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Firemaking with flint and steel
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Subject: Firemaking with flint and steel
Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:15 pm
This article was so great, i had to steal it from another forum...
Firemaking with Flint and Steel
Get rid of that disposable lighter! Strike a spark and breathe it into life as was done in early times. With good materials and a bit of practice, fire making with flint and steel is quick and reliable.
When you strike a spark, you are shaving tiny pieces off the steel with the sharp edge of the flint. The pieces become incandescent from the friction. The sparks come from the steel, not the flint. The harder the steel, the smaller, and hotter, the pieces will be. The sharper the flint, the more sparks you will get. Strike down the steel with the flint at a shallow angle. Point the steel into your tinderbox to direct the sparks into your tinder. Learn to use short, choppy strokes so you can hold the steel close to the tinder without hitting the tinder with the flint. Keep your fingers back from the edge of the steel so you don't cut yourself with the sharp flint. When your flint becomes dull, chip it back to a new, sharp edge. Keeping the edge of the flint at a very shallow angle to the steel will increase the useful life of the edge.
You can also use many other minerals as your "flint". Agate, carnelian, jade, bloodstone, chalcedony, quartz, and chert all work well. Any hard stone, which fractures to a sharp edge, will do the job. Keep your striker with you, and when you see an interesting stone, try it.
You will need some prepared tinder. This can be almost any natural vegetable fiber. Cotton, linen, jute (burlap), sisal, hemp, or weeds from the field all work. A mixture of two fibers usually kindles more easily than any one fiber. Cotton and jute is an excellent combination. A wad about the size of your fist should work well. It is best shredded fine and well mixed. When I was a boy it was common to use dryer lint. This worked really well at the time, but can no longer be recommended. With modern synthetics, dryer lint is likely to contain at least some polyester or other plastic. The fumes from many modern synthetics are TOXIC. Holding a wad of smoldering tinder under your face and taking deep breaths to blow hard is a BAD THING if there is any plastic in the wad.
Only partly burned fiber catches a spark easily. Add new tinder as needed to the bottom of your tinder box so the top surface is charred from previous uses. You can greatly increase the speed and ease of your fire starting by using prepared "char-cloth". To do this, place some cotton or linen cloth in a tin with a loosely fitting lid. Hold the tin over a flame. As the cloth chars smoke will come out of the tin. When it stops smoking, the cloth is done. Set the tin aside to cool before opening. If you place a layer of the charred cloth on top of your tinder, it makes a large target for your sparks. This really speeds the process, but I haven't been able to document the use of prepared char-cloth (in the sense of cloth heated in an airless tin, as opposed to just using partly burned materials) prior to 1910 or so (Boy Scout movement). In the early periods cloth was precious, not to be wasted on fire starting. Even rags were useful in household chores, or for the cauking of boats. In the American colonial period tow was often used. Tow is the fiber of the flax plant (linen) before it is spun into thread. Cotton balls work well also. Various types of fungus were commonly used from the earliest periods. Ive seen reports of late stone age fire starting kits with iron pyrites, fungus and coarse tinder. From the early medieval period until the invention of the match a treated fungus product called amadou was widely used to speed the process.
There are two basic ways of starting a fire with flint and steel. In the first, which I call the Boy Scout method, you hold the steel in your left hand (assuming you are right handed), and strike the steel with the flint held in the right hand to direct sparks into your tinder box or wad of tinder. To make fire, lay a scrap of char-cloth on your tinder. Strike sparks into the tinder until it glows. Fold the tinder around the glowing ember and gently blow on it. As the glow spreads, blow harder. If your tinder is dry, it will quickly burst into flame. With good materials, the whole process takes only 10 or 15 seconds. Transfer the flame to your candle (or whatever) and smother the tinder in your box for the next time. When used with char cloth, this is much the quicker method. When used with tinder that has simply been partly burned it can be rather slow, because catching an ember depends on a spark striking a surface that is chared.
In the second method, which I call the traditional method, you hold the striker in the right hand. In the left you hold a shard of flint with a bit of chared material on the back of the flint just behind the edge. When you strike the flint hot sparks should skate into the peice of char causing an ember. Then you transfer the ember to your tinder and proceed as above. This is just a bit slower since you have to transfer the ember to the tinder, but it is more certain if your materials are marginal. The spark doesn't have to travel as far, and is likely to burn hotter and longer in the char or tinder.
I expect both methods were used. I've seen a description of firestarting in a handbook for house servants from the early 1800's. It describes the first method, where sparks are struck into a tinder box. Evidently char cloth was not used, since the manual states that a "common serving girl" should be able to produce flame within twenty minutes. The second method was probably more common however. It works much better with small pieces of char, amadou or tinder tubes (see below). Also some period tinder boxes had the sriker built into the edge of the box, so it would have been impossible to use it to strike sparks into the box.
If you smoke, or shoot a matchlock musket, you don't need an actual flame for a light, only an ember. In this case you may find a tinder tube to be handier. This is a tube an inch or two long, 1/4" to 1/2" in diameter, with a length of cotton rope inserted. The end in the tube is charred. To get a light, push an inch or so of the charred end out of the tube. Hold the charred end on top of your flint near the edge. Strike down the edge to skate a spark into the charred end. Blow gently to spread the ember over the surface of the rope end. After lighting your pipe, snuff by pulling the end back into the tube and closing the end with your thumb. Be careful not to rub off the char, or it will be difficult to get a spark to catch the next time. The whole point of the tube is to protect the char. Period tubes sometimes had a cap for the end of the tube. A piece of wire shaped like a fish hook was attached to the cap. The hook was inserted into the cotton rope, and was used to pull out the charred end. After use, the rope was pulled back to draw the cap tight and smother the ember. This was the period pocket lighter, and the best examples were finely made of precious materials such as silver or even gold. In more modern times the tube was updated with the addtion of cigaratte lighter type wheel and flint to produce the spark. During WW I and II they were used in the trenches because they didn't produce a flame to draw sniper fire. In the rural parts of Spain they are still in use, and are called Shepherd's lighters.
A tinder tube is much handier than loose tinder, but does not produce an actual flame. Of course you can always transfer the ember to your tinder, and puff it into flame. I've been told that it's possible to light a candle with one, but I've never managed it myself.
Recently there as been increased interest in using the back of a knife blade as a firesteel. This has been sparked by some books on wilderness survival recommending the method. Ive had limited luck with it. To get a spark, the slivers of steel must be small enough to become incandescent from the friction. Most knives are not hard enough, and the pieces gouged out are too large to become hot enough to form a spark. In my experience you need a minimum of about 60 on the Rockwell scale to get sparks with the methods described above. Even then you will have to work at it. The most common knives that are this hard are the carbon steel Mora knives. Stainless steel blades of any hardness do not seem to work.
If you are using the softer steel found in most knife blades, you can still get a spark by holding the edge of the flint at more of a right angle to the steel, so as to scrape rather than carve off pieces. This reduces the size of the pieces and increases your chance of getting a spark. It requires more force, and is hard on both the flint and the knife, but it does often work. You wont get as many sparks as you would with a real firesteel, but you only need one spark in the right place to get your fire.
Since you will be getting fewer sparks you may find it better to strike the steel against the flint as mentioned above. This improves your chance if getting a spark into the char. The downside is that you need to be very careful not to cut yourself in the process. This isn't a problem if you are using a folder. Just keep the blade folded into the handle while you are striking.
Striking the back of the blade with the flint is less efficient but much safer. Hold the knife at an angle with the point in a wood surface and the tinder under the blade. This stabilizes the blade for a firm strike.
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Subject: Re: Firemaking with flint and steel
Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:16 pm
Art II. Making Fire with Flint & Steel. By J. Gottfred
Being a 'how to' on all aspects of producing a fire in the eighteenth century manner by using flint and steel, by a gentleman who has done it successfully.
(See also "Tips for Fast Fires with Flint & Steel")
I have always been intrigued by the idea of lighting a fire with flint and steel. I have often read in period novels how someone reached for their tinder box and lit a cheroot. Statements of this kind make it sound as easy as striking a match, but was it really that simple & fast?
Early Failures
Many survival or scouting books give different instructions on how one can start a fire with flint and steel. These books suggest various materials that are supposed to catch the spark. I have tried many of them, and I can attest that the people who wrote those books had obviously never tried it! I tried all of the following materials without success : punk (the powdery dry rot from the insides of fallen logs), cottonwood fluff, fine dry grass, fine wood shavings, dry moss, and various lichens. None of these materials worked, although they all made excellent small kindling once I gave up and used a match.
The Problem Solved
For a clue, I turned to my copy of the Oxford Universal Dictionary, which defined tinder as "a flammable substance used to kindle a fire, especially charred linen" [my italics]. At about the same time, I stumbled upon an article on fire-starting by Mr. Warren Boughton in which he describes how to make charred cloth. I followed Mr. Boughton's recipe, and the results were amazing. When a spark hits charred cloth, it creates a tiny red spot, which slowly grows like a glowing fairy ring. It is impossible to blow out ; in fact, the more wind there is the better, as the spark simply gets hotter and hotter. The only way to put it out is by suffocation (which preserves the rest of the charred cloth for future use), or by dousing it with water (which ruins the char cloth). The amazing thing is that with the magic of charred cloth, in windy weather it is easier to start a fire with flint and steel than it is to use a match!
Making Charred Cloth
Here is how to put together your own tinder box, so that you can make a fire the same way that people did two hundred years ago. First, you will need some cloth. Linen is the traditional fabric, but 100% cotton works just fine, and it is a lot cheaper! You must be sure to use only completely natural fabrics. This is for two reasons ; first, synthetics didn't exist two hundred years ago, and secondly, they don't char they melt, and leave you with a useless mess! Cut the cloth into pieces. I have had success with patches as small as two inches square, but I would suggest that you start with patches that are about four to five inches on a side.
