 percent) end markets.
Alcoa's earnings could be a bellwether for the rest of earnings season and by extension the market's performance for the next few months. As this Bloomberg piece lays out, before Aloca reported the early signs weren't promising:
Even bulls are taking steps to protect profits after gains in U.S. stocks added $10 trillion to equity values, convinced the first decline in earnings since 2009 will spur losses in the historically weak second quarter.
Russ Koesterich of BlackRock Inc. and Valentijn Van Nieuwenhuijzen at ING Investment Management, who bought equities in 2012, say risks are rising during a period in which stocks have lost an average 5.2 percent since 2010, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Concern the U.S. economy isn't expanding fast enough prompted Koesterich to sell smaller companies. Van Nieuwenhuijzen is holding off on new share purchases.
The danger of poor earnings and what they could do to stocks was something we addressed last week. Alcoa's profit beat was therefore a good sign, but it's notable that revenues were worse than expected; it could be a bumpy ride.


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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Make Your Own Gear › Performance/Durability of M50 as Windshirt Material?
Apr 20, 2012 at 8:38 pm #1288979
For folks who have made windshirts out of Thru-hiker's M50 fabric, how has it worked out?
I'm thinking Liberty Ridge type designs or similar. Mostly wondering about wind-proofness, breathability and how well it holds up against pack wear. Also, I'd be interested in hearing about anyone's experience with M90 vs. M50 as windshirt material.
Thanks in advance.Apr 25, 2012 at 3:51 pm #1871160
Bump it up, while your feet are stompin'.
Anybody have input on the M50? Seems likes somebody's got to have made a windshirt out of this stuff… Any info. is appreciated. Thanks.Apr 25, 2012 at 7:55 pm #1871283
I just ordered the kit. Figured I would give it a try. I hope it is tough enough.May 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm #1873303
I received the M50 kit and cut up the pieces. My first impression of the material is that it will hold up to daily trail use but a stick or something would snag it. I tried to tear it by hand and couldn't do it. I'll let you know how it holds up.May 1, 2012 at 7:51 pm #1873305
Thanks James! Appreciate the heads up and I look forward to hearing your results. Good luck on your project – it'd be cool to see some pics of the finished product.May 1, 2012 at 7:53 pm #1873308
Sure thing.May 12, 2012 at 2:39 pm #1877023
Well, I finished it and am quite proud of it, as you can tell from the photo. I made a couple of modifications. I added a waistband with 1/16" shock cord. Waist band because it was a little shorter than I like in the front and shock cord to save weight. I also adder 1" double layer cuffs to have a nice durable finish without a raw edge exposed. I didn't use any shock cord in the cuffs because I like a loose fit around my wrists. I did add a little length to get plenty of coverage.
As far as durability goes, I have only had it out once but and feel good about it. Bushwhacking or climbing in it would be too much I am sure. I will post back later in the season once some miles have been put on it.
I will be making two more. One with a hood and one for my girl.
Weight 1.67 oz
Size Medium with modifications
Material M50May 12, 2012 at 7:46 pm #1877075
tyler marlowMember
@like-sisyphusLocale: UTAH
Really nice windshirt with an impressive weight!
If you decide to sell that one to fund making the others, I'd be interested ;)May 12, 2012 at 8:37 pm #1877090
Sean RhoadesMember
@kingpinLocale: WV
Looks great bro!! Was it very hard to sew or anything? You went with the M50 right?May 12, 2012 at 9:25 pm #1877109
Hey thanks,
Tyler, thanks for the offer. Unfortunately Thru-Hiker has asked us not to use their design for commercial use so I will respect that. If you have any interest in MYOG thruhiker's Liberty Ridge kit was pretty easy to follow. If you can make a french seam and follow clear instructions you are half way there. I would highly recommend it as a project for anyone who is comfortable with a sewing machine.
Sean, It is M50 and It wasn't difficult to sew. It is all french seams except for the neckline which is what I believe would be called a rolled seam. The material is more difficult then cotton or the like but easier than Sil-Nylon in my opinion. certainly take the time to set your tensions just right. The hardest part for me was making sure the seams were flat as I sewed and not catching a little fold or other material I didn't want in the seam.
I found this page of Ray's to be very helpful in setting my machine tension http://www.rayjardine.com/papers/sewing-tips/index.htmMay 13, 2012 at 7:24 am #1877166
