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2020 strikes again: we’ve got the ‘Rona. Yay. We’re doing fine-ish, just run down and achy. We’re in quarantine for about another week, so I figured I’d finally get around to finishing the write up for the electrical.
I’ll say up front: I am feeling lazy, lazy, lazy. This should be the most detailed post of this whole build, and I doubt I’ll muster the motivation and brain power to string together two intelligible sentences. Please feel free to ask questions.
Tim: Normally, these blog posts are about adventures that Charisse and I have together. This time, we had a little variation. My friend Brandon was coming up from Texas to visit and experience some fall colors. I suggested Marquette, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (or U.P., hence: “Yooper”) for some truly epic mountain biking, breweries, and great food. For a few years now, Charisse and I have been hiking and playing all over the UP, and had come to truly love this playground that is only a few hours from our home in Wisconsin. Charisse had already planned a solo backpacking trip on the nearby Pictured Rocks National Seashore, and she agreed to join us after, and maybe do some kayaking at the end of the trip.
Up there, the fall colors were pre-peak, but still spectacular. The food, beer, and good times flowed freely. The biking was first class. I’ll let the pics do the rest of the talking.
We’re finally at the point where it’s time to electrify this thing. This can be a daunting task, and it’s been weighing on my mind for months. Luckily, as with all vanlife problems, there’s a wealth of information out there on how to proceed. I especially want to give a shout out to Gnomadhome for their “Epic Guide to Van Build Electrical” https://gnomadhome.com/van-build-solar-electrical-wiring/ I would have been lost without it.
Initially, I wanted to take the easy way out. The brand GoalZero makes an all-in-one power station. It incorporates a battery, inverter, charging station, plus some outlets. I would have to run wire to a fusebox to run the lights, fan, fridge, etc. Once the solar panels were feeding the GoalZero, you’d be done. Even though it was pricey ($1400), I liked the fact that the GoalZero was portable, and I wouldn’t have to learn how to be an electrician.
COVID strikes again. I ordered a Goal Zero 1000 from REI, and waited. And waited. Then without explanation, the order was canceled. According to customer service, they were on indefinite back order. Inquiries to other vendors revealed the same thing. Time for a new strategy: I have to learn how to be an electrician.
I started really studying other peoples systems, particularly Gnomadhome’s. The one big thing he stressed was to draw out your schematic. It really helps you wrap your mind around individual components, what they do, and how they interact with the other components. Here’s mine:
Once, I had this, I could start researching and purchasing. The following are all of my purchases so far with a brief description of each. I’ll also try to include a link to where I bought it.
My next post will detail hooking all of this up. Hope it goes well!
Post script: It seems that for every confidence inspiring victory I have with this project, there’s a humbling mistake that proves that I am indeed a gigantic dolt. Example: Once I had gathered everything up in the living room, I decided to see if I could make some stuff work right there. I knew the battery had at least a little charge, so why not? I took some wire and ran it from the fuse box to a light switch to four of the lights. I put in a fuse, then cabled the fuse box to the battery. It works!! For ten minutes I sat and played with the switch, dimming the lights up and down, and making sure that Charisse was there to witness how amazing I was. With this confidence, I figured I’d try out the inverter next. I un-cabled the battery, and set about getting some cable for the inverter. I got it all sorted out, then attempted to cable it to the battery. ZZZZZZZTTT!! Big sparks. Inverter no worky. I had just made the most elementary of mistakes when hooking up electricity: I mistakenly went positive to negative, negative to positive. And because I didn’t run it through a fuse, the inverter was instantly cooked. Just when I thought I could let the credit card cool off a bit…
Finally! I’m getting back around to writing up the walls and ceiling on this van, even though one wall has been installed for over three months. I needed the drivers side wall done in order to install the bunk. This, despite the fact that I didn’t have the window installed, and had no idea where I wanted to put electrical fixtures on that wall. So, I’m a big dummy. Lesson learned: DO THINGS IN ORDER!
We’ve already talked a little about the sound deadening mat that I put onto the floor and wheel wells. I used more of this for the walls, ceiling and cargo doors, probably about 20% coverage.
For insulation on the walls and ceiling, I used 3/4″ foil lined polyisio, which has an R-6 insulation rating. I needed about (5) 4×8 sheets, at about $15 a sheet at Menards. To stick it to the wall, I used the 3M spray adhesive and duct tape. This worked just ok, as I hear a lot of squeaking back there. We filled all cavities with an expanding foam called “Great Stuff”. It really is great stuff, until you get it on the floor, or in your hair, or on your hands. Then it’s the stuff of very vulgar words. Pro tip: When using Great Stuff, use gloves, and have a LOT of drop clothes and paper towels handy.
On bigger cavities and all four cargo doors, we simply installed some regular batt insulation. We barely used any, and the roll was about $10.
Next, I installed the “fir strips” to the walls. These were simply 1×6 pieces of lumber (about $6 for an 8′ length at Menards). I used self tapping sheet metal screws to afix the strips to the vertical wall supports on the van.
We then fastened the finished wall. We used thin flexible wall paneling that resembles wainscotting. We needed about 5 sheets total, at $20 each at Menards. To fasten, we used my finish nail gun with 1 1/2″ nails. Again, because of the curvature of the walls, we really had to work to ensure that the paneling was up against the fir strips
Painting was started, with an assist from Peter Dude.
The ceiling was much of the same, with sound deadening and insulation installed first. Next were the fir strips. I also needed to pre-wire and cut holes for the LED lights. (I’ll talk more about these lights when I get to the Electrical part of the build.)
When it came time to install the ceiling, this proved to be a huge PITA. The flexible nature of the paneling, combined with the dinette being in the way, and having to have the nail gun handy…, it was like stapling jello to a cloud. Ugh. Eventually we got it up there.
To finish off the look, we wanted to use some 1×6 lumber to separate the walls from the ceiling, and cover up the rest of the van’s frame. Crown molding, if you will. Again, the curvature of the van proved a major obstacle to making this look nice. I would have preferred to use one long piece for each side, but I was forced to cut it into 3′ sections, with each end needing a 1-2 degree cut to mate up. Several shims were also used to make sure everything was straight. I used self tapping sheet metal screws to fasten in place.
After this, it was time for one final sanding, check everything over, then paint.
We’re pretty pleased with it. Charisse picked out our paint scheme, and I love it. There’s always things you wish you could do better, but we’re making the best of the obstacles we’ve had thrown at us. I do know that if I ever build out another van, it would not be one of these old school “no clue what a straight line or 90 degree angle looks like” vans. It would be one of the newer Euro-style boxes. But this will do just fine for now. Hope you like it!
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Note: we had a website glitch, so you may be seeing this for the second time.
Tim: When we decided that we would be building out a dinette/bunk, we knew that we’d have to have some cushions made. Because we modeled our dinette after the one in our Volvo semi tractor, we figured we’d at least see what the Volvo dealership wanted for theirs. And that number was $300 each, for a total of $1200. Ouch. But at least we had a starting point to start getting bids from local upholsterers.
Aaaaaand, that’s where things got worse. I could write a book on the effects of COVID-19 on this build, and getting quotes for these cushions continues that theme. First, everybody was booked solid for 6 months. Apparently, I’m not the only one with enough time on their hands to contemplate all of their projects. And second, this supply and demand imbalance means that everyone wanted premium prices. The BEST quote I got was for $1500! FOR FOUR SIMPLE CUSHIONS!! I could BUY a sewing machine, and make them myself for a fraction of that!
Wait a second. Duh. Of course I could do that. Most of my time in the military was spent as a Parachute Rigger. Part of that job was working with industrial sewing machines for all sorts of projects. And I was damn good at it. From backpacks, to travel bags, to wheel covers, to simple repairs; they didn’t call me the Lead Stitch Bitch for nothing.
This opened up all sorts of possibilities. First, I looked up reviews for heavy duty sewing machines. After wading through all the options, I settled on the Singer 4411. (Actually, I wanted the next model up, but COVID strikes again: no availability for 6 months). I sourced it from JoAnn Fabrics for $240.
We worked with a company called the Cushion Source. All we had to do was give them our exact dimensions (42×19.5×6), and choose the quality of cushion we wanted. We went with a mid level foam cushion with an inch of soft batting on both surfaces. These were $64 each. For comparison’s sake: plain jane cushions start at about $25 each, top-of-the-line ones with memory foam can go for $125 each.
Next, we had to choose the style of fabric we wanted. We had a very loose interior design in mind: ocean breeze. So there would be a lot of blues, greens, aquas, grays, etc. Cushion Source had a dizzying array of choices, and we ordered some samples from them. Ultimately, we went with the stripes you see above. I needed about 6 yards of stripes, and 3 yards of the blue to cover the cushions, all in their “Sunbrella” style of indoor/outdoor fabric. This cost around $250.
Next, we needed zippers. I wanted them to be long enough to run more than the length of the cushions, in order to make sure it was easier to remove the foam from the covers. These were 45″ long, at $7 each from JoAnn Fabrics.
After that it was just a matter of tacking it all together. I cut the slit for the zipper, hemmed it, then sewed in the zipper. The top and bottom pieces were attached to the zipper piece. After some minor adjustments, they seem to fit fairly well. And then it was time to put them into the van:
Not too bad.
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Post script:I noted above that I paid $240 for the sewing machine. I am NOT including this cost in the overall budget for this van build. My reasoning is that, while I bought it because of this build, I can use it for anything unrelated to the van. Conversely, I’ve applied this logic to the tools I have bought as well.I tried to borrow what I didn’t have, but ultimately, I have sunk a significant amount of money into a couple of power tools, nail guns, etc. Not that it matters, I’ve already blown by my initial budget, so what’s a couple hundred dollars among friends, right?
One of the bummer parts of trucking is that sometimes you have more time than you need to get to your next pickup or delivery. So you might just get stuck sitting at a truck stop for hours or even days. And because we get paid by the mile, that means you’re not making money. Or as they say, “If yer not turning, yer not earning!” But Charisse and I generally use these delays as an excuse to take an impromptu vacation.
And so it was that we were on our way back from California, and found that we’d have an extra day and a half to get to our drop in Chicago. We had just crossed into Wyoming when we got the news, so we grabbed the atlas to see what kind of “playgrounds” might be in our neck of the woods. We had heard of the Wind River Range of the Rockies as being a hiker’s paradise. So we parked the rig, rented a car, and started north across the High Plains.
We arrived in the town of Pinedale, at the foothills of the Wind River Range. Pinedale resembles a lot of places that are gateways to outdoor adventure: a local brewery, gear shops, campgrounds, coffee shops, all done up in a rugged aesthetic. The people, whether tourist or local, are scruffy in their Patagonia and Orvis clothing, bearded and ponytailed, driving Jeeps, vans, Subarus, and Tacomas. In Pinedale, hiking, mountain biking, and especially fly fishing, were the primary draw.
We had reserved a cozy room at a local B&B on a creek. A sweet German Shepherd named Ginger lazily watched the world go by from the front door. Our hostess Emmie graciously gave us some great food and hiking recommendations. Charisse turned in early, so I grabbed the binoculars and headed for the hills to catch a glimpse of the comet NEOWISE.
The next day we ate breakfast, packed our gear, and headed for the trailhead. The gear shop had warned us about the persistent mosquitoes. But even more troublesome were the murderous swarms of black flies at higher elevations. Or as one hiker put it, “black flies that’ll make you wish for mosquitoes.” Luckily, we weren’t really going that far into the mountains. We planned a relatively easy out-and-in of about 10 miles, topping out at around 10,000 feet. We passed through meadows of wildflowers and small ponds, all on our way to Photographers Point, where there were truly spectacular views of “The Winds”. Enjoy the pictures and video!
The centerpiece of any vanlife upfit is the bed. It’s by far the biggest piece of furniture in the build, and the entire floorplan tends to revolve around it.
There are so many different designs out there, and it took awhile to figure out what we wanted. Initially, we wanted an elevated bunk so that we could get the mountain bikes underneath it. But this is a low roof van, so the height we needed would have given us barely any room between our noses and the roof of the van. I’ve spent some time on ships in the Navy, and I can attest to a bit of claustrophobia with that type of setup.
The next best thing is what many RV’s have: a bed that pops up into a dinette. This is a popular design in the vanlife world as it uses precious space for multiple uses. Plus, this design tends to leave room underneath for storage.
When it came time to draft up some plans for this thing, we looked no further than the big rig that we drive for a living. Our Volvo 860 came equipped with a dinette/bunk, and it has been our savior on the road. We prepare and eat nearly all of our meals inside the truck, and without a table, it would be nearly impossible. It does have an unusual size, 42×78, which is wider than a twin, but narrower than a full. In the truck, it is just big enough for both of us to sleep comfortably. This size also leaves enough room left over to build our kitchen and cabinets.
For the most part, I just copied the measurements for the dinette in our Volvo, with one exception: overall height. In our semi, the platform height is about 15″, which is a pretty standard height to sit at. But if I would have used that height in the van, I would have to slouch in my seat, or my head would hit the ceiling. After taking into consideration my overall height of 6’0″, my “seated height” (from bottom of my butt to top of my head), the finished drop of the ceiling, and thickness of the cushions, I came up with a platform height of 12″. It’s kind of a weird height to sit at, but it’ll work just fine.
At this juncture, I should note that I do have a small bit of construction experience. I was a Navy Seabee Builder for a couple years. Plus, I remodeled and finished the entire basement in our 100 year old house. For our readers that might be dreaming about vanlife, but don’t have construction experience, I wouldn’t be discouraged. At least half of the blogs I read are written by people that admit to absolutely no experience in building stuff, or with hand or power tools. Luckily, the internet provides endless information on how to get after it. And somewhere in your circle of friends and family is a handy guy (or girl) that would love to lend you their expertise.
And it’s not like I’m an expert. I consulted several different websites, often asking questions on how they did certain things. When I started drawing up the plans for this, I really didn’t know what size plywood to use. After asking around, I settled on 1/2″ as being strong enough to not flex too much, while keeping the weight down. The exception was on the backs, where I didn’t want any flex at all. Here I used 3/4″ plywood.
I probably could have used finish grade plywood, but it was really expensive, so I settled for a couple grades down. At my disposal for cutting were the following: a table saw with 40 and 80 tooth blades, a circular saw, a jigsaw for corners and detail work, and a miter saw. Before assembling, I gave all the pieces a good sanding with an orbital, using 60 and 120 grit sand paper. I created a very simple frame using 2×4’s, and simply attached the plywood to them. For structural pieces, I used 1 1/2″ and 2 3/4″ construction screws, while using my finish nailer on the non-structural bits.
At this point, I knew I had to finish the wall that this was going up against. So in between coats of paint on the dinette, I did just that to the drivers side. (I will outline everything I did to get this and the other wall finished in a future post). When it was dry, I installed the hinges on the storage doors, and cut a 1 1/2″ hole to lift them with.
The first fitting revealed a slight issue that I suspected when I started this project. In addition to the van’s vertical curvature that caused my window snafu, there’s also a slight horizontal curvature. That meant that the dinette wouldn’t sit flat to the wall no matter what I did. So I did what generations of carpenters have done to cover their mistakes: covered it up with trim. Problem solved.
Before I did the finish trim, I secured the dinette to the floor using angle brackets and wood screws. Next, I attached the heavier backs, also with construction screws. I was having doubts about how flexible the table might be, so I reinforced with a second sheet of 1/2″ plywood.
For the table leg and associated hardware, I again had to decide on a suitable height. Just by wild coincidence, the window sill seemed to be a great height off the floor at 27″. I installed the bracket (from Vintage Technologies, $38) directly to the sill. The leg and brackets came from RecPro, and were $65. I haven’t decided on if I want to install the floor bracket, it seems to be sturdy without it.
To test fit everything, I grabbed the cushions out of the Volvo. It was perfect. It was big enough to sleep both of us, and my head wasn’t bumping the ceiling. We will be making our own cushions once we decide on the fabric design, and I can get my hands on an industrial sewing machine.
And that’s it! It’s livable now, and we’re really excited to see it take shape. We still have plenty of space along the passenger side for the kitchen, and in the back for the “garage”. Maybe for now, we’ll pause and actually enjoy this thing a couple times this summer. Because next up will be the daunting (and very pricey) task of getting an electrical system into this thing. We have lights, outlets, a fridge, and the fan to run. And lasers: pew-pew!!