Next, you will have to find a small tin can with a tight lid. A small paint tin would work. I have used both a small twist lid tobacco tin and a tea tin with success. You will have to punch two small holes one in the top and one in the bottom of the can. The holes should be less than 1/8" in diameter. You should have two little twigs on hand, about six inches or more in length and whittled so as to fit snugly into the holes you punched in the tin. Some tongs will be needed to remove the hot tin from the fire safely.
Build a fire, and let it die down until you have a nice bed of roasting coals. (You could probably use a charcoal barbecue for this, if that is more convenient.) If this is the first time you have used your tin, I would strongly suggest that you put it in the fire to burn off any paint or oils that might be on the can. If you don't, these materials will ruin your first batch of char cloth. When the tin is black with peeling paint, take it out of the fire, let it cool, and brush off the ash. You will be left with a dark, mottled steel effect that has a certain charm.
Once your tin has been cleaned out, put the pieces of cloth into the tin, and tighten down the lid. Place the tin on or near the coals, and watch it carefully. The secret to charring cloth is that it is an anaerobic process the chemical transformation of the cloth occurs only in the absence of oxygen. If air is present, then the cloth will not char ; instead, it will burn to ashes and be useless. As the cloth heats up, it gives off volatile gasses which rapidly fill the interior of the tin, driving out the air. These gasses are then vented to the outside of the tin through the tiny holes in the top and bottom. You will see these hot gasses ignite when they hit the air, and tiny jets of flame will come out of both ends of the tin. A lot of smoke also comes out of the holes of the tin, and this is what you must watch for. When the volume of smoke dies down, turn the tin over ; this will ensure even charring of the cloth, and will usually cause an increase in the volume of smoke. Once smoke has ceased to come out of the holes, then the cooking process is finished. Using your tongs, pull the tin out of the fire and immediately plug the two holes with the twigs. If air gets into the tin while it is still hot, then the cloth will burn to ashes. Set the tin aside and wait ten minutes for it to cool before you open it.
Problems Encountered when Charring
Properly charred cloth should be a uniform black. If there is still color left in the fabric, then you did not cook it for long enough, or the tin was not hot enough. I have found that putting it back in the fire to cook some more yields an inferior product. I would suggest that you start again from scratch. The cloth should not be sooty, although the pieces right next to the holes in the tin tend to be so. The cloth, although weak, should not disintegrate, fall apart under its own weight, or be ashy. Properly charred cloth requires a gentle force to tear it, and it should not leave black marks on the fingers when handled. If this happens, then you have over-cooked the cloth, or air got into the tin either during or after cooking. When cooking, I have found that heating the tin beyond a very dull red can lead to over charring the tin only needs to be hot enough to induce the smoke to flow from the holes. Although it sounds like it might be difficult to get it just right, it really isn't. Just wait until the smoke stops flowing from the holes, wait maybe thirty seconds longer just for luck, then plug the holes and you will get a usable product. The length of time that it takes to cook varies depending upon the amount of cloth that you have in the tin. I generally do only about a dozen pieces at a time in a small tin, and this usually only takes about five minutes to cook, but I never time it, I always go by watching the smoke.
Generating Sparks
To use the char cloth, you need to generate a spark. You will need a length of hard high-carbon steel. When I first started out, I used the bare steel handle of a metal file. Later, when I got a local blacksmith to make a replica fire steel for me, I got him to make it out of an old file that he had in the shop. Every other kind of steel that I tried was too soft to produce a good spark. Fortunately, old steel files are relatively easy to find. For flints, I have used flint, jasper, and locally found chert. You can obtain these materials from a rock shop or lapidary supplier.
I hold the flint in one hand, and strike it a downward blow with the steel. When I used the steel file, I was able to get sparks that would work, but they were weak. Once I had a replica fire steel, I was able to generate sparks that bounced a couple of feet, and hurt when they landed on my hand that is the kind of spark you want to strive to generate! When you can hear your sparks fizzing as they fly, you know you have achieved your goal!
Creating a Flame
The first time you attempt to make a fire, I suggest the following method. Place a nice nest of small kindling on the ground. Select a nice piece of char cloth for tinder, and place it on top of the "nest". Hold your flint over the cloth, and strike away! When a spark has been caught, pick up the nest of kindling, and fold it around the cloth. Hold it above the level of your face (to avoid getting smoke in your eyes) and blow gently. Within a few seconds, your bundle should burst into flames. David Thompson wrote about the 'Canadians' (voyageurs) waving their tinder in the air to get a flame. It works, but blowing is easier to control when you are a beginner.
Once you have had a little practice, you can try another method which I now use all the time, and which is great if the ground is snowy or wet. Take your piece of tinder and fold it down to a compact square. Place this on top of a flat flint so that the edge of the tinder is right next to the edge that you are going to strike. Hold the flint and tinder tightly with your thumb, and strike. More often than not the tinder catches a spark on my first strike. I then put away my fire steel and flint, and take a handful of dry small kindling out of my tinderbox, place the tinder on it, fold it over, and away I go. If I smoked, I could probably light my cheroot straight from the compact, glowing tinder. Folding a piece of tinder this way is also a great way to increase its heat, which really helps when your small kindling is shavings or thin sticks that you have split from your large kindling with a knife. With a little practice, I have been able to generate a flaming pile of small kindling in as little as 20 seconds. With more practice, I have no doubt that I can improve on that time!
Use of the Burning Glass
Another way to get a spark onto your tinder is to use a 'burning glass'. A magnifying glass of the Sherlock Holmes variety will instantly start your tinder glowing. My tinder box, which I purchased from a reproductions supplier in the United States, has a tight friction-fit lid that also contains a magnifying glass. I use it to hold my tinder, fire steel, and a little bit of small kindling for wet conditions. It looks period, and works great! (How often have you heard the phrase 'Keep your tinder dry'? Well, now you actually have to do it!)
Charred cloth appears to have been the universal tinder two hundred years ago, but what did people use when cloth was too precious a commodity to burn? What did the voyageurs, traders, and Indians use? In his Narrative, David Thompson noted that 'a Canadian never neglects to have touchwood for his pipe.' (p. 199). Touchwood is a kind of fungus that grows on tree trunks. The voyageurs likely charred this to turn it into tinder. In fact, I suspect that just about any charred organic material will work as tinder. All of those materials that I tried so long ago in their 'raw' form would probably have worked reasonably well once charred.
Use of Old Fire Remains
What if you have run out of charred cloth? I have had success using the remains of the previous evening's fire by using my knife to cut down to the deep charred layer of a partly-burned log. Such a layer will catch and hold sparks, although not as easily as with charred cloth. If the sun is out and you have a burning glass, you can get it glowing hot in a few seconds.
That is all there is to it! It is surprisingly easy and fast once you have had a little practice. Start experimenting, and if you have any suggestions or comments, please write to the editor and they will be printed in the 'Company Dispatches' column.
Thompson, David. David Thompson's Narrative, 1784 - 1812. Richard Glover ed. Champlain Society : Toronto, 1962.
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Subject: Re: Firemaking with flint and steel
Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:19 pm
Tips for Fast Fires with Flint & Steel, by J. Gottfred.
Starting a fire with flint and steel at public demonstrations can be a great way to kindle an interest in history. When you make a flame using two very unlikely-looking objects (a hunk of rock and a piece of metal), people's jaws drop in amazement especially if you are fast. Demonstrations often include a flint and steel fire-lighting contest. The winner makes a flame in the shortest time.
In this article, I will give the reader already familiar with flint and steel some suggestions on how to light fires faster. I will explain exactly how flint and steel generates sparks, and then give some tips on how to increase your fire-lighting speed. (If you haven't yet lit a fire with flint and steel, you will want to read 'Making a Fire with Flint and Steel' (Vol. I, p. 2-7) first to learn the basics.) After reading this article, I hope readers will reach the point where lighting fires with flint and steel has become as quick and easy as using a match.
Just how fast are we talking about? In fire lighting contests, my best time has been eight seconds. Usually ten to fifteen seconds is all that is needed in order to go from the first strike to a flame. When I first started learning to do this, my times were much worse two minutes or longer was pretty typical in those days!
Let's start right at the beginning making sparks. Everyone is probably clear on the general idea : you hit a chunk of flint with a piece of steel, and sparks fly off. But what are the sparks?
You can easily answer this question by conducting an experiment. Lay out a piece of newspaper, and strike a few good sparks above it with your flint and steel. Then pick up the newspaper at the edges and carefully pour the contents onto a sheet of white paper. With the naked eye, it won't look like much just a little dirty grit and some small rock chips. If you tilt the piece of paper, some of the small gray gritty bits scoot down the page much faster than the rest. The material can easily be sorted into two distinct groups (fast & slow) this way. Have a look at the fast guys with a stamp magnifier or jeweler's loupe. Behold! They are tiny balls : gray, shiny, knobby-surfaced spheres that look a bit like they are made from pencil lead. If you hold a magnet under the paper, the little spheres will roll and cavort, piling one on top of the other in the strong magnetic field. It is clear that they are made of iron.
Captured Sparks These tiny spheres are formed as molten, white-hot steel flies through the air. These little globules are the sparks that ignite your tinder. (Image taken trough a microscope. Printed image 32X actual size.)
When the steel struck the flint, the energy in the blow was converted to the heat of friction between the rock and the steel. This heat was so great on some small portions of the steel that small, white-hot molten blobs flew through the air making glowing sparks. Incredible as it may seem, the spheres were made as the blob of molten steel flew through the air, making a natural spherical shape. (The sphere has the smallest surface to volume ratio of any three-dimensional object). As the tiny spheres cooled, solidified, and dimmed, they disappeared from view.