Nice job James! Looks like a really nice piece of kit. I think I'll have to go ahead and make an order myself pretty soon. Couple of questions – if you don't mind, what's your height/weight? Just wondering about sizing – the medium looks to fit you pretty well. Also, is that the royal blue color? If so, I may have to wait until Paul gets some more of that color in for the kits – looks really sharp. Any comments on breathability? Anyway, nice work man. Look forward to hearing how it performs for you.May 13, 2012 at 8:37 am #1877186
Color: The color is Aegean Blue. It looks nothing like the sample on Thru-Hikers web site. I like the color a lot. It is pretty close to what the camera captured.
Size: I am 5'10" and 160 lb, 19" torso, 34" pant size. The fit is excellent. I might suggest leaving an extra inch or two at the bottom hem of the front panel so you have more options for length. I felt it came up a little short but it wasn't too short. The back was plenty long though and you can trim either once the project is complete.
Breathablility: I found the breathability to be very good. I do however live in a high and dry climate and can't speak to how it will feel on a humid summer day. I think if you are wearing it to keep the wind or rain or cold off then you will probably have no issue with breathability. If you are in the sunny south climbing a mountain it will get clammy.
If you decide you want a hood this is a good one to integrate http://thru-hiker.com/projects/hood_pattern.php. You would add it instead of the collar. I used it for a Cuben rain jacket and was very pleased with the design and fit. It will be more difficult to sew then the rest of the jacket though. It's Curvy.
Good luck Nate.May 13, 2012 at 9:36 am #1877201
Clayton MauritzenSpectator
@glacierramblerLocale: NW Montana
James, on the pattern, did you have the option for a trim fit or is it looser?May 13, 2012 at 9:41 am #1877203
Nate, The only choices were XS-XL. In my opinion it is pretty true to size.Nov 12, 2012 at 9:51 am #1927784
I used the liberty ridge wind shirt throughout the hiking season this year. I went out at least every weekend since I made the shirts (Ann has one too). After adding hoods to both of them they have performed great. I find them extremely durable and functional. As long as we were not hiking in direct summer sunlight the breathability was fine (think greenhouse). The hand of the fabric became nicer over time and feels quite pleasant now. M50 is a little plasticy to start. They are not water proof and wet out pretty quick even in a mild rain.
We are both going to these jackets along on our AT thru this year and I expect them to go the distance. I did make a third one just in case though..Nov 12, 2012 at 10:24 am #1927788
Jim ColtenBPL Member
@jcoltenLocale: MN
What did you use for a hood pattern?Nov 12, 2012 at 12:40 pm #1927813
I used this http://thruhiker.com/projects/hood_pattern.php
I have used it for a couple Cuben raincoats too. I actually left The collar on and added the hood below.
Do you have one you are working on?Nov 12, 2012 at 3:07 pm #1927829
Jim ColtenBPL Member
@jcoltenLocale: MN
I have a hoodless Liberty Ridge. For my money hoods are close to essential in northern climates so I'm considering modifying the current one or making another.
I've make a hood from that pattern but found it a bit too small for my tastes.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


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"The Social Network" and the Green Economy Revolution
Posted by Admin in Building Positive Alternatives, Guest Posts, World News & Events on 5th October, 2010 | 2 Comments
After overcoming my hesitancy to let Facebook infiltrate another aspect of my life, I gave in and watched "The Social Network." I'm going to go ahead and say it but, this movie is definitely a defining moment for the millennial generation, our generation. And believe it or not, but there are some key lessons the Green Economy Revolution can take away from the film.
Read More...


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Baptist Preacher says Easter service always brings larger crowd
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Sunday was the biggest day of the year for churches in our region as they celebrate Easter.
Easter Sunday is the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the grave after being crucified.
We spoke with the Pastor at New Grace Baptist Church, Sam Haynes. He tells us Easter Sunday is the biggest service of the year for them and he takes great responsibility in spreading the good news. "I am thankful they come even if it is just that one Sunday because it tells me there is hope there that they have that knowledge that Jesus does live," said Pastor Haynes.
Pastor Haynes said they had three services Sunday. It's just one of the many Easter events taking place throughout the region.