Post script: Along with all of this fun stuff, this van has gotten a bit of maintenance as well. Two problems cropped up that were fixed free of charge at the dealership we bought from. First, we had a power steering leak. They found a leaky hose that hadn’t been tightened when the transmission was replaced. Next, we realized that when we bought this thing in the spring, I failed to check the AC. The dealer found a cut line, replaced it, and recharged the system.
We were getting a little water intrusion at the back doors, and decided to replace the large door seal. This we got from GM Parts Direct for $83. I also started to notice a pulse in the steering wheel under hard braking, the telltale sign of warped front rotors. I sourced both the pads and rotors from Autozone for $150, and replaced them myself.
Lastly, we only received one key when we bought this. Unfortunately, this isn’t a simple key you can have cut at Menards. I went to Bergstrom Chevrolet of Neenah, where they cut me a new one for $45.
Other than that, it’s been a nice ride overall. It’s fairly quiet, has adequate power, and everything works. It’s been giving me about 15 mpg in mixed city and highway driving, about what I expected. Can’t complain.
If you read my last blog post about the cutting large holes in my van, you know I made a pretty major mistake in thinking that a flat RV window was going to conform to the curved sides of our Chevy Express. I was actually pretty stressed about leaving a gaping hole in the side for a couple weeks to source and ship the proper window. Turns out it wasn’t that big a deal: I just put the cut piece back in place and duct taped the hell out of it.
In the meantime, I was impatient, and decided to continue work. I finished one wall in the van, and built the dinette/bunk. Doing some of these steps out of order proved to be a total PITA later, as I’ll point out. I’ll be detailing all the work that went into the walls and bunk in future posts.
I decided to get a much larger window from a conversion van, instead of having two smaller windows. After some research, I settled on one from CR Laurence. I like this one because it is “all glass”, and has more of a factory look. Plus I really liked having a crank-out lower section.It retailed for $450, but I was able to find a used one from Waldoch in Minnesota for $250. Unfortunately, it showed up without the screen, so I’ll have to have that made later.
Cutting out the rest of the body metal was fairly uneventful. Again, I laid down some tape (I used duct, but I’d recommend masking) to protect the paint. Once the metal was out of the way, I found myself regretting my impatience from the previous weeks. How was I going to cut out the inner wall that I had just installed? I got out my sawzall, which seemed to work pretty well. Problem is, it’ll cut into metal just as easily as wood, and I caught myself sawing into the outer body metal a couple times. Plus, my interior paint job looked like hell after the jigsaw got a hold of it. Luckily, nothing I couldn’t cover up.
Once I had a hole all the way through, the window was fairly easy to install. There was an inner ring that sandwiched the body metal to the window, securing it with sheet metal screws.
Here is where I had to get creative with some finish carpentry work. The wall I had installed followed the contour of the van, so I had to create an inner frame that followed that contour. I used some leftover paneling that I had from the wall, and used the jigsaw to create pieces that would fit. It took a lot of trial and error, but I feel like they turned out all alright. I then used some thin trim pieces to round out the look. I will say that having a miter saw and air compressor with finish nailer helped immensely here. I can’t imagine having to nail all these by hand.
So there you have it. Probably the most heart-stopping parts of this build are in the books, but I’m sure more challenges lie ahead. Hope you enjoy!
Ask any vanlifer what the hardest part of their build was, and they’ll tell you it was putting in the roof fan. It’s not all that complex or physically demanding, but the mental anguish that comes with CUTTING A LARGE HOLE IN A PERFECTLY GOOD VAN is palpable. But it’s a rite of passage that all of us go through. Once it’s done, you realize it’s not that big of a deal. But I was still sweating it.
Why a roof fan? They are nearly mandatory if you’re going to be spending any time sleeping inside. They make a huge difference in keeping the interior temperature comfortable, and whisk away cooking and “other” odors. Plus, just breathing as you sleep causes condensation, which will eventually lead to mold.
After doing a lot of research, we went for the top of the line Maxxfan Deluxe, sourced from Amazon for $265. This one is unique in that it can be fully open in a downpour. It has 10 speeds, blows in or out, raises electrically, and comes with a remote control. It had great reviews across the board.
So, on to the install! We decided to put it nearly in the center of the van. This kept it out in front of the roof box, while still leaving plenty of room in the front of the roof for solar panels. Plus, it will be close to where we are putting the cooking stove.
I started by measuring it out and using a carpenters square to get the precise line. Some people say to use the trim ring, but I found that I couldn’t get a Sharpie in there. I then used masking tape to give myself a good sight line.
And now we’re at the point of no return. I took a deep breath, and drilled all four corners to create space to put the jigsaw blade.
Next, I simply grabbed my jig saw (ensuring that I had a sharp blade), and connected the dots. Some people prefer to use electric metal shears because it creates less metal shavings, and I would definetely recommend that if you have access to one. DO NOT use a sawzall or grinder! Pro tip: Make sure you lay down something to collect all these shavings, AND to prevent the cut piece from dropping and damaging your pretty new floor. Whoops!
Once it was done, I sat back and thought, “In essence, I’ve just totalled my vehicle”. No matter, ONWARD!
I hit the cut edge with some rust inhibitor and let that dry. Afterwards, I cleaned the surface and vacuumed up all the shavings.
Here’s where I cut a corner that I might have to come back and redo. Every blog I read said that the best adhesive/sealant was from this brand called Dicor. But it was Sunday during the pandemic, and the only thing open was Walmart, so I had to settle for a similar product. I layed down a bead on the roof where the fan frame was going to rest, then set it in. The kit came with some self tapping screws to really secure it to the metal. I put a bit of sealant on the head of each screw as well. The Walmart sealant wasn’t all that easy to work with, being a little too thick to make it pretty. Looks like it’ll keep out water though.
Then, I simply attached the fan to the frame, ensuring that the wiring didn’t get pinched.
I came back inside, and temporarily wired it to the dome light circuit. It works perfect! The remote has a thermostat that allows you to set a temp, and the fan will do the rest. (Within reason of course, it’s not an AC unit.) I will eventually be running the wiring into the fuse box I’ll be creating for the electrical system.
And there you have it!
Post script: I felt pretty awesome about this afterward. This was a big step, and something I had never done before. It boosted my confidence enough to do something stupid, like the following…
We knew we wanted to install some windows on the drivers side to bring some light in where the dinette would be. So I ordered what I thought would be the correct RV windows. What I failed to account for was that the sides of our van have some curvature. And the windows had none:
So, there will be a big gaping hole in the side of the van till the correct window gets here. Because I’m a big dummy.
And now the real fun begins! Most of the sites we’ve seen say that the floor should go in first, so that’s where we started.
First, we removed the rubber mat that came with the van. We kept it so that we could use it as a template to cut our insulation and subfloor. Once that was up we could see some of the holes that had been drilled through the floor by the previous owner. We used Rust Inhibitor and caulk to seal these up.
Many of the blogs we’ve seen recommend using some sort of car audio soundproofing mat to reduce noise levels inside the big metal can that is our van. It’s basically a rubbery tar mat with some aluminum foil as structure. We used Stinger mat from Extreme Audio in Appleton. Opinions vary on how much coverage to apply, so we settled on doing about 40% of the floor, with nearly full coverage on the wheel wells. We’ll probably do about 25% on the walls and ceiling. That added up to about 72 square feet to do the entire van, and it cost about $170.
You can cut it with a utility knife into any shape you please, and use the adhesive backing to adhere it. With a little heat and a roller, it goes on pretty easy. And this is one of the areas where you don’t have to be too perfect. We cut it into strips and layed it in the low ribs on the floor.
On to insulation. We chose extruded polystyrene (XPS) because of it’s durability and high-ish R-value (R-3 on the 1/2″ sheets) for such a thin layer. Our van is a low roof, so you really have to be mindful of headroom, and flooring thickness affects that. As you’ll see later, we wound up with a total thickness of 1 1/2″ for the floor. We needed 3 sheets of 4x8x1/2″ to do the entire floor, at a cost of about $14 each at Menards.
We used the rubber mat to rough trace the shape we needed, then cut with a sharp utility knife, trimming as needed. To secure it to the floor, we used 3M spray adhesive. On the seams, we simply used duct tape.
The plywood subfloor was next. I really wanted to use 1/4″ (again, conserving headroom), but that didn’t seem like enough to bolt the bunk and furniture too. We settled on 3/8″ underlayment quality plywood. These 4×8 sheets were bought at Menards, and cost about $15 each. We again using the leftover rubber mat to trace out our outline. Our primary tool for cutting was a jigsaw, although we did use a table saw and skil saw for some cuts.
One decision I made that might come back to haunt me is using self tapping metal screws to bolt the subfloor to the van. Other vanlifers seem to simply use adhesive to glue the plywood to the insulation. I simply couldn’t see that being a good foundation for bolting furniture and shelves to. So I punched dozens of screws through the floor of the van, potentially creating a moisture and corrosion nightmare. Time will tell.
On to the top layer. Charisse and I vacillated wildly on what to do here. I initially wanted a very thin layer of linoleum. Charisse wanted a classier laminate, but I knew that most panels were 1/2″ thick. Luckily, she scoured her resources till she found a very handsome board that was only a 1/4″ thick. Sourced from Home Depot, we needed 3 boxes at $60 each to complete our floor.
With the help of a laminate flooring kit, this tongue and groove style paneling was pretty easy to install. For cutting, we used the jigsaw again, but switched to a fine carpentry bit to prevent chipping the laminate. (Pro tip: spend the extra $$ for quality blades. I’m partial to Bosch). As you can see, we only used the laminate up to the back of the wheel wells. From there to the back doors is the “garage”, and we will simply be using rubber matting here.
One detail I had to reconcile was that because of the extra height of all this flooring, the side door footwell would not be at the proper height. So I basically built up the floor with 2×4’s, and secured the plastic footwell to those. Seems a little janky, but serves the purpose.
And that’s it, the floor is in! We really love the style that Charisse picked out, and this should be a great foundation for the rest of the build. Feel free to comment!
It’s time to start building this thing out! We are going to start with the roof rack, because it’s pretty much the easiest thing to get knocked out. Plus, it has the added benefit of making this look like less of a creeper van, lol.
One thing I want to get out of the way first. Followers of this blog are probably used to us posting beautiful pics of beautiful places, and saying a couple words about them. Or maybe talking a bit about our new career as truck drivers. We try to be concise and not get too wordy, for fear of losing everyone’s interest. The posts under the “Vanlife Build” umbrella are going to be a little different. As a community, vanlifers tend to be very generous with the details of their build, and we will be no exception. This blog is potentially reference material for someone else’s DIY build. That means a lot of facts, figures, costs, and decisions that might bore our casual followers to tears. Fear not, we will still be posting beautiful pics of beautiful places!
Speaking of reference material, there are literally thousands of websites and blogs that involve vanlife. We’ve poured over several. Some are good, and some are quite bad! The one we seem to go back to repeatedly is Gnomad Home. This young couple is inspiring, and have a very detailed website about their build and vanlife in general. They’ve even answered a couple of our questions. Anyone interested in should definitely check them out at https://gnomadhome.com or follow them on FB at https://www.facebook.com/gnomadhome/
Onward! When we bought the van, we knew we’d need a rack, possibly even two. We needed room for our cargo box, and our kayak cradles. We would have to mindful of the placement, because even though there’s an acre of real estate on the roof of this van, we would need to leave room for the roof vent and solar panels.
We settled on rain gutter towers from Yakima, paired with 78″ crossbars. Fair warning: Yakima does NOT give their stuff away. If you were add up every bike rack, snowboard rack, cargo box, kayak cradle, tower, and bar we’ve ever bought from Yakima, I’m sure they could have built another factory by now. On that note, these towers retail for $210. Luckily, I found them on FB Marketplace for $75. The crossbars were $100, sourced from REI. The cargo box is the Yakima Skybox 21, and was about $500 when we purchased it 15 years ago.
The kayak racks are also carryovers from our car. This is Yakima’s Sweet Roll, and they were about $200 a piece three years ago. If that seems a little pricey, it is. Until you try wrestling a 60 pound kayak into a standard J-cradle, on top of a car that’s only five feet tall. It sucks. And now we have a van where the rack is nearly eight feet off the ground. No thanks. The Sweet Roll are incredible: just pop the nose onto the back rollers, then slide it smoothly onto the front cradle. Worth every penny.
The install was pretty straight forward, with the hardest part being getting the spacing right for all the components. As you cans see, the Skybox tried to eat me! I haven’t measured, but I imagine we’ve got a 9 foot clearance, so no drive thru’s for us. But everything looks great, and is ready to haul our stuff.
One additional thing we did was replace the shocks. I noticed that the van had a lot of floatiness over bumps. The great thing about these big dumb vans is that they are fairly easy to work on, and parts are dirt cheap. We bought Gabriel units from Auto Zone for about $45 each. Despite this being a Wisconsin vehicle, there wasn’t a ton of rust. I sprayed all the bolts with PB Blaster about an hour before I started, and they all came loose with little resistance. Two hours later, the ride was much more controlled. A huge improvement for little effort.
That is all for now! Next up will likely be a post about prepping and installing the floor. The real work is about to begin…
No, no we’re not, lol. But we have decided to upfit a cargo van for short (less than a week) excursions. I’ll be detailing the build as I go along.
But first, what is “Vanlife”? For some, it’s just downsized RV’ing. A slightly smaller and more maneuverable vehicle for going on vacation. For others, the extremely high cost of renting/owning a residence in big cities has pushed them into this alternative. But for many, it is the idea of being nomadic and free that is the main appeal. It represents adventure, travel, minimalism. Many of them have figured out ways to make their income mobile. They really are living in a van. There are literally thousands of blogs detailing peoples lives on the road. To me, these people are certainly living the best version of their life.
We fall into the downsized RV category, at least for now. The idea of having a mobile place to eat, cook, sleep, and carry our bikes/kayaks/assorted outdoor stuff was incredibly appealing to us. We see them all over the place, especially in the Southwest: upfitted VW’s, Sprinters and cargo vans, ready to go to remote places to mountain bike, climb, or paddle.
So I started looking for our vehicle. We briefly considered the travel trailer/pickup truck option instead. The main appeal there was a real bathroom with shower and a fully outfitted kitchen. Plus, it would already be built and ready to go. The drawbacks were the much higher cost and where to park all this stuff. A decent used pickup is well over $20,000 these days, and the cool trailer we had our eye on was at least that. We could have gone cheaper, but you still need a spot to park the trailer. So we went back to the van idea.
Not that vans are cheap. A new high-roof Sprinter or Ford Transit can easily push past $50,000. And that’s BEFORE you start upfitting. Used ones are difficult to find, and still a little pricey. Standard low-roof cargo vans seemed to be more reasonable and plentiful. We were finding plenty of ten year old Fords and Chevys with around 150,000 miles in the $10-12,000 range. But a lot of them were used by tradesmen, and were pretty hammered and rusty. Plus, these old vans are notoriously thirsty for gas. My search was leading nowhere.
Until I came across an ad for a 2015 Chevy Express long wheelbase, advertised for $6000. Surely that had to be a typo, right?. The pictures presented a very clean, shiny, dent free van. The interior looked nice. I knew that this fairly young van had the more modern 6-speed auto transmission, which would bring the mpg to a more acceptable level. Scrolling down, I finally found the reason: it had an eye popping 390,000 miles on the odometer! How was that even possible?
I called the dealer selling it, and she explained that it had been used by a local courier service to run coast to coast. They were all highway miles, the gentlest kind. This dealer had also performed all the services on it since new. It had new tires, brakes, and a fresh transmission. I looked over all the service records and Carfax, and everything checked out. The test drive confirmed that this was our van. I negotiated down to $5700, and we are now the proud owners of a white creeper van!
Over the next several months, I’ll be detailing the upfit. Our plans include a bed that converts to a table, a small kitchen, and a very rudimentary bathroom. We’ll have a garage in back for the bikes. Up top will be our kayak racks and cargo box. We’re looking at putting some solar panels up there to feed an electrical system for lights and a fridge. I’d like to keep the total budget (including van purchase) under $12,000. Please feel free to ask any questions as we go!