If you look with your magnifier at the other pile of material (the 'slow' pile), you can see all kinds of other forms. Some pieces of steel haven't melted at all ; they are just shavings. Others look like comets with a round head and one or more tails attached. I have even seen little strings of pearls : little spheres each a little smaller than the next, piled one on top of the other.
So now we know what the sparks are. They come from the steel, not from the flint. The flint simply acts as a knife, slicing off tiny shavings of steel. Does the rock have to be flint? The experiment suggests that the only requirement for the rock is that it must be hard enough to shave off bits of the steel, and not the other way around.
Geologists have classified the hardness of rocks into a scale from one to ten, with talc being the softest (1) and diamond being the hardest (10). Talc is so soft that almost anything can scratch it, including a fingernail. Diamond is so hard that nothing but another diamond can scratch it. On this scale a fingernail has a hardness of about 2½, a penny is around 3½, a typical knife blade is around 5½, and tool steel is about 6½ (Hamilton et. al., 10).
Fire steels vary in hardness from about 5½ to 6½, depending on their composition and tempering. Just because a fire steel is made out of tool grade steel or an old file does not necessarily mean that it has a hardness of 6½. The blacksmith who made the steel must re-temper its face to attain the ideal hardness.
The harder the steel is, the more difficult it is for the rock to tear little chunks out of it. To tear out small chunks of progressively harder steel, more and more energy is required. At some point, the energy required to pull a bit of steel from the face of the fire steel is so great that the steel is melted in the process, and a spark results. With a softer steel, slivers of steel can be cut from the face without generating enough friction to melt the steel. Little nearly-invisible shavings go flying, but no sparks are seen.
A fire steel with a hardness of 5½ will generate sparks, but they don't stay hot for long. A fire steel with a hardness of 6½ is capable of generating long lasting, hot sparks ideal for the fast ignition of your tinder. This explains why some fire steels don't seem to work very well they may not have the right hardness.
What about the hardness of the 'flint' you use? Flint, chert, jasper, and quartzite all have a hardness of about 6½. Granites are in the 6 range. Obsidian (volcanic glass) is in the 5 to 6 range. Any of these rocks are strong enough to generate sparks. Many metamorphic rocks, especially quartzite, are also hard enough to generate sparks.
Although all of these materials will work, obsidian, quartzite, and granite quickly wear away and lose their sharp edges. Only the hard, non-grainy flint, chert, and jasper are strong enough to shave away the hardest steel and resist crumbling away in the process. Incidentally, chert, jasper, and flint are all different forms of the same mineral chalcedony. They are all composed of precipitated silicon dioxide (Hamilton et. al., 130-131).
There is nothing magical about flint ; many other hard rocks will work to generate sparks. From a historical perspective, this suggests that Natives and fur traders found their own hard rocks to use to make sparks. I have never seen 'fire flints' in lists of trade goods. Flint, chert and jasper are the best rocks for fast fire lighting, and the harder fire steels are better.
Preparing and Holding the Flint
The idea is to use the flint like a knife to shave off tiny bits of steel. Bashing a billiard-ball shaped piece of flint is not going to produce many sparks, yet some folks do just that. The idea is to break that billiard ball so that you have a sharp edge. In fact, the best thing to do is to use a nice, palm-sized flake of flint, and keep its edge sharp by knapping it now and then with a small hammerstone. (See 'Making Stone Tools', Northwest Journal Vol. VII, pp. 30-37, for pointers.)
If you hold the flint in one hand with the sharp edge angled upwards towards the descending steel, the flint edge will slice off a nice shower of hot sparks.
The Stroke
The trick to generating hot sparks is not to hit the flint hard, but to hit it fast. The energy contained in the force of the blow is a function of the weight of the fire steel multiplied by the square of the speed. For example, if you hit a flint with a steel of one unit of mass with a speed of one unit of velocity, you will get one unit of energy. If you double the weight of the steel (or 'use more strength' by striking harder with the steel) then two units of mass times the square of one unit of speed will yield twice the energy. But, if you keep the weight of the fire steel the same, and double the speed, then one unit of mass times the square of two units of speed yields four times the energy.
So speed makes all the difference. It takes a while to get that flint up to speed, so don't use a short stroke with the fire steel! Tapping the flint with a twist of the wrist is not going to give you the energy you need. You must practice taking a long stroke at the flint, bending the arm at the elbow, and accelerating the steel through at least a foot of space before it contacts the flint.
One good stroke should be all you need. A good stroke with a good steel against a sharp freshly-knapped flint will produce extremely hot sparks that fly through the air for at least two feet, make a fizzing sound as they fly, and feel like tiny pin-pricks when they hit the back of your hand. That's the kind of spark you want to generate every time you use your fire steel. Incidentally, I prefer fire steels that are at least half an inch thick it keeps your knuckles away from that sharp flint edge! For the same reason, I always strike the steel against a convex flint edge, never against a concave one. Use the steel itself to guard your knuckles.
Catching the Spark
Once you are generating hot sparks, you need to catch them with your charred cloth. There is a simple trick that I use which almost guarantees catching a spark on the first strike.
Consider again what is happening. The sharp flint is shaving off tiny blobs of molten steel which side of the 'knife' are the savings going to come from? If you are holding the flint with the edge angled upwards towards the steel, and striking down with the steel, then the shavings are going to scoot along the top of the flint. Yet many people are under the impression that the sparks travel downwards from the point of impact. (This view makes perfect sense if you thought that the sparks were coming from the flint.)
To catch the sparks, take three or four pieces of charred cloth, fold it in half, and place the cloth on top of the flint so that the many stacked edges of the cloth are right next to the sharp flint edge. Hold the charcloth onto the flint in this position with your thumb. Make sure that the edges are 'fluffed up' so that you have a large surface area to catch the sparks right next to the flint edge.
One good stroke is all you need to catch a spark using this technique, and best of all, you can do it standing up, sitting down, in a canoe, or on a horse it's much more convenient that crawling around on your hands and knees in the mud!
The 'Bird's Nest'
To make a fire, you need to have three things : heat, fuel, and air. The spark you caught on the charred cloth is your heat source, but you will need more fuel to make a flame. This is done by placing the charred cloth in a 'bird's nest' of small kindling (dried grass, paper strips, wood shavings, etc.) and blowing on it to create a flame.
Consider what is going on here. The idea is to generate heat, so tune your bird's nest to accomplishing that goal. Many folks start out with a bird's nest of dried grass that is the size of a robin's nest, and so loose you can see lots of daylight through it. This will work, but not in championship time! To get a fast flame, start with a bird's nest about four inches across, and squish it down into a tight compact mass. I use nests that are so small that I can hold them in the same hand as my flint.
You need to compact the small kindling so that it keeps in the heat that your charred cloth is generating. You don't need to keep it 'open for air' because you supply the air by blowing on it like mad! Use three or four pieces of charred cloth to generate heat fast.
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Subject: Re: Firemaking with flint and steel
Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:19 pm
The Fast Action
Now, here is how I light a fire in championship time.
Before striking :
Inspect the flint, and knap the edge so that it is good and sharp.
Find small kindling for your bird's nest. Nice dry grass works just fine for small kindling. Shreds of paper birch and wood shavings from your workbench are great too.
Crush the small kindling so that the air spaces between the bits of kindling are one-eighth of an inch in diameter or less. Stuff the bird's nest into the palm of the hand that you will use to hold the flint.
Take three or four pieces of 3" x 3" charred cloth, fold them in half, and place them on the flint as described earlier.
Hold the charred cloth with your thumb, and support the flint with your fingers. The bird's nest will stay stuck in the palm of your hand, so you don't need to hold onto it at this time.
Now it's time to strike :
Angle the flint upwards towards the steel.
With a long, smooth motion, strike the flint with the steel.
Drop the steel and pick up the charred cloth. Do not blow on the charred cloth at this time! The spark will not go out.
Drop the flint (but hold onto the bird's nest), and using both hands quickly fold the charred cloth one or two more times to increase its density. Be careful not to smother the spark!
Place the charred cloth in the center of your bird's nest, and then hold the nest above your face. Cup the nest with both hands in order to help keep in the heat. Some folks seem afraid to do this for fear getting burned. I assure you that the heat does not build up so fast that getting burned is a danger. (If for some reason the thing suddenly bursts into flame à la Hollywood, at least you have the satisfaction of having won the competition!)
The action so far should have taken you less than three seconds.
From this point on things are a bit more chancy. How fast you get a flame depends upon what you have for kindling and how dry it is. Remember that it is very important to hold in the heat until you have a flame. Keep those hands cupped around the birds nest!
I have found that the best way to proceed at this point is to give the dense piece of charred cloth a long, strong blast of air. Just empty your lungs into the thing. This action will turn the charred cloth into a little nugget of hot coal. If, when you pause for breath, you don't have a flame, then blow again, but perhaps somewhat more gently. However, at this stage too much wind is better than too little wind. When you pause for breath a flame will appear if things are hot enough. Remember, blowing will not make the charred cloth go out!
All of this blowing is another good reason to do this standing up. You can hold the bird's nest over your head so that you don't choke on smoke when you inhale ; also, you are in a great posture to let out a good blast of air. Two or three good puffs of air should be all that you need to get a flame.
If blowing makes you faint, and you are not doing this in competition, there are a couple of other methods you can use. You can fold the bird's nest around the charred cloth, and then simply lift it up into the wind. If there is no wind then you can simply wave it back and forth for a while. This will usually produce a flame in a minute or so. Or you can take a tin can, punch a whole bunch of large holes in it, and attach it to a string. Pop your bird's nest into the can and whiz it around with the string for a while until it bursts into flame.
When you have learned these methods for flint and steel firestarting, there is one more thing you can do to increase your speed : practice! The more you use flint and steel, the more natural and familiar flint and steel fire starting will become. Furthermore, flint and steel has two major advantages over matches : it is windproof and childproof! (It can be a bit messier, though.) Use your flint and steel to start campfires and fireplace fires year round and you will be in top form the next time some cocky voyageur challenges you to a contest!