text:
Blood pressure has two components:
Systolic pressure, the higher number, represents the pressure the heart generates to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Diastolic pressure, the lower number, refers to the pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats.
Usually, systolic pressure increases as we age. However, after age 60, diastolic pressure usually begins to decline because the body's blood vessels stiffen.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Normal blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80. People with a systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or a diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 are said to have prehypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is divided into two stages:Learn more about the symptoms of hypertension ›
Your doctor may prescribe antihypertension medication if your blood pressure is high. There are several kinds of medication commonly taken alone or in combination, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Thiazide diuretics are often the first medications your doctor will try to treat your high blood pressure. They help to lower blood pressure by eliminating excess fluid and salt that accumulate in the body. The excess fluid is eliminated in the urine. Examples of commonly prescribed diuretics are hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril), chlorothiazide (Diuril), spironolactone (Aldactone), and others.
These keep the heart from pumping too hard by blocking the action of the hormones that normally increase heart rate and blood pumped out from the heart. Examples of commonly prescribed beta blockers are atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), and others.Learn more about blood pressure medication ›
About one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Having untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. Do you have the facts about blood pressure?
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, can be a concern if it causes symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, or even shock. Dizziness or fainting could lead to a serious fall. Shock, if not treated immediately, could end in death. However, it's true that low blood pressure is actually normal for some people.Learn more about myths related to blood pressure ›