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text:
Hussein executed
I have been slowly rethinking my position on Capital Punishment thanks to my bride. It's hard to get into because I'm still going back and forth in my own head. One thing I don't think I'll sway to much on however is the necessity of removing human trash from our planet. Several names jump to mind quickly; Hitler, Bin Laden, Zaraqawi, and yes Saddam Hussein.
The MSNBC report includes the quote of the year I believe:
NBC could hear cheers and celebrations in the background while talking to an official in the prime minister's office.
"This son of a bitch is lying under my feet.… I can't talk now because of all the cheers!" a witness said.
The New York Times has posted their Obit for Saddam, no doubt written a while back. They include a pic spread. They lead off the spread with this one:
How quaint. A viscious barbarian "enjoying" his ahem-forcedunderpainoftortureandrapeoftheirchildren-ahem adoring public. No no…I prefer to remember him as I remember his sons (graphic picture below the fold).
And now, from Liveleak:
Categories: General
1 Comment »
« Merry Christmas to All | Home | House Republican Boo-Hooing »
One Response to "Hussein executed"
SingleMind Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Shame on you! You need show more respect for the dead. How dare you defame that child-raping, genocidal piece of shit??? LOL

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped,
non-spore-forming, highly motile bacterium
possessing all
the typical components of
Gram-negative bacteria, such as peptidoglycan,
O-antigen repeating subunits, core
polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, and lipid A
(Figure 1). It is a naturally occurring pathogen widely
disseminated in marine and estuarine
environments of tropical and temperate areas
that causes mild or moderate
with symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal cramps,
nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. V. parahaemolyticus grow
optimally under
high salt concentrations, and is therefore
referred to as a halophilic species (Daniels
et al., 2000). However, during the warmer
seasons, an increase in
seawater temperature causes the number of V. parahaemolyticus bacteria in coastal regions
to increase as well, making humans highly
susceptible to exposure and infection. V. parahaemolyticus is known to get into
the human body
mainly through the
consumption of undercooked or raw seafood, such
as oysters or shellfish, but exposure to wounded
flesh can also provide the pathogen access to targeted organs (Ryan & Ray,
2004). It is estimated that one in every 400000
individuals are affected by the bacteria; thus,
while the risks are relatively low, it is important
to always have your seafood cooked thoroughly
when dining out.
Figure 1.
This scanning electron micrograph depicts a
Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacterium [19058
V. parahaemolyticus exhibits high motility
due to its flagella, which are located at the
polar ends of the bacterium cell. The flagellum
functions to propel the organism through
liquid medium. A single flagellum is typically more effective in liquids that are less dense;
the opposite is true for
polar flagella, which are generally more
effective in denser, more viscous liquids
(McCarter, 1999). Some strains of V. parahaemolyticus,
however, possess a single flagellum (Figure 1). Furthermore, V. parahaemolyticus uses oxygen as
its final electron
acceptor when generating ATP via cellular
aerobic respiration,
and is therefore classified as oxidase-positive. Although, the
major source of energy
production for V. parahaemolyticus is through
the electron transport chain, it can also
produce ATP in the absence of oxygen;
hence, this species is a facultative
Figure 2.
Electron micrograph of a V. parahaemolyticus
bacterium [Bar = 1 μm].
The presence of V. parahaemolyticus can be
diagnosed by isolating the bacteria from a
sample of
infected stool or blood. Compounds
such as blood agar or thiosulfate
can be used to culture the pathogen (Figure 3); the latter
compound is often recommended under
clinical setup.
Figure 3.
Blood agar plate culture of Vibrio
Watery diarrhea, vomiting,
abdominal cramps, headache,
nausea, and other signs related to
gastrointestinal diseases are the normal
symptoms found in a person infected with V. parahaemolyticus
(Daniels et al.
2000). The major key virulence factors
associated with V. parahaemolyticus is TDH
(thermostable direct hemolysin) and TRH (thermostable
direct hemolysin-related
hemolysin). TDH is
known to exhibit the
Kanagawa phenomenon, which is involved in the β-hemolysis
of the red blood
cells present in humans (McLaughlin et al.,
2005). No long-term illnesses are related to V. parahaemolyticus
infection, although a few deaths have been
documented in places such as Australia. The
extent of illness or infection induced by V. parahaemolyticus
depends on the amount of infected food ingested.
Daniels, N.A., Ray, B., et al.
(2000). Emergence of a new Vibrio
parahaemolyticus serotype in raw
oysters: A prevention quandary. Journal of
the American Medical Association, 284(12):
McCarter, L. (1999). The Multiple Identities of
Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Journal of
Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, 1(1): 51-57.
McLaughlin, J.B., DePaola, A.,
et al. (2005).
Outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
gastroenteritis associated with Alaskan oysters.
The New England Journal of Medicine,
353(14): 1463-1470.
Ryan, K.J.; Ray, C.G. (2004). Sherris
Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Copyright ©
2010. Brought to you by:
The Journal of Undergraduate Biological Studies (J.
Ugrad. Biol. S). The Pathogen Profile Dictionary has
been created for educational purposes only. The information
presented herein cannot be recreated without the author's
consent. For contact information,
Click Here.


text:
Keeping The House In Constitutional Order?
At the initiative of House Republicans, the House recently changed its rules to allow the reading of the whole Constitution on the floor on the House's opening day and to require each bill introduced in the House to be accompanied by a statement in the Congressional Record "citing as specifically as practicable the power or powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the bill or joint resolution." Some are hailing both moves as a major change which will help keep Congress within the bounds the Framers originally intended. Others see it as cheap public relations, a sop to tea-partiers that will give the new Republican majority the cover to get back to congressional business as usual.
I wonder if both sides might be wrong. Might the focus on constitutional authority, particularly the second measure, work to popularize constitutionalism in the way some, like Larry Kramer of Stanford, have argued it was always meant to be. If so, one might wonder whether the Republicans should be careful what they wish for.


text:
The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously adopted an agreement that includes plans to disinter bodies in a 19th-century cemetery within the boundaries of what will be the Lund Landfill.
The county plans to exhume the bodies and rebury them on another site on landfill property.
It is believed that 40 to 50 bodies were buried in the cemetery from 1825 to 1856.
A memorial will be placed near the reburied bodies, Public Works Director Gary Rohrer said. The memorial and new graves probably will be placed in the west section of the landfill, he said.
A landfill cell eventually will be constructed on the current site of the cemetery, which is about 60 by 72.5 feet.
Had the county opted to work around the cemetery, which is in a major depression, the landfill's lifespan would have been reduced from 80 years to about 50 to 55 years, Rohrer said.


text:
I distinctly remember trying to decide between a brown wrap and a rust wrap. The photographer was so nice. She allowed me to wear both. Not at the same time, of course. After all, this was a senior photo that would be published in the high school yearbook.
The memories from that day came flooding back as I browsed through catalogs of poses and backgrounds for my son's senior portraits. We were in the waiting area of a local photographer's studio, surrounded by photos of teenagers ready to face the world.
Was this a moment in time, lending itself to nostalgia? Oh, yes.
There was that shot from the front in the brown wrap. And the over-the-shoulder glance in the rust wrap. Was that me? Oh, it seems like another lifetime.
Like most moms, my thoughts have been consumed by the needs of my children for so many years that it is hard to remember life before kids.
A camera flashes and my vision blurs.
I think I see a little boy's Christmas outfit partially covered by his daddy's hand. The hand was strategically placed so the newly acquired spit-up stain would not show.
Why do photographers overbook at Christmastime? Little ones are bound to mess up their outfits while waiting. It has happened to us so often ....
My son's voice brought me back to the present.
Which background did I like for the casual shot? Any preference for the music one? How about the sports-related one?
Choices, choices, choices.
When I was in high school, we didn't have so many options for our senior portraits. We just got the shot for the yearbook, and that was that.
I'm glad my son knew that we had to bring half our house with us to the photography studio. He had three changes of clothes, extra ties (just in case) and props. It was quite an elaborate setup.
Just a few days later, proofs were posted online. We could view all the photos from the comfort of our home.
When I was a senior, we had to schedule an appointment to return to the photographer to view the proofs.
There weren't as many portrait size choices then, either. We chose wallets, 5 by 7's, 8 by 10's. That was basically it.
Today, graphic design programs make it easy for photography studios to create digitally matted custom framed collages and collections.
As we were selecting photos from the proofs, my mind drifted again. I gazed at my son and wondered how he grew to be 6 foot 2 inches tall.
It seems like he should still be in that Christmas outfit, secure in his father's arms.
Curious. We didn't see that pose in any of the albums. Some memories are best left in the past.
Lisa Tedrick Prejean writes a weekly column for The Herald-Mail's Family page. Email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Rancho Cotate High School is committed to providing a high-quality education to our diverse student body. We achieve our goals through a challenging curriculum, quality teachers, and an atmosphere that emphasizes communication and cooperation. Together, these elements create a safe and engaging learning environment in which all students can excel.
School Profile: 2018-2019 School Profile
Principal: Dr. Louis Ganzler
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Assistant Principals:
Melissa Quinn
e-mail: email@example.com
Heather Ramme
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Henri Sarlatte
e-mail: email@example.com
Angela Scardina
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Grades: 9-12
School District:
Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District


text:
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), finished its Tuesday's exchanging session with – 3.77% misfortune, and shut at $19.63.
MGM Resorts International (MGM) representative volunteers manufacture a house from the beginning, and hand over the keys to an elated single parent and her youngsters. A huge number of dollars are gone through directing business with minority-and ladies possessed undertakings, supporting the organization's arranged destinations and responsibility to differing qualities. MGM Resorts and NRG Renew accomplice to introduce one of the country's biggest housetop sun powered exhibits at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, extending a huge 20 sections of land.