domain: health


text:
Strangers Have The Best Candy Posters
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domain: artistic


text:
Insurance transfers the financial risk of life's events to an insurance company. A sound insurance strategy can help protect your family from the financial consequences of those events. A strategy can include personal insurance, liability insurance, and life insurance.
Have A Question About This Topic?
The Pros and Cons of Banking Your Money
Do you need to enroll in Medicare Part D? Read this article to learn more about whether you need this coverage
Gun owners need to make sure that their homeowners policy covers the full value of their firearm(s) as personal liability.
You can plan ahead to protect yourself and your family against the financial consequences of deteriorating health.
65 or older? It may be time to enroll in Medicare. Read to learn if you’re eligible.
Learn all about Medicare basics in this informative and insightful article.
Estimate how much you have the potential to earn during your working years.
What is Life Insurance? Part 1
If your family relies on your income, it’s critical to know what their needs would be in the event of your death.
Whole life insurance can help protect what matters most: your family, your assets, and your legacy.
Though we don’t like to think about it, all of us will make an exit sometime. Are you prepared?

domain: economics


text:
CARDIOVASCULAR SUPPORT*: Recent scientific studies indicate that black cumin seed oil has phenolic compounds and fatty acids that contribute to its ability to support balanced immune system responses.*
SUPPORTS BALANCED IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION*: Studies also show that black cumin seed oil can help to support a healthy vascular system.*
GMP Quality Assured: NPA A-rated GMP certification means that every aspect of the NOW manufacturing process has been examined, including our laboratory/testing methods (for stability, potency, and product formulation).
Packaged in the USA by a family owned and operated company since 1968.

domain: biology


text:
Calcium Antagonists in Clinical Medicine by Murray Epstein
eBook Title: Calcium Antagonists in Clinical Medicine
Publisher: Hanley & Belfus (September 1, 1992)
Category: Medical Books
Size ePub vers.: 1430 kb
Size PDF vers.: 1482 kb
Other formats: cb7, odf, pdf, azw, ibooks, mobi
This is an in-depth review of the multitude of clinical applications already known and in practice for the class of drugs called calcium antagonists or calcium blockers (e.g. diltiazem, nifedipine, verapamil, etc). The use of these drugs overlaps several specialities, which are represented in this book by contributors from these fields. This book is intended for general internists, cardiologists, nephrologists, clinical pharmacologists and gastroenterologists.

domain: medical


text:
A hairdresser and colorist for 30 years, Jynja started painting in 1986, mainly to prove to herself that she was good at mixing color. She successfully used 5 colors to reproduce photos of " Grandma's Garden" and "Broken Wing."
In 2004, she became interested in stone sculpting, gradually moving into concrete sculpture and mosaics, with building a few memorials of pets that had passed, and a 11 ft. giraffe and 6 ft. polar bear, for Utah's Hogle Zoo's charity auction.
Her life partner is a tile contractor. With his mentoring, and an abundance of tile remnants at hand, she finds that she really enjoys recycling leftovers.
In 2007 her New Year resolution was to create a significant body of work that would find it's way into a gallery. She reached that goal when her sculptures "Harlequin Hound and his Cat-as-Trophies" were put on display in the School of Medicine, Hallside Gallery, at the University of Utah.
Recently (2008) she created a Dimetrodon Loveseat and 2 (7 ft.) DNA strands for the University of Utah, Museum of Natural History's charity auction.
2005 - Silver Queen Hotel, Park City, UT
2006 - Williams Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
2007 - Hallside Gallery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
2008 - Smiling Dog Deli, Belvue, ID
Zabby Cat - Small Kitty
Abbey Dog (black Lab) (commissioned)
Small End Tables (southwestern)
Zeus Table (commissioned)
Planter Table (commisioned)
Bird Bath Foutain (commmissioned)
Greenman Pot (commissioned)
Charity Auctions and in Private Collection:
Hogle Zoo Charity Auction - Giraffe (Kasaru)
Hogle Zoo Charity Auction - Polar Bear (Ande)
Museum of Natural History Charity Auction - Dinosaur Bench (Di metro Don)
Museum of Natural History Charity Auction - DNA strand
700 Columbus St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Home | Statement | Resume | Links
Mosaic | Sculpture | Paint and Photo