These are only a couple of the capable showcases of corporate citizenship chronicled in MGM Resorts' 2014 Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report. Themed "Motivation Starts With Us!", the report includes the organization's achievements in corporate social obligation (CSR), which involves Diversity and Inclusion, Philanthropy and Community Engagement, and Environmental Sustainability activities. Discharged as of late, the report for 2014 is open for download on the organization's CSR site, www.mgmresorts.com/csr.
MGM Resorts International, through its helpers, possesses and/or works gambling club resorts. It works through two sections, Wholly Owned Domestic Resorts and MGM China. The organization's gambling club resorts offer gaming, inn, tradition, eating, excitement, retail, and other resort civilities.
On Tuesday, Freeport-McMoRan Inc (NYSE:FCX)'s shares slanted 0.66% to $10.60.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) announced the fruition of its at-the-business sector offering of basic stock pronounced on August 10, 2015. FCX brought $1 billion up in gross continues through the offer of 96.7 million shares of FCX basic stock in open business sector exchanges subsequent to August 10, 2015. The shares were issued after FCX's rack enrollment explanation.
FCX likewise pronounced as of late that it has documented with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a plan supplement under which it may offer and offer extra shares of basic stock having total gross continues of up to $1 billion every now and then through assigned deals operators. Offers of the normal stock, if any, future made by method for customary dealers' exchanges or piece exchanges on the New York Stock Exchange at business sector costs or as generally concurred with its specialists.
FCX plans to utilize the net continues from these offerings for general corporate purposes, which may contain, in addition to other things, the reimbursement of sums exceptional under its spinning credit office and different borrowings and the financing of working capital and capital uses.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., a characteristic asset organization, participates in the securing of mineral resources, and oil and normal gas assets. It principally investigates for copper, gold, molybdenum, cobalt, silver, and different metals, notwithstanding oil and gas.
Notes to the Stakeholders:
This article is the intellectual property of www.jbhnews.com. The purpose of penning down this article has been just to share information. Moreover, it is firmly believed that all the information that are revealed in this article are from reliable sources, however, we do not make any representations or warranties whatsoever of any kind, express or implied, as far as the completeness, accurateness, or reliability with respect to this article is concerned.
All the respectable visitors to this website are kindly advised to conduct their own independent research into individual stocks prior to making a purchase decision.
This article contains an advanced information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as statements regarding the forseeable frequent growth of the market for the corporation's products, the corporation's capability to fund its capital requirement in the close-to term and in the long term; pricing pressures; etc.
Furthermore, any statement that expresses or involves discussions with respect to forecast, expectations, beliefs, strategy, projection, objectives, aims, assumption, or future events or performance may be forward looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements are wholly and solely based upon expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. An easy way to identify the forward looking statements is through the use of such words as be expecting, will, foresee, guess, considered, or by statements that indicates certain actions may, could, should/might occur.


text:
Cycling Ireland has announced that Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Hallam, has retired from full-time work after his contract with the federation expired on March 31, 2005. Englishman Hallam joined Cycling Ireland as CEO in March 2003 on a fixed-term contract.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two years and I hope that I have contributed to a growing and vibrant organisation," Hallam said. "I had planned to settle with my family in Ireland but a combination of education issues, elderly parents in England and the business interests of my wife have made those personal plans unworkable," he added.
Cycling Ireland President, Míceal Concannon commented, "Stuart's time with us has coincided with a period of steady growth in the membership of Cycling Ireland. His greatest legacy may be the unravelling of the insurance questions that engaged many members over the last few years. This was difficult and tedious work but his efforts have generated a degree of clarity which will allow members and clubs to operate successfully."
Cycling Ireland is to announce his replacement shortly.


text:
Linking to:
dVerse - OpenLinkNight
its all really fascinating stuff....we are so disconnected from where we came from its ridiculous...i think there is plenty we have forgotten for the sake of progress...
All of the myths and mysteries come from some deep place within us (or within the universe, which may be the same thing after all!). Nicely done!
You my friend have all the answers at your finger tips. I will visit here again. :)
For sure!
Sorry one more comment. It looks like I am looking at my words in the mirror. I can't say I have experienced that fully until now.
You are cool. Nice to come across you.
You've raised some greatly interesting questions-- well done :) peace, Jason
I so loved "in our Zen garden where our seeds slept and awakened" - a sigh moment - the why's , wherefore's and how's from whence we came.
A very thought provoking piece of poetry. Makes a person think about it all. Nice writing. :-)
I like the 'what if's' inherent in this....the bigger picture universe feel to it all.


text:
Gleanings from French Gardens: comprising an account of such features of French Horticulture as are most worthy of adoption in British Gardens.
W. Robinson, F.L.S:
Frederick Warne,
First edition.
xvi, 291, [12], illustrated. With original mauve endpapers: back of each endpaper and its adjacent page are tanned. Faded 1869 ownership name to front free endpaper, and small accidental ink mark to title page. Slight foxing at one or two openings, and the closed edges are tanned, but contents otherwise good. In the original binding of green pebble cloth over bevelled boards: front ruled in blind, with gilt foliage, bright; gilt title to the spine, which is darkened, with ends nicked and a small snag to the lower joint. Boards firm. A good copy.
[Item ID: 18683020]


text:
Author: MMOsite Writer Alexander Hinkley
Some League of Legends players might be surprised to learn Dominion had its own competitive level tournament last week called the Azubu Crystal Cup. The tournament was hosted by Azubu and eSportspedia and saw eight teams competing for $250 worth of cash prizes. The top team won $150, second place got $50, and third and fourth each got $25 (keep in mind prizes are split five ways since there are five active players per team). This might not seem like much but considering entry was free, nobody was complaining.
The tournament featured some of the best Dominion players in the game. Team Clueless seemed to be a community favorite to win it all going into the tournament and indeed easily made it to the finals with three consecutive game wins over Whine and Cheese and Church of b8erade. Clueless then faced off against rivals and past Dominate Dominion champions "Killing Dominion Since 2011." Killing Dominion Since 2011 took the first game rather handily but Clueless was much better prepared for the second game. Game Two was incredibly close and could have gone either way. In the end, Killing Dominion Since 2011 ended up edging out Clueless by a mere 16-0 score to win the game and the tournament.
Riot Games has never really spent much time working on the Dominion game mode and with the recent cancellation of the weekly Dominate Dominion tournaments, the Dominion community has seemed to be shrinking lately so it is awesome to see the mode get an officially recognized eSports event. Dominion takes just as much skill and teamwork as Summoner's Rift does (many in the Dom community would even argue it takes more) but many players tend not to give it a chance or just use the mode to goof around.
"I prefer Dominion because it condenses the League of Legends experience. The combat and decision making aspects of League are emphasized while the farming and waiting parts are tucked away," said wolferer, one of the players of team Clueless.
The Azubu Crystal Cup isn't the first official eSports tournament that has featured Dominion. LoLPro previously held two "Dominion Showdown" tournaments in 2013 which had even larger prize pools. Hopefully competitive tournaments such as the Azubu Crystal Cup and Dominion Showdown will help Dominion gain the recognition it deserves in the League of Legends eSports community going forward.
For more information about the Crystal Cup including full brackets, check out the tournament listing on lol.esportspedia.com.


text:
Sunday, December 30, 2007
bye 2007
settling back in with pinky leon in sf. it's quiet now after my mom has left.
from 2007:
bands i'd like to listen more to (after hearing a couple songs by them in 2007):
camera obscura
lali puna
broken social science
the books
movies i enjoyed:
darjeeling limited
lars and the real girl
miss potter
half nelson (on video)
united states of leland (on video)
the lives of others
the namesake
the last picture show (on video)
books read and that i recommend:
animal, vegetable miracle by barbara kingsolver
the intuitionist by colson whitehead
hm, i read quite a few books, but i wasn't crazy about any of them like i was last year when i read the known world by edward p jones. recommendations anyone?
favorite eats:
heather's leek soup with blue cheese
carmelized brussel sprouts
laurel's key lime pie
what were some of your favorites?
happy new year friends/readers!
i hope 2008 is a more peaceful year for the world.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:12 PM 2 comments:
portrait of my mom as a girl, painted by her uncle, torsten bergmark
my dad's shirts
old friends (since we were 3) in sunny southern california. it was nice to be warm!
hope your holidays were good!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 8:28 AM 3 comments:
Labels: remembering
Saturday, December 22, 2007
happy holidays!
i'm off to my parents.
will be back here near the end of december.
(the card this year is pretty illegible (text on flickr). i changed my mind at kinkos last minute when i was preparing my transparency for screenprinting. in my rush to make the transparency, go buy a screen and get to the MCC to print, i reduced my lettering too much and didn't think to make bigger snow. ah well.)
keep cozy!
god jul o gott nytt ar svenskar!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 10:03 PM 8 comments:
Friday, December 21, 2007
friday flickrs
friday flickrs are from karine:
her whole self portrait set with nature is great.
and from oooh caro
3 (so luscious!)
happy winter solstice!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 12:01 AM 4 comments:
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
recycled gifts
made a couple more journals. here's five and a half's how to.
a sampling of the many many blogs i need to add to my outdated links page:
asphalt and air
eddy and edwina
sweet sassafras
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 12:10 PM 5 comments:
Monday, December 17, 2007
made my day
i passed by this strange building and while taking a picture of it, this man was parking in front of the building. as i was still clicking, he got out of his car, crossed the street and asked me if i knew what the building was. i said no, and he told me it used to be where they kept horses for the carriages (he said cable cars, but i'm thinking he meant carriages?) that ran along mission street!! he said the window seen here was the hay loft, and that when they excavated the building to make it into a church, they found all sorts of old horseshoes! so cool. in europe maybe this kind of info wouldn't be so exciting since the cities are older and there is more of a sense of history. but it made my day to hear this old timey info about SF! and just that this man would share the story with me was nice. he obviously thought the history was super cool too. the building is on San Jose (one block up from Mission St.) near 24th. (the man then went into his house right across the street from the stable-church.)
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:15 PM 7 comments:
Saturday, December 15, 2007
screenprinting tables at the Mission Cultural Center
when i left the screenprinting room, i passed some kind of ballroom dance class first. further down the hall an african dance class. in the lobby downstairs people were gathering for an event or art gallery tour? and right outside, a musical performance was underway, with a crowd gathered around the musicians. the whole building was so lively! it made me think about how much goes on in SF all the time, and about how i need to get out more. and screenprint more.
i'm not so happy with my screenprinted cards this year. but as usual, i learned some stuff about screenprinting for next time.
now comes the harder task, finding all the scraps of paper with people's addresses on them. my address "book," is all too lacking in bookness. it isn't real or virtual. it is torn corners from envelopes, moving cards and scribbled notes carefully saved and put, where? it's about time i start entering these things in this fancy machine i spend so much time in front of!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 10:24 PM 1 comment:
Friday, December 14, 2007
pinky leon, sharpie style
trying to get in the drawing groove for my PL holiday cards. going to do some screenprinting at the mission cultural center. fun! will show the results (not sharpie style) at the end of next week hopefully, if i mail them off quickly.
flickr favorites this week are greys and whites:
by manwinmodesty
under the sun (and her words are similar to words on my holiday card!)
picnic (check out the whole picnic set. this gal knows how to have a picnic!)
lloyd hotel
this colorful website is beautiful. i'm not even sure what it's about, but the photos, the landing page video and the design are outstanding. i like it a lot. found it through red.house.
have a good weekend!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 11:40 PM 4 comments:
Labels: adoring pinky leon, link-ing + flickr-ing, making
Thursday, December 13, 2007
dec 13: lucia
glad sankta lucia svenskar! lite sent.
camilla's lucia
what francis (american in sweden) says about lucia
my post last year about lucia
oh! and on youtube of course!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:14 PM 2 comments:
Monday, December 10, 2007
a pastel dusk
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:55 PM 4 comments:
Friday, December 07, 2007
friday flickrs + sites
sometimes when i discover so many exquisite blogs and websites, i wonder if i should be blogging at all. (they are inspiring, but also sometimes discouraging, depending on my mood.)
ah-yi (of flickr fame)
maize (found through port2port)
the happy campers
angela liguori
francesca tallone (found through lena corwin)
there were more i bookmarked. where did they go? (i hate that.)
flickr favorites this week: rocketina's kitty
he said he'd take me away (strange and good cat photos +)
i really like this poster
oh, mav's evening, wow.
juniorsenior on youtube with jd samson. makes me smile.
this too. especially good if you like miranda july and/or blonde redhead.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 7:36 PM 5 comments:
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
wednesday walk
up many steps
past elsie st. (name of my grandmother on my dad's side. i never met her.)
looking down
and out to the bay
sure is pretty up there on bernal hill—probably my favorite walk in SF.
i met many dogs out with their dogwalkers. packs of mismatched furry guys.
the fog was starting to roll in on the other side of the hill when i left and a cold air was rolling in with it.
ps. thanks to all who stopped by on sunday! it was super fun.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:18 PM 2 comments:
Friday, November 30, 2007
glogg this sunday + soft friday flickrs
here this sunday, with glogg.
friday flickrs are soft this week:
see through (check out her whole portrait set too. i think i mentioned it long ago, but it is incredible.)
double exposure
allie in georgia
mattress dancing?
in the kitchen
studio sunday
strange water
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 9:38 AM 3 comments:
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
i was also appreciating mrs. meyer's packaging (in a similar style) today at rainbow.
i was THIS close to buying the mrs. meyer's laundry detergent for the packaging. maybe next time. for now i stuck with seventh generation, which works well and is environmentally friendly. it's vegetable based instead of petroleum based.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 1:33 PM 2 comments:
Monday, November 26, 2007
cuttin' it up + you're invited
i've been preparing and freezing cookie dough for this coming sunday.
speaking of cookies, my mom doesn't bake cookies for xmas anymore, so i asked if i could have the cookie cutters she's had as long as i can remember. just seeing these shapes again makes me smile (so sentimental). i remember the pepparkakor baking my mom and i did when i was little—how hard it was to get the dough super super thin. the clacking sound our rolling pin made when it hit the dough. the vigor with which my mom struck with the roller. all the dough i ate! all the poor men's arms and legs breaking off in the oven (especially that smaller man {see above}, the brother in the gingerbread family in my mind). and this song of course:
vi komma, vi komma fran pepparkakeland, pa vagen vi vandrar tillsammans hand i hand, sa bruna, sa bruna vi aro alla tre, korinter till ogon o hattarna pa sne
translation: we're coming, we're coming from gingerbread cookie land, on the road we wander together hand in hand, so brown, so brown we are all three, dark currants for eyes and hats on top askew.
this is where the cookies (not homemade pepparkakor, but other homemade kinds), homemade glogg and homemade art + wares will be on sunday:
Mati, Annie, Jenifer, Kayoko, Armani, Shash and Heather doesn't have a site (yet), but she makes lovely knitted hats, scarves and socks!
(now i have that echo and the bunnymen song in my head where they sing, spare us the cutters!)
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 12:01 AM 4 comments:
Labels: remembering
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
i have so much to do these days and yet i seem to fritter away my days doing other random things. not sure if it's procrastination or what. i sense that overwhelmed feeling coming on, but i'm going to try not to let it get the best of me! will make some lists and start really getting things done! and not worry about two weeks from now. anyhow, in lieu of a photo, here are some flickr faves for thanksgiving.
pods are the best, and look at how nice these ones are! and so nicely organized.
mirjan has so many beautiful self portraits. (it helps that she is beautiful too.)
from mary amor
i finally saw darjeeling limited. that wes anderson is one of my favorites. a calm contentment fills me when i'm in the theater in front of his colors, staring into rooms and out of rooms. the windows. ah. what people look like in slow motion. and that adrian brody is especially beautiful in the movie. such soulful eyes and expressions. i don't understand why people are giving the film bad or lukewarm reviews. it's no royal tenenbaums or rushmore, true, but it's pretty damn gorgeous. and funny too.
i am thankful for wes anderson films, for having shelter (albeit a drafty one), for friends and family and my cat of course. for other worlds that people create and allow us to enter (on flickr, in books, in music, in movies). to see our own reality anew through these other worlds, sometimes in the tiniest ways and sometimes in huge ways.
pods are the best, and look at how nice these ones are! and so nicely organized.
mirjan has so many beautiful self portraits. (it helps that she is beautiful too.)
from mary amor
i finally saw darjeeling limited. that wes anderson is one of my favorites. a calm contentment fills me when i'm in the theater in front of his colors, staring into rooms and out of rooms. the windows. ah. what people look like in slow motion. and that adrian brody is especially beautiful in the movie. such soulful eyes and expressions. i don't understand why people are giving the film bad or lukewarm reviews. it's no royal tenenbaums or rushmore, true, but it's pretty damn gorgeous. and funny too.
i am thankful for wes anderson films, for having shelter (albeit a drafty one), for friends and family and my cat of course. for other worlds that people create and allow us to enter (on flickr, in books, in music, in movies). to see our own reality anew through these other worlds, sometimes in the tiniest ways and sometimes in huge ways.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 11:30 PM 2 comments:
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
mav's leaves
stephanie's leaves insane!
sandra's leaves
shari's leaf
experimenting with leaf earrings.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 4:49 PM 7 comments:
Friday, November 09, 2007
friday flickrs + saturday rain paper
it's so depressing about the oil spill in the bay. when will we ever learn?
friday flickrs:
maybe because i just watched masterpiece theater's jane eyre (so good), this makes me think of bronte novels. melissa always posts amazing self portraits with so much mood and atmosphere.
rocketina's kitty cat.
sandra's house.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 10:36 AM No comments:
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
happy halloween you witches and goblins and fairies and all!
above are my last minute masks, for myself and a friend. i used to dress up much more for halloween. i love to be in disguise.
today i was very forgetful. i had to make two trips to rainbow grocery because i left my wallet at home the first time. and had to make two trips to school, because i left my jacket, with house keys at school. absentminded day i guess. distracted by the excitement in the air.
this morning i saw many subtle costumes—a woman in a fancy pillbox hat, a guy in normal clothes, but with florescent orange nerf material-like tubey horns in the front of his forehead, some people with just wings or just pointy ears, a woman bicycling by in petticoats. i'm sure tonight there will be many more FULL OUT costumes.
time to go people watch!
above are my last minute masks, for myself and a friend. i used to dress up much more for halloween. i love to be in disguise.
today i was very forgetful. i had to make two trips to rainbow grocery because i left my wallet at home the first time. and had to make two trips to school, because i left my jacket, with house keys at school. absentminded day i guess. distracted by the excitement in the air.
this morning i saw many subtle costumes—a woman in a fancy pillbox hat, a guy in normal clothes, but with florescent orange nerf material-like tubey horns in the front of his forehead, some people with just wings or just pointy ears, a woman bicycling by in petticoats. i'm sure tonight there will be many more FULL OUT costumes.
time to go people watch!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 7:14 PM 8 comments:
Labels: appreciating SF, self-ish
Sunday, October 28, 2007
city light
i rarely go downtown in SF. when i do, i'm usually at the embarcadero, the movie theater that shows independent films. today at the embarcadero i saw (besides randomly mati and her hugh!) lars and the real girl, an unrealistic, though sweet and well-acted movie. i think ryan gosling is fantastic. (loved united states of leland and half nelson.)
anyhow, on the way back to the mission district, the sky was pinkish with puffy clouds, and the light was all glowy on all the tall buildings. when you don't see them all the time, those tall buildings look especially beautiful. all glassy and shiny and different shapes, and creating new shapes depending on the angle one looks down a street. so geometric. anyhow, the photos don't capture it, but here they are anyway.
super nice site: dream and awake
and lovelydesign is now sharing her lovely blog. and it is lovely.
ceramic-ish site: coe and waito
i want to go see this exhibit!
i seem to have decided to host another holiday glogg party+craft sale at my house in december. meanwhile i have almost nothing to sell. i've got a month to get crackin'! haven't had any creative spurts lately either. i hope one comes on soon. maybe having this deadline will help? maybe not being addicted to the computer screen would help too...
if you're looking for a book rec, i'm currently reading the inheritance of loss, and it's very good. great and unusual descriptions.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 8:30 PM No comments:
Labels: appreciating SF, link-ing + flickr-ing
Friday, October 26, 2007
flickry friday +
happy friday!
yesterday was the Rare Device opening. as you would expect from a lisa-and-rena-made store, the store is beautiful and charming. and many bloggers' pieces could be found in the store. i will be going back when it's less crowded. here are some pics from the evening.
flickr favorites this week, mostly about light:
just a shadow
one of those photos that makes me ache in a good way.
morran fikar (this photo has about 10 things that automatically lead to favoriting—morran, morran's ear, morran sitting at the table, ekologisk mjolk paket, fika, jatte stor bulle, chocolate (if i'm not mistaken) beautiful room and light, lovely cup and glass, from above view of table).
a homey scene, also with beautiful light
oh, also, i posted a little something on sew green.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 9:45 AM 1 comment:
Labels: appreciating SF, link-ing + flickr-ing
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
night-time fig portraits
if it's there in the morning, maybe i'll get a daylight photo...
this song, rescue, makes me cry. (there is one on every lucinda album.)
this picture makes me chuckle. (and speaking of eggs...)
this picture makes me miss sergels torg in stockholm. those triangles inspired this rad designer's schnapps glasses. (i know her through my cousin.)
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 10:19 PM 6 comments:
Friday, October 19, 2007
rainy flickry friday
also rainy?
i LOVE this sia's living room. the colors. that little red bench/chest looks good enough to eat. reminds me a bit of my friend oona's style too.
another room, in black and white
in keeping with last week's flickr faves: this is mia
also really liking heather smith jones' recent pieces.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 7:13 PM 3 comments:
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Joseph Cornell
(this piece is WAY better in person. much more colorful)
i went to see the Joseph Cornell exhibit today at the SF MOMA. wow! the exhibit felt so intimate (partially due to the low lighting, the many small sections/rooms of artwork and the art itself) and magical. i didn't know anything about Cornell before seeing the exhibit, and i didn't take away any brochures or anything. but from what i read at the show, from seeing his works and from this info online, i feel a tenderness for him. i actually got teary at the show. (this happens to me a lot these days when i go to art exhibits.) it seems like even though he was reclusive, he really loved/was intrigued by people and by the mysteries/strangeness of the world. from the little i read at the show, he would become kind of inspired by/obsessed with various people, learn a bunch about them and collect information/magazine articles, etc., and devote numerous artworks to those people (Emily Dickinson being one of many such). and the fact that his first show was one for children, presented at their height, is very sweet. a lot of his works have to do with him remembering his own childhood as well. in addition to being beautiful, his collages and shadowboxes are so playful—a reminder that creating is a playful activity.
anyhow, if you are in SF, i highly recommend going to see it!
the art also seems very relevant to a lot of art happening nowadays—whimsical, surreal, otherworldly, layered. (not that i have my finger on the pulse of the art world, but i'm basing this on what i see on blogs/flickr and around town.)
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:09 PM 4 comments:
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
fun with paper bags
and one with pinky leon of course
i found wiksten-made through hannah's flickr. jenny of wiksten-made makes beautiful clothes. jenny also posted her paperbag childhood photo, and inspired me to post mine (which is seriously fading!).
me and heather (ca. age 5?) in Ralphs Grocery style.
did you do this too?
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 2:19 PM 4 comments:
Labels: remembering, self-ish
Friday, October 12, 2007
friday flickrs +
carrot fields forever i love this one.
amazing pattern and so beautiful
and some great dog photos:
from marta plastica (love the light in this one)
skirt chaser
hot dog
and a link to anna emilia's new website
i bet you've already been to gracia & louise's new site
and jen's new simply photo site
are you all listening to in rainbows, the new radiohead? i had it on most of the day thursday, sinking in. their music really does feel like it's physically seeping in, doesn't it? like it might enter lightly, dew on your pores. then absorb deeper, while you might not even notice. and then there you are, saturated with vibrating, tingling, ringing, humming, echoing.
agitating, lulling. softness and edges and sadness and all.
also printed up some fika postcards. i think my silkscreen is shot now though. now to sew the tablecloths onto the tables! (going to sew the fabric on top instead of peekaboo style like before.)
ps. happy belated national coming out day!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 12:01 AM 5 comments:
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
it's a small world after all
today i met ash, a fellow sew green contributor, for the first time. (notice our matching skirts and tights!) while we were at doe, someone from flickr recognized us. what a strange, small world—to be meeting a fellow blogger (an entirely lovely, charming and easygoing one by the way) for the first time, and randomly meet someone from flickr too! it's funny to think that for kids growing up now, this kind of connection might seem normal. i am constantly amazed by it.
ps. lovechild bike of bikes from my last post???
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 2:40 PM 2 comments:
Monday, October 08, 2007
bikes, bi-rite, brussel sprouts
cute turquoise and blue bikes.
hello! it's so beautiful out today. i stopped by the bi-rite creamery and got myself a sugarcone with strawberry balsamic ice cream and ritual coffee toffee ice cream. mums! (swedish equivalent of yum). also noticed the new store, the curiosity shoppe on valencia. can't wait to go in and see what they've got!
now i'm going to make a brussel sprout soup (mums again), do some homework and apply for a job. maybe i'll squeeze a nap in too, since pinky leon woke me up several times in the night, the little turkey.
i posted on sew green too, if you're sew inclined....
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 1:23 PM 4 comments:
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
flickrs, colors and whatnots
a different view, slightly bigger here.
another fall bear for another little baby friend. the left one's colors remind me of jess hutch.
been hanging out in my flickr favorites lately. a new to me photographer i'm really liking, is parachutgirl. m and m.
also liking minato's spare photo here.
and discovered these rad staches, some of which are apparently going to be in the new rare device in sf. neat-o.
in other news, i have a new housemate. she's super nice. it's funny how excited i get about other people's stuff. it's just interesting to see what, out of all the stuff floating out there in the world, a person chooses to buy/have/keep. and then i get so inspired by people's colors. everyone seems to have their own colors. i dig that. (i think i've mentioned this before.) AND i spied a lineup (!) of strappy sandals in a range of white, beige and cream. they make me think of the 70's. i'm restraining myself from taking photos. for now anyway. :-)
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 9:25 AM 3 comments:
Sunday, September 30, 2007
my first attempt at a mobile. i've always been hesitant to try to make them because they seemed difficult to me. but i've loved mobiles for a while (who doesn't!), and i was especially enchanted by them when i saw the big Calder exhibit at SF MOMA a few years ago. it was like walking through a forest of mobiles and kinetic sculptures. such a cool exhibit.
it was not as hard as i imagined to make this. but of course, i want to make better ones. i think i need to get thicker wire and figure out a more elegant way to attach the pieces to the wire. also need to experiment much more to understand the balancing thing better.
have you seen these beauties on flickr? i've linked to them before, but they're worth looking at again and again!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 4:32 PM 7 comments:
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
out of order
wow, so much for all that fall talk. it's blazing hot today in sf.
but look, there are a lot of leaves (and trash) on the ground...
time to go have some straus mint chip ice cream. and then maybe some dinner.
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 5:08 PM 3 comments:
Monday, September 24, 2007
fall memories and bears
do you find that you get more sentimental at the change of seasons? i was feeling sentimental with the onset of fall weather/light in sf this past week, but then i realized i feel extra sentimental each time a season turns. i guess the change knocks something around in the brain and triggers memories of past seasons and similar light, similar smells.
above is a fall bear for a friend's new baby. i forgot how fun it can be to make softies. got this fabric at bolt in portland, oregon last fall. i love it. that bolt is such a temptress. they don't have a ton of fabric there, but whoever picks what they do get in the store, has great taste.
some flickr faves on a monday!
i like these colors from tuula.
curled and upside-down kitty from rocketina
and speaking of fall... from shari
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 6:29 PM 4 comments:
Saturday, September 22, 2007
on homework, feet and books
strange. in most areas of my life, i stick pretty closely to a schedule. i am one of those punctual people. i like to have a routine (though i often stray from it). so it's strange for me not to blog regularly. to blog daily for a week and then not to post anything for stretches of time. but that's just how it is here. my phototaking has all been for homework, and not so much for blogging lately. i continued on my own personal feet week by doing a project for typography class, taking pictures of the ground. we were supposed to look for things that looked like letters, using a theme and making a whole alphabet. my theme is the alphabet at our feet and includes many feet shots. (example above.)
sf people: there is a cool book arts exhibit on the top floor of the main library. 13+ Contemporary German Artists' Books. really varied and interesting book design. second listing here.
tonight i started reading a book mav wrote about, evening. the way the author portrays illness seems really realistic to me (not knowing what being fatally ill feels like...). real and surprising. the book is also very romantic. but it seems like maybe it will be about the meaning we give to various encounters by how we remember them. i can tell this book is going to absorb and tug at me.
i also finished animal, vegetable miracle last month and want to write about that on sew green at some point. going to read cradle to cradle soon too. have any of you read that one?
ps. i switched to a mac and safari, and i have no formatting options now in blogger. have to enter all formatting in the code. it sucks. i have to figure something else out!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 10:31 PM 5 comments:
Friday, September 07, 2007
feet week: day five: avocado toes-st
hi all, thanks so much for your participation in feet week! clearly, this week needs to be repeated at some point. below are some of my favorites from the week.
windowsill's with kitty (so simple and beautiful!)
jenifer's bicycle feet
astrid's bicycle feet (geez, i love these shoes)
shari's drum feet
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 7:43 PM 11 comments:
Thursday, September 06, 2007
feet week: day four: backyard leaves
totally staged. i realized as the sun was going down yesterday that i hadn't taken a feet photo. i quickly put on some shoes i never wear, and ran to the yard to catch the last light. but really, i guess there are just different levels of staging in feet week. (alternate one)
i'll post some favorite feet photo links from all your terrific toes and shoes tomorrow!