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Sienna (Pt 3) – I’m A Miracle
Looking back now, I know that during those hard times, through the times when I felt most alone, the only way the feelings eased back below the surface and out of sight for a time, was because of God. He was, after all, the only person I had. I don’t know if you believe in God but, for me, he was the only person who knew my pain. He was the only person who I could cry to at night. And He was the only one that gave me the strength to try to find belonging and connection, because I had nothing left to give: in fact, I wanted out.
I was so alone, so in pain and felt like there was nothing I could do to change it. Remember, I was so shy, I barely spoke to people outside of my family. How was I ever going to find friends, find real connection and belonging, if I couldn’t even bring myself to speak to people? I felt hopeless. But in the words of Kirk Franklin, ‘He’ll pick you up, He’ll hold your hand, He’ll ease the pain, so you can smile again’. I had that track on repeat as I sat in bed and cried every night, begging God for things to change.
Kirk wasn’t wrong – it was baby steps at first. I joined a team at my church at around 13ish years old, which gave me some purpose every week. More importantly for me at the time, it was a distraction from the pain I felt every week watching everyone else have a great time with their friends after services for what seemed like hours on end before my family was ready to go home. It also gave me a small group of people to try to get to know, to try and speak to.
I started working part-time around the age of 15/16, which meant I had to start talking to strangers (cue the fear!), and I think that gave me a push to start saying more than “Hi, I’m fine thanks” to people who tried to speak to me. I started to see a little progress around this time, even at church. I don’t know if it was God pushing them, but one person persisted with trying to befriend me around this time. I’m pretty sure I was still an anxious, awkward, hot mess but they didn’t give up on me, and for that I’m forever grateful.
And the big one – I joined a church drama group in my late teens! There were lots of reasons that prompted this step, but, fundamentally, I saw a group of people that always seemed to have fun, that seemed so close, that belonged. I wanted this so badly in life. I was hunting to find that connection, a sense of belonging and ultimately, in my simple mind, friends. That’s all I longed for.
So I did it. I somehow joined the group. I don’t even remember how, if I’m honest. Probably clinging on to someone else! Don’t get me wrong, my heart was racing every performance, but weirdly, being on stage in character was tons easier than speaking to people as myself. But it got easier doing that too. I felt like there was a group of people who liked me, who maybe I could connect to. I spoke more and I felt a bit more comfortable in social settings. I actually had fun!
It wasn’t perfect (remember that ‘outlier of the group’ mode from before?). For some reason I couldn’t shake that feeling. I saw others in the group being super close with each other, outside of the group, while I just felt like the ‘nice one’ who everyone liked, but who wasn’t close to enough to have a deeper connection. As I said before, I never felt like a first choice. But it was something! I had more people in my life that I talked to. I had a job. I had hobbies. I had groups of people that I now talked to. I kept on pushing myself, trying to build friendships and push myself out of my comfort zone. It may sound silly to some, but even something so simple as arranging one-on-one dinners with that persistent friend on a regular basis was hard for me. Remember, I tended to get anxious with social interaction, so a one-on-one interaction was my mountain. Nowhere to hide and a high risk of awkward silences if I couldn’t think of something to say! But I did it and that friend is one of my closest to this day.
I still struggle with loneliness in my thirties. Not because I’m still that same person who felt like they didn’t have anyone, but because loneliness is about a sense of belonging, deep connection and fulfilment of social needs. To me, you only really find that in a few people as an adult and by being open and vulnerable with those people. That’s something I will forever struggle with. I have been told many times that I’m guarded, or that I don’t talk about myself etc. but here’s the thing: God has a plan!
He gave me the idea to write my story, to share and open up a little. In fact, He gave it to me again and again for about a year while I resisted! But eventually I relented and here I am sharing some of the things I hold closest, things that I thought I would take with me to the grave.
Maybe my friends will be able to tell who I am from reading these blogs and maybe my sense of belonging will grow as a result. Maybe they won’t. Either way it’s worth telling my story. If you knew me, you’d probably have no idea that I struggle with this. But because I do, I sometimes see the signs in others that maybe, just possibly, they might be going through something similar. And I would never wish that on anyone.
So, for that person who sometimes feels alone, feels like no one will ever truly understand you, feels like nothing will ever change. For that person who feels like there’s no way out or feels like there’s no hope, trust me when I say I am living proof that your current situation doesn’t have to be your future.
One day, when the end of my journey has been written, I will say: I overcame loneliness; I told you, I’m a miracle.
(Part 4 coming soon…)

domain: literature


text:
America’s aesthetically conservative capital occasionally receives a design jolt thanks to a unique new building. Washington, D.C.’s latest architectural shot in the arm, the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, is a radical transformation by Bing Thom, AIA, of one of the city’s most venerable cultural institutions. Filling a tight, triangular parcel overlooking southwest D.C.’s Potomac River waterfront, the Mead Center’s dramatic sculptural qualities are rational and purposeful, not arbitrary or whimsical. Its provocative, idiosyncratic form, housing an equally idiosyncratic program, works well in functional, aesthetic, and urbanistic terms.
Some question the Mead Center’s fit within southwest D.C.’s urban context, since the new structure doesn’t emulate surrounding buildings. It doesn’t because it shouldn’t. Most nearby buildings are stylistically eclectic, diverse in scale and function, and architecturally unremarkable. The neighborhood is in flux and will look very different in another decade. On the adjacent waterfront, obsolete 1960s-vintage, low-rise commercial buildings and parking lots soon will be replaced by multistory, mixed-use development. Other redevelopment projects in the area are under way or planned. Indeed, the Mead Center is spurring local revitalization. Equally important, it is both a civic edifice for the city and a cultural resource for the nation. Standing boldly apart as charismatic architecture is altogether fitting.
Appreciating this innovative makeover requires knowing a bit of Arena’s history. Sitting at the intersection of Maine Avenue and 6th Street SW, Arena Stage was originally a freestanding, 800-seat, in-the-round theater designed in the late 1950s by Harry Weese. Square in plan with chamfered corners, the theater became a well-known example of midcentury modern D.C. architecture: exposed concrete structure, brick cladding, hipped metal roof. Rising in 1971 was a sister theater, the Weese-designed, 514-seat Kreeger, which is fan-shaped, with a proscenium stage. For decades loyal patrons filled the theaters, despite painfully small lobbies, outmoded technical systems, and woefully inadequate back-of-house facilities. Something needed to happen.
According to Arena’s artistic director, Molly Smith, what happened was a “thrilling adventure” that entailed reconceiving Arena’s mission, coping with challenging site and design issues, and raising $135 million. Moving beyond its role as a regional theater, Arena Stage was to become a “national center” for American theater, says Smith. In addition to showcasing local and traveling works, it would foster the development of new productions and serve as a facility for the study of American theater history. But expanding aspirations required programmatic and spatial expansion. Because of the small, oddly shaped site, Arena considered other locations. But recognizing that its property was in a changing neighborhood close to a Metro station, and that the site constituted part of Arena’s historic image and identity, the board decided to stay put. It also decided to save and modernize the existing theaters.
For Bing Thom Architects (BTA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, fulfilling the center’s mission architecturally required accommodating the entire 200,000-square-foot program on the site. Everything existing was to be demolished except for the Arena Stage building—renamed the Fichandler Stage, to honor its founder—and the Kreeger Theater. A new 200-seat experimental theater, the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, was to be added. Totally new back-of-house facilities and commodious public spaces were needed. Although the 1,397 seats in today’s three theaters roughly match the number in the two original theaters (200 Arena box seats were eliminated), supporting three performance venues instead of two necessitated augmented, state-of-the-art production and operational capabilities.
Two design options were possible: Create a village of densely aggregated, disparate new and existing structures interconnected by public and back-of-house circulation networks, or envelop new and existing structures within a unifying form. BTA chose the latter, using a singular heroic gesture: a curving, 475-foot-long cantilevered roof sweeping horizontally across the site. The sinuous roof’s acutely angled, dramatically projecting tip at the site’s west end points toward the Washington Monument. Lacking preconceived stylistic intentions, the gesture is at once symbolic and practical, born of site and program conditions, the kind of big aesthetic move that Eero Saarinen might have made.
The roof gesture is amplified by the undulating, floor-to-ceiling glass curtainwall, tilted slightly outward, wrapping around the street façades and beautifully revealing the center’s design. Braced by Parallam, engineered-wood muntins, and struts, the curtainwall’s 370 glass panels hang from the roof yet make the roof, framed with deep steel trusses, seem to float. The steel roof structure rests on 18 elliptical Parallam columns, to which curtainwall struts attach. According to Thom, this glass-wood-steel construction assembly is unprecedented in the U.S. The glazing exposes the center’s interior architecture and movement of people and sets, while those inside enjoy panoramic views of the city, the river, and sunsets illuminating the western sky. At night, the building is at its artful best, radiantly aglow with light.
Abstract concrete forms emerge and project outward at the site’s western vertex and eastern edge. Near the main entry on 6th Street, for instance, an oval concrete cylinder rises from sidewalk level to above roof height and contains the Kogod Cradle and the spiraling ramps that lead around and into the theater. The cylinder and the other masses succeed as aesthetic anchors and visual counterpoints to the building’s dominant roof and glass curtainwall expression. The center’s expressive character is enhanced by consistent details and materials carried from exterior to interior, where one sees concrete floors with a terrazzolike finish in public spaces, and concrete, glass, wood, and metal on wall surfaces and guardrails.
The center’s fluid public realm is a dynamic place to see and to be seen. All of the free-plan space around and between the theaters, including the elevated café terrace atop the Kreeger, is sheltered below the sweeping span of the new roof. Viewed from the café terrace, however, the space between the Fichandler roof and the new roof above feels overly compressed. Thom acknowledges that, budget permitting, he would have preferred a higher roof to give Weese’s building a bit more breathing room. Nevertheless, the spatially and volumetrically layered interior, coupled with views outside, provides rich visual complexity yet does not impede orientation or navigation. Rehearsal spaces, classrooms, administrative offices, prop storage, and other staff spaces, including a publicly visible lounge, occupy the site’s northern edge, with parking below. BTA’s deployment of these critical facilities enables efficient movement and interaction of staff, actors, and materials. Acoustic design, likewise a critical priority, ensures that no noise or vibrations enter the theaters. The Kogod’s floor sits on isolation mounts, and mechanical equipment is located in a soundproofed basement.
The center and its designers earn points for reusing an urban property that is well served by city infrastructure and transit, and for keeping all of the center’s functions concentrated on the site. They also saved the two theater buildings that embody energy and resources previously invested, harvested and poured daylight deep into the building, and engineered efficient HVAC and chemical-free water-treatment systems.
The Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is an iconic, purposeful building. Bing Thom has substantially raised the bar for architectural design quality in the nation’s capital.


text: It’s a Little Shop of What the Hell Is Happening over at the Drew Barrymore Show today, where our gal Drew has taken a break from reporting hard-hitting Drew’s News to introduce a new “signature segment” of the show, called “Sing to a Flower.” They’re really just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks over there, and letting singers come on to just sing would be too normie for Drew. That’s not how she rolls. “Performing his beautifully unique version of ‘Edelweiss’ to help our flower grow,” Billy Porter inaugurates the segment, singing a thematically appropriate Broadway standard against a starry backdrop, while a big, stagy rose snakes its way to the heavens, blooming with the power of song. It’s the sort of story-time activity that I imagine goes down at highly progressive and expensive preschools. It is the spiritual opposite of when Ellen scares people on purpose. And it was all Jimmy Fallon’s idea. “This idea is gifted to us by none other than Jimmy Fallon,” Drew explains. “He said, ‘I have to gift you guys this idea, because it turns out that if you sing to a flower, there is scientific evidence that it helps it grow.’ And it was only a seed of an idea, pun intended, but here we are, with Billy Porter, about to sing a song.” Kellyoke could never.


text:
University of Iowa Foundation News Release
Oct. 5, 2005
Photos: Michael J. New, left; Charles M. Kierscht, right
UI Foundation Announces Leadership Changes
University of Iowa Foundation President Michael J. New has stepped down from his position because of health reasons, the foundation's board chair announced today. New will remain as a member of the foundation staff, serving as chief development officer.
Charles M. Kierscht, chair of the UI Foundation board of directors, will serve as interim president while a nationwide search is conducted and a new foundation president is hired.
Kierscht also announced that three vice presidents in the foundation's fund-raising areas -- Flynn Andrizzi, David Triplett and Rich Wretman -- have been named to the organization's management group, joining New; Kierscht; Tiffani Shaw, senior vice president, CFO and treasurer; and Susan Shullaw, senior vice president, communications and campaign support.
New, of Iowa City, earned a B.A. degree in journalism (1964) and an M.A. degree in sociology (1967), both from the UI. He has been a UI Foundation staff member for nearly 30 years. New joined the foundation in 1976 as a development officer representing the UI health colleges, was named vice president for development programs in 1985 and succeeded Darrell Wyrick as president upon Wyrick's retirement in 1998.
Chief among New's accomplishments as foundation president has been his leadership of the UI's "Good. Better. Best. Iowa" campaign (1999-2005), which will conclude at the end of this year. To date, the campaign has generated more than $960 million in gift commitments toward its $1 billion goal.
Kierscht, of Hinsdale, Ill., earned his B.A. degree from the UI in 1960 and his J.D. degree from the UI College of Law in 1962. Following graduation from law school, Kierscht served in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1966 and then began a 29-year career with Kemper Financial Services in Chicago, retiring in 1995 as chairman, CEO and president. A longtime UI contributor and volunteer, Kierscht joined the UI Foundation board of directors in 1987 and was elected chair in 2003. He led the Iowa Law School's recent successful $33 million endowment campaign.
Flynn Andrizzi is the foundation's vice president for medical center development, which includes fund raising for the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, UI Hospitals and Clinics and the UI College of Public Health. David Triplett is vice president for gift planning. Rich Wretman is vice president for constituent development programs.
Kierscht, in his capacity as foundation board chair, will lead the search committee to name a new UI Foundation president. Committee members will include representatives of the foundation board as well as the university. UI President David Skorton will serve as an ex officio member.
The UI acknowledges the UI Foundation as the preferred channel for private contributions that benefit all areas of the university. For more information about the "Good. Better. Best. Iowa" campaign, visit its web site at www.GoodBetterBestIowa.org.
STORY SOURCE: UI Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244-4550
MEDIA CONTACT: Susan Shullaw, 319-335-3305, ext. 861; 800-648-6973, ext. 861; email@example.com
PHOTOS/GRAPHICS: Photos for this story are available for downloading

domain: news


The architect for the Northgate Transfer Center project in Northeast El Paso is offering a peak at what the future development may look like. Exigo Architecture, of El Paso, has posted renderings of the transfer center at its website.
|This rendering shows what the Northgate Transfer Center may look like, coming soon to Northeast El Paso. (www.exigoarch.com)|
The Northgate Transfer Center is considered a "catalyst" by the City of El Paso for the future transit-oriented Metro 31 smart growth community, which will be adjacent to this project. It will be used as the terminus of the Dyer Corridor of the Brio Rapid Transit System, currently under development.
In all, 31 acres will be developed at the former location of Northpark Mall at the corner of Dyer Street and Diana Drive.
According to the architect's website, the transfer center will itself be a mixed-use development, with retail spaces and a 181-space parking garage planned. Renderings show the parking structure possible hidden by liner facades, which could include the retail spaces. These would face a "Main Street" leading into the smart growth development.
|A landscape community plaza fronts the Northgate Transfer Center in this rendering. The transfer center is considered a "catalyst" for the larger Metro 31 smart growth community. (www.exigoarch.com)|
Renderings also show a circular community plaza that could possibly be used for public art and community events. Ponding park areas are located behind the structures in a preliminary site plan.
The layout of the Northgate Transfer Center and the larger Metro 31 development are subject to change, as has been seen in multiple iterations of each project. Metro 31 is being developed by Hunt Companies of El Paso. No construction start date has been announced for either project.
This is 'Metro 31': City Reveals Northgate SmartCode Project Details


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This is a photo of my Grandpa, Richard Zalewski, and my younger brother, Joel in 1986. I’m assuming it’s around Easter since that’s where the photo was in the album. I like the fact that they’re wearing matching shirts, or as we called them, “Grandpa Shirts.”
Way Back Wednesday
I started genealogy research about mid-1999. My grandfather had passed away in April of that year. Since then I’ve done a lot of research not only for myself, but for friends and other relatives. In 2006, I married the love of my life, Darcy, and welcomed the birth of our daughter, Aerissa Jean, in 2010 and our son, Xander Lee, in 2012. I can’t wait to tell them stories about all of their ancestors.
A Featured Post
Ancestry sent me an email a few months back giving me an early invitation to their new Ancestry DNA service. I couldn’t resist, so I ordered one and sent it back in. The results were recently posted and there are some cool new things in there. The first interesting fact is that according to them, […]

domain: hobby


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New Trailer Showcases the Limitless Creativity of New Dimensions Feature, Livestream Scheduled for Friday, October 19, the First Day of the Next Beta
Trion to Lift Storm Legion NDA on Monday, October 24
Trion Worlds today shared details for the next Storm Legion™ beta event and released a new trailer showcasing the highly anticipated player housing feature known as Dimensions. The next RIFT® beta stress test kicks off at 10am PDT on Friday, October 19th and will continue until 8am PDT on Wednesday, October 24th, giving participants the opportunity to explore Storm Legion content up to level 56. Beta invites are guaranteed to Storm Legion pre-order customers. Additionally, participants are encouraged to share their Storm Legion experiences with the world when the non-disclosure agreement lifts at 9am on Monday, October 22nd.
Get excited for next weekend now with a new trailer showing the incredible amount of creative control that players will have when building their own personal Dimensions when Storm Legion launches next month. Also be sure to check out the Dimensions livestream on October 19 at http://www.twitch.tv/trionworlds.
Adventure in the world of Telara as either a noble Guardian or technomagical Defiant and enter a dynamic fantasy where 8 primal forces battle for control in an ever-changing landscape. Build your own class using the Ascended Soul system, embark on epic conflicts that bring you into the story, battle others in exhilarating Player vs. Player combat, achieve new heights of power by tackling epic raids, and so much more. See www.RIFTgame.com for more information.

domain: game


All proceeds from this album go directly to supporting the life and ministry of Gethsemane Episcopal Church. Please give generously.
For more than 120 years, Gethsemane Episcopal has made its home in the heart of downtown Marion, Indiana. Over the last fifty years, this midwestern town has seen severe economic depression. Resisting opportunities to move to richer neighborhoods, Gethsemane remains in its historic location, consistently attentive to the needs of the economically stressed downtown population. It has also become a home for many students and professors from nearby Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University.
Gethsemane operates based on congregational giving and a trust fund, but funds are low. Past and current church members worked together to contribute Christmas songs to this benefit album. The songs and styles represent the diversity of our congregation. Thank you for your support.
released December 13, 2015
all rights reserved


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- Wall Bracket included in the box (BH8080001-1)