Posted by Kerstin Svendsen at 1:57 PM 8 comments:
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The Radlett Centre & Upstage Productions are looking for two crew to join our team for this year's pantomime: Aladdin.POSITION: Hemp Flymen / Stage Crew (2 positions available)RATE OF PAY: £8.75 per hourDATES: 3rd Dec 18 - 3rd Jan 19 We are hoping to find two hemp flymen who will be responsible for flying tripped cloths, running scene changes during the performances as well as working as general crew for the fit up. Previous experience is a bonus but all applications will be considered. Most important is that you are keen, hardworking and excited to join this small talented team. Fit up week - 3rd-7th Dec minimum hrs 9am-9pmShows: 8th Dec-3rd Jan - 2 shows a day incl 3 x 3 show days and 6 days off APPLY TO: firstname.lastname@example.com
We are currently recruiting for casual technicians, please see the link below for more details:
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The scholarship has allowed me to feel financially stable, and broaden my horizons both academically and socially; I am able to purchase new books, buy into societies at LSE and go out and meet new people!
The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country. LSE provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships to UK, EU and overseas students, whilst Government support is available to UK and some EU students.
This page summarises the financial support which is on offer for new undergraduates at LSE starting in September 2019 and also what is available from the UK Government.
Every undergraduate student is charged a fee each year of their programme.
The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.
Fees are fixed each spring for the following session only, and will be published in the Table of Fees.
All queries regarding your fees and fee payments are dealt with by the Fees Office.
On receipt of your UCAS form the School carries out an assessment of your fee status determining the amount you are likely to pay at Registration. This decision is based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education: Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 2007. Further information on fee status classification
The fee for new UK and EU students starting in 2019 is £9,250. The fee may also rise with inflation in the subsequent years of your study.
*The UK Government confirmed in July 2018 that the fee level for EU undergraduate new entrants in 2019/20 will be the same as Home UK for the duration of their undergraduate degree programme. Further information can be found on gov.uk website.
For 2019 the LSE tuition fee for new undergraduates ordinarily resident in the Channel Islands is £9,250 for the first year, but may rise in line with inflation in subsequent years.
The LSE tuition fee for new overseas (non-EU) undergraduates in 2019 is £19,920 for the first year.
Overseas students are required to pay this fee in instalments or in full at the start of each year. The overseas fee usually rises by between 2.5 per cent and 4 per cent each year.
We estimate that you should allow about £1,100-£1,300 per month for all living expenses, including accommodation, travel, food, laundry, study costs, and other personal expenses. This will vary depending on your lifestyle and requirements, so it's important you do your own research.
Please note that if you will be applying for a visa, you will have to provide evidence of sufficient funds, and these amounts may vary.
More details on living costs and making a budget.
Arrangements for 2019 entry have not yet been confirmed. Please see the information regarding 2018 entry, below, as a guide.
Tuition fee loans
For those starting at LSE in 2018, students ordinarily resident in England and the EU* do not have to pay the tuition fee up front. The UK Government provides students with a tuition fee loan to cover the full cost of the fee for the duration of your undergraduate programme.
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The 2018 arrangements related to maintenance loans have not yet been published. The information below refers to the 2017 arrangements.
All eligible students from England are able to take out a maintenance loan to help with living costs. Students from the EU are not normally eligible for maintenance loans from the UK government, but may be eligible for a Bursary.
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Check the relevant website below for the latest information on fees and financial support available.
Student Finance WalesStudent Awards Agency ScotlandStudent Finance Northern Ireland
Please note that for students to be eligible for funding from Student Finance England, they must be studying on an eligible course at a provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS is the new independent regulator for higher education in England and all higher education providers need to register with the OfS for their students to be eligible for student support in the 2019-20 academic year. The OfS will start publishing providers on its Register from July 2018. We have made an application to register and expect a decision by September 2018. No provider will be able to confirm whether student support is available until it has a decision from the OfS. Visit www.officeforstudents.org.uk for more information.
Overseas students, ie, those from outside the EU are not eligible to apply for UK Government funds.
However, there is a range of funding available for overseas students from external agencies, bodies or your home government, details of which are available from your home government or nearest British Council office, or on the UK Council for International Student Affairs website.
Find out more about loans available from other governments.
The School provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships to UK, EU and overseas students.
Although the terms of the UK's exit agreement from the EU have not yet been finalised, LSE will continue to make funding available to all students regardless of fee status.
Arrangements for entry in September 2019 have not yet been confirmed, however please view information below regarding 2018 entry as a guide.
Undergraduate students from the UK and EU students are eligible for an LSE Bursary assessed according to household income.
For new students starting in 2018, the maximum Bursary available is £4,000 per year for those students with the lowest residual incomes. The Bursary value tapers to £750 for those students on higher incomes to a maximum of £42,611.
A number of Discretionary Bursaries are available for UK and EU LSE students who face exceptional financial need. The value of the award may vary according to need, but is not expected to exceed a total of £4,000 combined with the LSE Bursary.
An LSE Accommodation Bursary is designed to encourage students from lower-income households to apply for accommodation in halls. Available for UK nationals, the value of the award will vary depending on the number of recipients and their financial need.
Each year LSE awards a number of scholarships, funded by private or corporate donation, to our students. The number, value, eligibility criteria and type of awards vary from year to year.
All the scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need in the first instance, and then academic merit.
Below are the details of confirmed scholarships for 2018 entry and they can be used as a guide for 2019 entry. New scholarships will become available during the course of the admissions cycle. We recommend you check this webpage on a regular basis. The application process is contained within each of the below sections.
Betty MacQuitty Scholarship
£20,050 per year
Any UK applicant, with a preference for a mature student.
Dr Christos Pissiotis Scholarship
£9,250 per year
A Greek resident with an offer on the BSc Economics or an economics-related programme.
Golden Scholarships
£5,000 per year
Any UK applicant, with a preference for a female student.
Kadas Scholarship
£15,000 per year
Students from specific European countries.
Pass the Torch Scholarships
£10,000 per year
Any EU or UK applicant on any programme.
Pauline Aviges Graham Scholarship for African Women
Up to £15,000
Female African national domiciled within specific African countries, or the UK or a female national of and domiciled within Iran, Iraq or Lebanon.
Richard Jonathan Clark Scholarship
Tuition fees and a stipend of £8,083 per year
A UK or EU offer holder for any programme.
The LSE Undergraduate Support Scheme (USS) is designed to help overseas students who do not have the necessary funds to meet all their costs of study. The amount of assistance will vary according to individual financial needs but awards are usually between £6,000 and £15,000.
Each year LSE awards a number of scholarships, funded by private or corporate donation, to our students. The number, value, eligibility criteria and type of awards vary from year to year. Awards are made on the basis of financial need in the first instance, and then academic merit.
Below are the details of confirmed scholarships for 2018 entry and they can be used as a guide for 2019 entry. New scholarships will become available during the course of the admissions cycle. We recommend you check this webpage on a regular basis. The application process is contained within each of the below sections.
The Beacon Scholarship at LSE
£20,000 per year
An offer holder from Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda.
LSE Mauritius Scholarship
The cost of tuition fees
Mauritian national currently residing in Mauritius.
Approximately £15,000 (TBC)
Pestalozzi International Village Trust Scholarships
The cost of full fees and living costs
Overseas students sponsored by the Pestalozzi International Village studying at Sussex Coast College Hastings or Claremont Secondary School.
The Rajeeb Mukherjee Memorial Scholarship
A contribution towards the cost of study at LSE
A preference for an applicant from Canada, India or Bangladesh. Any undergraduate programme.
LSE is offering three LSE Access to Education Scholarships made up of support for the tuition fee and living costs for:
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James Redgrave
James Redgrave has written 23 articles for Nouse
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York's Harrington ready for new life
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Goodricke's traditional dominance of College sport has reasserted itself this year but Vanbrugh attempted to put a thorn in the…
York's Roasters back on campus
Three York University Football 'stars' are on a plane back to England, after posting bail in Spain. The squad's mid-season…
Elegantly Wasted
James looks back over 40 glorious years of nouse, using lots of words that no-one else understands
Pain for the Vain
In this issue, James questions our obsession with beauty, and tries to make himself sound intelligent by mentioning Marxism…
Hail to the Thieves
In the last edition of Warwick's student paper 'The Boar' the editor responded to an accusation of plagiarism by claiming…
Tigers Take Down Geordies
A strong win over Northumbria University put the collaborative York/York St John's team, the 'York Tigers' ahead of their nearest rivals, on the Northeast rugby league table, with two wins in as many games
Elegantly Wasted
Last issue we established James was a bit of a twat, this issue he expands on this theme in a rather trite and unimaginative way. Lets be honest, it's verbosity over clarity….