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How Looks Like CHRISTMAS in the Different Countries
Wondering where to spend your next Christmas?
Christmas in the different countries may seem different but is equally enjoyed!
Christmas time is one of the best times of the year. It allows families to unite again, even if it is just for few days. It is the time when you can stop thinking about obligations, plans and work; it is the time to enjoy the most precious in your life – the people and gratitude.
We all forget to be grateful for what we have. But at Christmas time we can finally stop running after our daily tasks or hurry to reach the next destination and appreciate all we have achieved in the year.
Christmas may seem different in the different countries but people enjoy (or hate) it for the same reasons. This collection of photos is to show the lifestyle in each destination where people equally enjoy the holiday but decorate and celebrate it in different ways.
Christmas in New York, USA
One of the best Christmas decorations you can see in New York. The city becomes a winter wonderland. In addition to the amazing decoration, there are plenty of things to do – music concerts, parties, shopping and shop’s displays watching …. You just can’t get bored at Christmas in New York!
Christmas in Miami, USA
How Miami celebrates the Christmas season? Well, with a lot of partying; watching living nativity with real donkey, camel and Jesus; skating in the Intercontinental Hotel; attending the Santa’s Enchanted Forest (the largest Christmas-themed amusement park located right in the heart of Miami. All these sound like too much fun. What do you think?
Christmas in London, UK
Oxford Street, Covent Garden, the National history museum … you name it! There are plenty of corners in London where you can feel the Christmas spirit. What can you do to celebrate the holiday? Try ice skating at Canary Wharf, Eyeskate or Hampton Court Palace; visit the Christmas markets at London Bridge and Hyde Park or if you don’t have much time for all these just visit the Southbank Centre Winter Festival.
Christmas in Athens, GREECE
Christmas in Athens can be quite a memorable adventure. The climate here is mild which allows spending a lot of time outside, including at the cafes where you can mix with the noisy locals. Make long walk in the streets under the Acropolis and enjoy the leisurely way of life in the Greek capital. There you will find many small and charming restaurants together with some interesting antique shops and plenty of original souvenirs.
Chritmas in Lviv, UKRAINE
Christmas in Ukraine can be quite cold… and fairy. Most of the years the snowfall starts at the beginning of December and at Christmas time (which in Ukraine is 6-7 January) everything around is clean with white. In the heart of the most beautiful city of Ukraine there is colourful Christmas market and the tall Christmas tree perfectly blends with the style of the Opera Theatre. Enjoy your time here with some pretty good Christmas punch and traditional blinis with curd cheese.
Christmas in Vienna, AUSTRIA
During the Christmas holidays, Vienna is probably the most magical place in Europe. From the beginning of November, the city becomes invaded by the Christmas madness in all its forms, in a good way. The shop windows are magical, you can hear Christmas carols everywhere even in the supermarket. The Christmas markets pop up at every square and the enticing aromas of mulled wine and freshly baked pretzels burst in the air.
Christmas in Cienfuegos, CUBA
Cuba is one of the best countries where a person coming from cold climate can spend the Christmas holidays. Cuba is warm and festive all year round and Christmas time although not so decorative like in the rest of the Christian world, is one of the most enjoyed holidays. Take your family, pack your summer clothes and go have fun in Cuba! And don’t stop in Havana or Varadero, see the rest of this beautiful Caribbean island where the real Cuban life happens.
Christmas in Toronto, CANADA
I have never been to Canada (yet) and I can just repeat what Katia told me about Christmas in Toronto. The city is a multicultural hub and every cultural group celebrates Christmas according to its traditions. I guess people try to keep their traditions as much as possible as a sign of keeping their individuality, of who they are. Being tolerant of the others makes us a better person and in this case, makes a country better place to live. Merry Christmas, Canada!
Christmas in Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam is an excellent destination all year round. However, Christmas time here can be a magical time to visit. Dam Square houses the largest Christmas tree in the city. At Museumplein, there is a Christmas Village where you will find Christmas market, ice skating and live performances. If you are tired of traditional Christmas activities, try seeing the World Christmas Circus and Amsterdam Light Festival.
Christmas in Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
Australia is the dreamiest place for Christmas and New Year holidays. You may think – well, it is not typical Christmas place with snow and traditional meaty food and warm wine – but hey, what is better than spending the Christmas day on the beach?!!! I can’t think of something better. In addition, the shop windows are filled with mannequins in shorts and flip-flops, same like the customers themselves. What else can you do in Australia for Christmas? Have a barbecue on the beach; attend Christmas carols in the major cities, spent few days at camping ground … or anything else you want to do in nature. In Australia, the summer holidays just begin and it is the perfect time for spending time outdoors.
Christmas in Balti, MOLDOVA
Moldova is the least visited country in Europe. With this said, there are many reasons that make this country interesting to visit. First and most important for many travellers is that prices are low and a trip to Moldova will not drain your bank account. Second, the country is still developing so the environment is far from the western European lifestyle and a trip to Moldova can be refreshingly awakening. It is always good to travel to destinations with totally opposite lifestyle because you can compare and stay in the ‘golden’ middle. Christmas decoration in Moldova is somewhat simple as you can see but people are kind and enjoy Christmas like everywhere else.
Christmas in Mecavnik, SERBIA
Christmas in Serbia is celebrated on 7th of January. Like the most of the Orthodox countries (with the exception of Greece and Bulgaria), Christmas comes after the New Year’s Eve. But similarly to Bulgaria, the Christmas Eve menu is meatless as this is the last day of the Christmas fast. If you want to try something traditional and close to nature, the wooden town of Mecavnik looks ideal for family Christmas holiday.
Christmas in Turin, ITALY
Turin is one of the best destinations in Italy all year round. But if you want different Christmas, why not to go ahead and make your next Christmas full of Italian flavours. The snowy Alpine views beyond the city make it dreamy winter destination. Enjoy the Italian lifestyle with a lot of tasty food (Turin is famous for its chocolate and slow food restaurants) and amazing Christmas lights.
Christmas in Venice, ITALY
Typical for Italy and France are the Nativity Crib Scenes. The one on the picture I took a few years ago when spent the last days of the year in Venice. The Christmas decoration in the city of channels was poor but the traditions were kept and the crib was there, right on the famous San Marco Square. Somehow it was nice to see that modern decorations with halogen lights did not cover the authenticity of this so special city. This way the holiday felt more real.
Christmas in Dresden, GERMANY
Germany is famous for its Christmas markets and together with Austria they spread this tradition all over the world. But the original is original. This year, the city of Dresden organizes its 581st market!!! What a long tradition! As one of the most popular markets in Germany, it is visited by millions every year. It looks like walking between the stalls of the market you fall in a fairytale. Wooden toys, handcrafted Christmas decorations, homemade food, mulled wine, concerts with Christmas carols … Do you need more convincing that Dresden during Christmas is one of the places you should include in your bucket list?!
Christmas in Sanary, FRANCE
My favourite place in France – Provence Cote d’Azur – is beautiful not only during the summer when you can hear the seagulls and the beaches are occupied by people from different generations speaking different languages. During Christmas, Sanary is beautifully decorated and illuminated and the usually warm climate allows you to sit on the terrace enjoying your drink or meal. La crèche is a typical Christmas decoration that each family installs at home every year. Same like the Nativity crib scenes in Italy, the crèches are very decorative but the home variants much smaller. The figurines are called santons and traditionally they are handmade.
Christmas in Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a country predominantly populated with Muslims but even Non-Christians are taken by the Christmas spirit. The shopping malls are decorated with big Christmas trees and they do everything to be the most exciting Christmas shopping scenes. There is a real competition between the malls for most attractive Christmas decoration. Apparently, Christmas in Malaysia is not holiday only for the Christians. It is more like a national time for cheering and greeting each other, for spending a good time with friends and relatives and finding an excuse for gift shopping! And we can say the Christmas tree at front of the Petronas Twin Towers is absolutely beautiful!
Christmas in Istanbul, TURKEY
In fact, in Istanbul, there is no Christmas spirit and Christmas trees on public squares. The one you see on the picture is in a restaurant that probably tries to attract the numerous foreign tourists visiting the city for the end of the year. And it is the only place where I have seen any holiday decoration in Istanbul. The lack of real Christmas feel should not stop you to spend this time of the year in the Turkish capital. The weather conditions are great and the sightseeing so vast of choice that you surely will spend your Christmas in a great way and will keep golden memories from the trip.
Christmas in Madrid, SPAIN
Madrid is another favourite destination in South of Europe. Christmas here is very decorative and gloriously beautiful despite the lack of snow. The amazing Spanish architecture adds a lot to the spirit of the place and during Christmas holidays the Spanish capital is abundant with festivities like Christmas markets (in Plaza de Espana and market San Miguel), Christmas trees and Christmas lights.
Christmas in Razlog, BULGARIA
Out of the beaten path, the town of Razlog offers one of the most traditional celebrations of Christmas in the whole country. If you wish to have peaceful Christmas celebration filled with tasty food, skiing and traditional folklore shows, this is the place for you. This year, in addition to all other festivities you will find an alley arranged with small Christmas trees in the heart of the town. Sit on the benches and watch the local life passing by. Enjoy the time of happiness in this small but lively town in the Bulgarian mountains.
Christmas in Sofia, BULGARIA
With each year Sofia becomes more charming during the winter holidays. Walking at night is not only safe but shows you the city in its most beautiful perspective. During the month of December, the restaurants and bars are filled with crowds of excited and noisy people that at the end of the period are exhausted from partying but happy to spend time with their families in a calm homey atmosphere and sharing traditional dishes on the table. The two-three weeks before Christmas is “devoted” to corporate celebrations, the few days of Christmas to the family, and often the New Year’s Eve is spent with friends somewhere out of the home, in the mountains if possible.
This was collaboration post and I am grateful to all friends and family members that helped me with their photos and information.Thank you all!
Ivan, Diana, Tanya, Dani, Izabela, Laurence, Alexandre, Elena, Katia, Eli, Anjeza and Anastasia!
ADD TO PINTEREST

domain: geography


text:
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world. Read more
Kate Rusby, Frances Cha, Textile Factories
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
Mary Trump: TikTok and parents; Social mobility and the creative industries
Mary Trump on the book she has written about her famous uncle.
Kate Rusby, Women and high street job losses, Mary Trump, How to be a friend, Childfree by choice
Known as the Barnsley Nightingale, the folk singer Kate Rusby on her album of covers.
Summer Holidays, Sex Robots and Artificial Wombs, Film Director Jessica Swale
Journalist Jenny Kleeman on sex robots and artificial wombs & the implications for women
Finding a comfortable saddle; Nutrition and brain health; Jackie Clune
Black Women in the music industry; Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
School exclusions; Women and running; Recovery after domestic violence
How to End a Relationship, Alice Oseman, Mother and Baby Units in Prison
Recovering after domestic abuse, Black women in music, Bicycle saddles
Building a new life after domestic abuse: How friends and family can help survivors.
Kids Against Plastic, Irish Tampon Ad, Zara McFarlane
How to help your child spot fake news online
Spotting fake news; Zoom Medicine; New series: Scars; Author & fiddler, Emma John;
Empowering schoolchildren to identify propaganda and distorted facts online
Baby banks, Mercury prize nominee Georgia, Pat Hume, Author Luan Goldie
The rise of families visiting baby banks. Mercury prize nominee Georgia.
Zadie Smith, Women and their Scars, Xuefei Yang and Maternity Care
Zadie Smith on her book 'Intimations',maternity care and classical guitarist Xuefei Yang.
Standing Up For Your Mate, Victoria Cilliers, Black Businesswomen
Zadie Smith, Baby banks, Pat Hume, Irish tampon ad, Victoria Cilliers, Kids against plastic
Zadie Smith on her series of essays written during the early months of lockdown.
Women and unemployment; Daisy Johnson; BBC Elite Women's Sport Survey 2020
Female Refugees, Karen Maine director of Yes God, Yes, Women and their Scars
What happens to the small percentage of young female unaccompanied refugees in the UK?
Barrister Alexandra Wilson. The new breed of "Femtech" companies. Kamala Harris Vice-President nominee
Alexandra Wilson on breaking down the barriers of race and class to become a barrister.
Women DJs in lockdown
Women DJs, A levels and home-education, Veronika Tsepkalo, and the scars of psoriasis.
Codebreaking Sisters, Food and Climate Change, How to Handle Conflict
WW2 codebreaking sisters talk about how they served their country.
The codebreaking sisters. Women in elite sport. How female DJs are adapting during lockdown
The codebreaking sisters. Women in elite sport. Female DJs adapting during lockdown.
Women's rights in Afghanistan, Fleet street pioneer Julie Welch, Infertility, The works of Mary Stewart
Peace talks with the Taliban: Safeguarding women's rights in Afghanistan.
Can sex offenders change? Oestrogen and Covid; Childless older women
What treatment is available to stop sex offenders from committing more crimes?
Ellen DeGeneres, crime writer Denise Mina and Kids in Crisis After Covid
Ellen DeGeneres, Camilla Thurlow and Denise Mina.
Woman's Hour Parenting Podcast
Advice on supporting your child's mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic
Miriam Margolyes; Elaine Feeney; Cook the Perfect with Ravinder Bhogal.
Author Wendy Holden. Sexual violence in rural areas. How to make time for yourself
Author Wendy Holden on her novel inspired by the Queen's governess.
Can sex offenders change? Camilla Thurlow, Cook the perfect with Ravinder Bhogal, Childless older women
Can sex offenders change?
Listener Week 2020 - paddlesport; the Pill; Nits; Dating over 45;
Paddlesport; the Pill; Nits; Dating over the age of 45.
Parenting Podcast: Nits
All you need to know about nits

domain: library


text:
Published In/Presented At
Du, C., Dangleben, D., Olenwine, J., & Badellino, M. (2012, September 30-October 3). Enhancing resident education by empowering the learner through the creation of smartphone applications. Poster presented at: The 2012 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, Chicago, IL.
Poster presented at: The Keystone Conference of The American College of Surgeons, Harrisburg,PA. (November 9, 2012)
Medical Education | Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Medical Specialties | Surgery
Department of Surgery, Department of Surgery Faculty, Department of Surgery Residents


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Inequality and Transformation of Social Structures in Transitional Economies
The transition to a market economy in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) has been associated with greater inequality and social stratification. Living standards have fallen for the majority of people, unemployment and poverty are high, the distribution of assets and earnings has changed radically, and social benefits have fallen. The social distance between the 'winners' and 'losers' of the reforms has widened dramatically. This paper prepared within the UNU-WIDER project on 'Income Distribution and Social Structure during the Transition' analyses trends in social stratification and their causes with the aim of drawing social policy conclusions. Social structures have been deeply affected by macroeconomic and social-sector reforms. Privatization shifted assets towards the wealthy while changes in labour markets have led to the rise in earnings inequality. In the pretransitional socialist societies which were stratified into 'status groups' where social capital rather than economic capital—and social networks rather than market power—determined a person's status. With the transition, people's prospects in life are being increasingly determined by their possession of assets, goods and income opportunities. This study considers emerging social classes and groups—a new elite—the product of rising capitalism, and the new commercial, managerial, and professional middle classes. The large majority of the population, however, consists of blue-collar workers, farmers, and state-sector employees bearing the social costs of the transition. The bottom of the social hierarchy has enlarged due to a considerable number of socially deprived and marginalized people who fell into long-term poverty. The slowly reforming economies of the FSU have particularly high inequality and social polarization. Central Europe's transition countries have shown smaller increases in income inequality. Many professional workers there, especially the young have successfully entered the market economy. In contrast, an extremely wealthy and powerful economic elite has emerged in Russia and some other FSU countries amidst impoverishment and deprivation of a large part of the population. Social polarization has large economic costs. Thus, a more active social policy—promoting better livelihoods and more investment in human capital—could have large economic returns. But there is also a need for more effective public transfers and income redistribution policies to alleviate and reduce poverty. Social cohesion cannot be ignored.

domain: sociology


text: Supplementary Materialsijerph-17-05237-s001. history (= 494); alcoholic beverages usage (= 1463); background of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyperlipidemia (= 125); nourishment information (= 1977); background of stroke or ischemic cardiovascular disease (= 12); and periodontitis (= 33,163) data had been missing through Col003 the records of the full total 173,209 individuals. Several individuals had been excluded as their background of periodontitis had not been surveyed between 2004 and 2006. Finally, 9973 individuals with periodontitis and 125,304 settings (no background of periodontitis) had been selected for addition in today’s research (Shape 1). We subsequently analyzed days gone by history of cerebral stroke or ischemic cardiovascular disease in individuals with periodontitis as well as the controls. Open in a separate window Determine 1 Schematic illustration of the participant selection procedure within this scholarly research. From a complete of 173,209 individuals, 9973 sufferers with periodontitis Col003 and 125,304 handles had been chosen. HTN: hypertension, DM: diabetes mellitus. 2.3. Study The individuals had been questioned about days gone by background of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, Col003 hyperlipidemia, cerebral heart stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic), ischemic cardiovascular disease (angina or myocardial infarction), and periodontitis by educated interviewers . Body mass index (BMI) was computed as kg/m2 using medical examination data. Individuals had been categorized as nonsmokers ( 100 smoking throughout lifestyle), previous smokers (quit greater than a season ago), and current smokers, based on the background of cigarette smoking; and nondrinkers, previous drinkers, and current drinkers regarding to their alcoholic beverages consumption. Their dietary intake [total calorie (kcal/time), proteins (g/time), fats (g/time), and carbohydrate (g/time) intake] was surveyed utilizing a food-frequency questionnaire, that was validated with a previous study . Income groups were categorized as non-respondent, low income ( ~$2000 per month), middle income (~$2000C$3999 per month), and high income (~$4000 per month) based on the household income. 2.4. Statistical Analysis The Chi-square test was used to compare the effect of sex, income group, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, and alcohol consumption on the risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease. The impartial 0.05; ? Indie 0.05. BMI: body mass index. The adjusted OR (aOR) of periodontitis for stroke was 1.35 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16C1.57, 0.001]. The results of subgroup analysis for age and sex were consistent. The aOR was 1.20 (95% CI Rabbit Polyclonal to MNT = 0.69C2.08) in the 40C49 year-old group, 1.39 (95% CI = 1.09C1.78) in the 50C59 year-old group, 1.34 (95% CI = 1.10C1.64) in the 60C69 year-old group, 1.26 (95% CI = 1.02C1.55) in men, and 1.47 (95% CI = 1.19C1.82) in women (all 0.05) (Table 2). Table 2 Crude and adjusted odd ratios (95% confidence interval) for stroke in the periodontitis and control groups. = 135,277)Periodontitis1.72 (1.49C2.00) 0.001 *1.35 (1.16C1.57) 0.001 *Control1.00 1.00 Age 40C49 years old (= 48,782)Periodontitis1.47 (0.85C2.54)0.1671.20 (0.69C2.08)0.528Control1.00 1.00 Age 50C59 years old (= 53,128)Periodontitis1.57 (1.23C2.01) 0.001 *1.39 (1.09C1.78)0.009 *Control1.00 1.00 Age 60 years old (= 33,367)Periodontitis1.49 (1.22C1.81) 0.001 *1.34 (1.10C1.64)0.004 *Control1.00 1.00 Men (= 47,251)Periodontitis1.53 (1.25C1.88) 0.001 *1.26 (1.02C1.55)0.031 *Control1.00 1.00 Women (= 88,026)Periodontitis1.85 (1.50C2.29) 0.001 *1.47 (1.19C1.82) 0.001 *Control1.00 1.00 Open in a separate window * Logistic regression model; Significance at 0.05.; ? Models adjusted for age, sex, income group, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and nutritional intake (total caloric, protein, excess fat, and carbohydrate consumption). The crude and adjusted odd ratios (95% confidence interval) for stroke were analyzed with the factors, smoking, alcohol consumption, and the history of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, for both the periodontitis and control groups. The analysis results for each of the Col003 factor was consistent (Table S1). The aOR of periodontitis for ischemic heart disease was 1.34 (95%% CI = 1.22C1.48, 0.001). The results were consistent for the subgroups produced based on age and sex. The aOR.


By Andrey Ostroukh
MOSCOW--Russia's economy grew 1.2% in the second quarter from a year earlier, below the economy ministry's forecast of 1.9% growth, preliminary data from the Federal Statistics Service showed Friday.
The lower-than-expected growth rate adds to pressure on the Bank of Russia to ease monetary policy in an attempt to boost the flagging economy through cheaper lending.
Earlier Friday, the central bank left its key interest rates unchanged as inflation remains above its target range, although it noted substantial risks of an economic slowdown in the medium term.
Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Klepach said in July that his ministry expected gross domestic product growth to pick up in the second quarter from the first quarter's annual growth rate of 1.6%.
After growing 3.4% in 2012 and 4.3% in 2011, the economy has come under pressure from waning investment activity and a sluggish performance in export-focused sectors due to weak external demand for Russian commodities.
Mr. Klepach said in July the economy ministry expected the investment pattern to improve in the second half of this year, and the ministry may revise its 2013 economic growth forecast of 2.4%.
At the beginning of the year, the ministry expected economic growth in 2013 to be 3.6%--still far below an ambitious target of 5% growth set by President Vladimir Putin.
Write to Andrey Ostroukh at firstname.lastname@example.org


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How to Make Cross Hatch Sweet Potato Chips has us in the kitchen making one of our favorite snacks in the world. We had these once at a ‘Gastro’ pub in NYC, and have been in love with them ever since. These are awesome with just a little salt, but also really good with an incredible dip like Kickin’ Remoulade! Watch, learn, laugh…and make ’em, too!
Click here for the full recipe, or the image below: