Home equity rates for Thursday, June 30

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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3 Tips to Fix a Sticky Lock

A new key that doesn’t glide or always gets stuck can be a hassle. Before you go through the trouble of changing your locks or getting a new key, here are some tips to get your lock working without busting your budget.

Image Source: Flickr

Below are 3 tips to fix sticky locks:

Use the Right Product
Resorting to spraying vegetable oil, WD-40, sewing machine oil, or similar products in the keyhole is a fairly common fix. The problem, however, is that oil or grease will eventually make the sticking lock worse. This is because the oil or grease provides an ideal attractant for dust particles and dirt, which will start layering on top. Instead, purchase graphite. Source: wikiHow

Obtain Powdered Graphite
Grasp the doorknob with one hand and turn it to retract the latch. Insert the tip of your powdered graphite tube into the opening around the latch and inject a few puffs of graphite. Turn the knob a few times so the graphite can lubricate the area around the latch. Source: SFGate

Test the Lock
Test the lock by turning the knob and locking the lock. If the lock doesn’t work smoothly, loosen the screws, realign the cylinder and latchbolt, and try again. You can lubricate deadbolts the same way. Remove the connecting screws, the faceplate screws, and then the knobs. Next, pull out the latchbolt assembly and clean and lubricate the lock as just described. To reassemble the lock, reverse the procedure. Source: Dummies

Contact:
Mr. Locksmith Vancouver
555 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4N4
Phone: (604) 239-0882

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3 Common Electronic Door Locks for Your Home

Having an electronic door lock can be a good way to spare you the hassle of rummaging for keys in your bag or pocket, and it also adds security to your home. Here are 3 of the most common electronic door locks available on the market today.

Image Source: Flickr

Kwikset Kevo
The KwiksetKevo instantly transforms the owner’s smartphone into a key. Designed with Bluetooth-connectivity, this smart lock replaces a regular deadbolt on a door. To unlock the door, the user has to touch the Kevo to send an “open” signal. Users acquiring the entry-level version of this smart lock will get two eKeys, two key fobs and two traditional keys. The latter is handy if the Kevo runs out of power. The major feature is the set of eKeys, which are encrypted codes that you can with your smartphone. eKeys offer more peace of mind than traditional keys because they cannot be duplicated. Moreover, eKeys can allow a guest either scheduled or “anytime” access Source: TechTimes

Keyless
For advanced home security and convenience, keyless locks can be used to replace any standard deadbolts on exterior doors. An anti-theft rolling code feature ensures the same code is never used twice, and certain models sound an alarm after the incorrect code is entered more than three consecutive times. Additionally, some systems are compatible with select garage door openers or home security systems. Source: ASecureLife

August Smart Lock
Don’t let the name fool you – there are no keys involved. No access codes either, so a thief can’t use a key logger to copy your code and then sneak in when you’re not home. The August Smart Key lock discretely replaces most single cylinder deadbolts to provide secure access to your home via iOS or Android devices. The August Smart Key lock works independently, via a secure BlueTooth connection or over your home’s Wi-Fi. The app sends a reminder if the lock’s AA batteries are low so this lock keeps working, even if your power goes out.
Coupling the August Lock with August Connect, a smart device that allows you to access the lock from any Internet-enabled device, provides additional features. Rather than simply referring to a log of activity over the past week, you’ll receive real-time notifications of who accessed your lock and when. You’ll also be able to lock and unlock the door via any Internet-enabled device and connect your lock with other smart devices in your home. Source: SafeWise

 

Contact:
Mr. Locksmith Calgary
555 Maidstone Drive NE
Calgary, Alberta T2A 4B6
Canada
Phone: (403) 800-9185

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Iced Turmeric Lemonade Recipe

Year End Reflections

On the last day of school, the students took time to think about what they had learned and their goals for the future. I may be biased, but I think they are beyond cute.
Enjoy!

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Racing Cars with Robots

Home equity rates for Thursday, June 30

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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SERIES: An Insider’s Look at Modern Club Design – Part 4

Marketing Influences vs. R&D Capabilities in Golf

By: Bob Renegar

So we’ve talked about the three tiers of OEM’s with their respective R&D capabilities and challenges. The question is, how well does the business of golf equipment sales reflect the realities of R&D capabilities - aka what products really are the best.

Truth be told, not so well.  

The marketing influences in golf can be stronger than the best product integrity and R&D – we would be naive consumers to think otherwise.

What About the OEMs and the Pro Tour Players?

Despite golf equipment being the tools the Pro Tour player uses to make his living, most Tour players know surprisingly little about their equipment (there are clearly some exceptions).  These guys could help themselves so much if they just got more studious about it, and put the equipment variable to work for them as an advantage.

The truth is, though, these players are so good they can hit just about anything you give them. The equipment advantages for them are smaller than they are for the rest of us, but still significant and largely unexplored – they could be significant enough to be the difference between winning and a top 10 finish. They will figure it out sooner or later.

The Tour Player will generally play whatever product his contract sponsor brand gives him and fits it into his game with a launch monitor optimization for the driver-shaft configuration, then put his shaft preference and “set-up” specs into his irons. At this level, the Tour Operations personnel (acting as custom builders and fitters) are critical for each getting the most from the other. It all happens in the Tour Trailers next to the driving range at each event site and in the OEM’s R&D labs.  

Beyond that, for the Tour players, equipment choices may be about looks or feel, but there may also be other “incentives” that are on the table for the player to use some particular equipment - perhaps whatever pays the best.

Offer They Can't Refuse

There is not much said about it because it exposes the politically incorrect “profit motive” in professional golf, but would you believe that some Tour players are paid tens of thousands of dollars annually just put a putter in play? With a “bonus pool” at year’s end for uninterrupted usage? Or even more to put a driver in play? Did you really think they used them because they thought they worked best?

How can we blame them? They are all self-employed. They go to work every day with NO guarantee of a pay day. In fact, nearly half of them on any given week go home with empty pockets (in terms of money winnings).

Ever heard of a PGA Tour “bonus pool” or other player incentives?

Behind the Curtain

Players have various types of contracts with their major OEM sponsors. A few marquis players will have “full bag” contracts where they are obligated to play products only from their sponsor, but these deals are fewer nowadays. More often, we see deals for a bag and driver or bag and irons and hat, and the player is “open” on whatever is left.

Truth is, practically every part of the player’s equipment can be a “pay for play” contract. These deals are cut over drinks or in the agent’s office or over the phone, but any given player will most likely have several significant and many lesser deals for equipment usage, and they are probably all quite different.

“Deals” come in many forms. They might range from fixed annual contracts at any scale to a one week deal to wear a hat or play a putter. There are Win-Place-Show pure incentives and “win bonuses”, and there is even weekly “tee up” money with “bonus pools” for play over extended periods – usually for the season. There are driver deals, ball deals, putter deals, glove deals, hat deals, apparel deals, bag deals, car deals, watch deals – you name it, anything goes.

I have seen in years past checks passed out on the driving range and in the locker room, but that is rarely the case any longer, because it does not look good. It is more about quarterly wire transfers nowadays.

The weekly Darrell Survey tracks this contract compliance on Thursday of each week’s competition and reports it to the OEMs who pay for subscriptions to the Darrell report each week. What happens in any given player’s bag after Thursday is often quite interesting too, as sometimes a player’s equipment may change for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday play.

These same “deals” also exist on all the other Tours, but they are predictably for lesser amounts and are fewer in number – an obvious function of marketing value-added and visibility.

Undue Influence

Yet there persists this extraordinary influence of the Pro Tours on sales and marketing with the golf consumer – the impact of the old golf biz truism that “what wins on Sunday sells on Monday”. Is it not time we got beyond Pro Tour player usage validations being the ultimate seal of approval for a golf club design the recreational player cannot hit anyway?  

Instead give me objective testing and data using skilled recreational players! 

And yet, I can hardly recall ANY equipment successes in my career that were not preceded with Tour usage. If you want to sell premium golf equipment, you must still validate it on the Pro Tours.

And therein lies the true value of a Pro Tours Program for the equipment manufacturer, because it does still make a difference to what is sold on Monday. Witness the website reporting on Mondays regarding “what’s in the bag” for the winners from the day before . . . and what sells in the golf shops during the week that follows.  

What is the Golf Media’s Role in All of This?

In my view the golf media has been extraordinarily disappointing for the golf consumer, as they muse and reflect upon the new equipment offerings that appear in the market place each season and then award them “stars” or “gold medals”.  They really aren't helping us much in making better equipment selections to improve our golf games.  And their reporting has evolved very little over the years with improved sophistication for their equipment reviews (except now they have web sites and videos).

Should the media equipment evaluations instead be more quantitative and objective? Should they be geared specifically for the consumer? Should these equipment evaluations be free from the influences of media advertising dollars?  

Practically no one in the media is giving us anything more than “stars” or “medals” as quantitative feedback! And worse, they keep talking about “feel” or cosmetics instead of comparing quantifiable performance measurements... but that day may be coming soon.

The golf media is for the most part failing in their responsibility to the golfer-consumer to test and report objectively which golf equipment offerings actually work better. Counting qualitative “stars” from consumer test panels is hardly a meaningful quantitative performance evaluation, especially since most clubs get all the available stars anyway.  

The business reality for most of the golf media, though, is that their operating revenue comes largely from advertising dollars. It would take some very principled reporting indeed to risk judging your largest advertiser’s product as a mediocre performer.

The ultimate impact that the Internet will have on golf equipment sales is yet to be determined. Fitting complicates most “consumer direct” sales strategies from the OEMs, as does the consumer’s desire to “feel” and hit the club prior to purchasing it. But the pervasiveness of selling directly to the consumer with other consumer products is obvious – it will in time find a place in golf.

A Better Way Forward

The most valuable impact of the Internet to golf equipment may ultimately be as a source of truly objective and quantitative performance evaluations for new products – ultimately forcing the OEMs to do a better job with new product development.

The longstanding void of objective quantitative performance evaluations for the consumer (with appropriate performance parameters) will in due course be filled. And the great influence of the Pro Tours and a sycophantic media on equipment sales will, over time, diminish.

New equipment “authorities” are appearing (particularly on the web), but performance parameters and criteria will need to become more standardized for each different product category so that they ultimately translate to lower scores.  

Qualitative Media BS is of little value – quantitative and objective data are required with meaningful performance measurements.

Maybe You Should Think About It Too . . .

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Refinance rates for Thursday, June 30

If you're thinking about refinancing, it's a great time to lock in a rate.

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Wells Fargo rates and news for Thursday, June 30

Wells Fargo's rates are remaining competitive on mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.

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Home equity rates for Thursday, June 30

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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Mortgage rates rise: June 30

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it's a great time to lock in a rate.

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4 Tips to Intensify the Benefits of Saunas

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Saunas are used throughout the world for their health benefits. Below are some tips to intensify the benefits of saunas – read on!

Drink Plenty of Water
Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water before going inside the sauna room, holistic physician Lawrence Wilson recommends in “Sauna Therapy.” During the sauna bath, the body produces a therapeutic sweat that eliminates heavy metals and toxic chemicals, Wilson says. Sauna enthusiasts say that the body can lose about a pint of water during a 20-minute sauna session. Source: LiveStrong

Exercise First
Exercise prior to entering the sauna. Since the sauna promotes circulation of the flow of blood through the body, this will help you recover from joint and muscle soreness from your workout. Plan your use of the sauna on days you rest from exercise. While beneficial in conjunction with exercise, it is claimed that a session of 15-20 minutes will give you a workout equivalent to a brisk walk of 1-2 hours. This is due to an increase in your heart rate which is similar to that which occurs during a brisk walk.  Source: wikiHow

Choose the Right Temperature
The temperature you create inside the sauna is very important in achieving the most beneficial sauna session. Studies show that it’s best to heat the sauna to a temperature between 176 and 194 degrees Fahrenheit. This way, you will feel comfortable inside the sauna, you will not overwhelm your body with too much heat, and you will benefit from all the good effects of the sauna. Source: AllWomenSites

Alternate Temperatures
After about 15 minutes, you better step out of sauna room to cool down your body in air. It is better to jump into a cold pool or lake. Experts say that shocking your body with hot and cold in succession increases the effects of sauna detoxification and increase the blood circulation in your body.
You need not to get your body chilled. When you start feeling cold, you better come back to the sauna room and stay there until you start sweating again. You have to repeat this heating and cooling of your body three to four times for best results. Just be sure not to exceed 45 minutes in total in the sauna room.
When you are finished, cool yourself with fresh air, not cold water, to settle your body temperature. Take a cold bath afterwards to remove any dead skin cells. Source: StepByStep

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Brexit drives mortgage refinancing boomlet

They Brexit, we bought it. Well, we bought a new mortgage, at least. Lenders say they have seen an increase in refinance applications since the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union. The vote happened Thursday, and on Friday morning, mortgage rates tumbled about one-eighth of a percentage point. Then the underlying bond yields

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5 Pre-Round Stretches You Should Stop Doing Right Now

How do YOU warm up before a round or a range session?

These days most avid golfers know that a 12 oz. beer curl isn't going to get it done, which is certainly progress. But even if you're a hardcore believer in stretching and warming up, you need to ask yourself a question - are you doing it correctly?

If you're like many of the golfers we see twisting and wrenching on the range or even on the first tee, sorry, you're probably doing it wrong.

The truth is, so many golfers are doing more harm than good with their warm-up routines. Misguided stretches or good stretches that are executed improperly can damage the tendons and muscles that you are targeting. So not only are you not priming the body for a great round in the short-term, you could be doing long-term damage to your body and golf game.

What if you had a safer warm-up routine that yields better results? That's where Premier Fitness Systems comes in. Today Andrew Hannon from PFS will show you 5 of most common stretches that he sees - and wishes he didn't - golfers doing on an everyday basis.

For each dubious stretch, Andrew provides a superior alternative that will maximize the benefit of your warm-up session and minimize the chance of harm.

For each of the movements discussed, we've queued up the video to the relevant portion, but by all means, feel free to watch the full video.

5 stretches you should stop doing before you play

By: Andrew Hannon

As a golf fitness specialist I want to make sure that I practice what I preach. Before I play a round or go to the range for a practice session, I want to make sure my body is ready for the stress and torque I’m about to put on it due to the mechanics of the golf swing. When I take 10-15 minutes to go through stretches before I even touch a club, I get a lot of weird looks. Maybe because I’m giving the same look back when I see majority of the players on the range taking 2 minutes to do a few static stretches or not even warm-up at all. When I do see players “stretch” there are 5 moves I see most often, and golfers should stop doing NOW.

Let's take a look at some of the mistakes golfers make along with some better alternatives that will help you get loose and ready to play before your next round.

Bend Over Toe Touch

The bend over toe touch is something we learned to do in gym class, and there are variety ways to perform this stretch. The problem with it is that the majority of the population does not know how to hinge from their hips properly, which defeats the purpose of the stretch entirely.

The bend over toe touch should target the hamstrings when done the correct way, but a lot of golfers I see have too much flexion at the thoracic and lumbar spine (mid and lower back), usually causing stress in the back of the knees where ligaments attach.

Here's a better alternative. This movement is more dynamic, safer, and the staggered position teaches the golfer to hinge properly.  

(Before performing these movements, make sure you are monitored by a professional to make the correct cues, and have no previous injuries to the target area.)

Behind the Neck, Club Twisting

This is probably the number one move I see majority of golfers go to. The problem with this stretch is that placing the golf club behind your neck locks the shoulders in a bad position, forcing you to create rotation from the lumbar spine.

The proper mechanics of the golf swing do include some lumbar rotation, but most of the rotation comes from the thoracic spine, shoulders, and lower body separation coming from the ground up.

Here is a more effective warm-up to prevent the lower back from flaring up and its more specific to the golf swing.

Standing Static Quad Stretch

This is another stretch that we learned to do in gym class, and one that I actually don't mind... when it's done correctly.

Often I see golfers having a tough-enough time trying to grab their ankle with their hand. Even for those who can effortless grab the ankle, there are better alternatives.

Quadriceps have a big impact on the golf swing and are one of the strongest muscle groups in the body, but for proper function of the swing, warming up the hips and glutes is more important. In Tiger Woods' words, if the “glutes aren’t firing” then more stress is targeted to the lower back.

This alternative movement utilizes a golf cart (I’m just using support bars in the studio as an example) to help support the body while standing on one leg.

Cross Body Shoulder Stretch

Another fan favorite, this time for the upper body. I actually do use this stretch myself, but I see many golfers putting their shoulder in a bad position.

During the golf swing, the lead shoulder does go into internal rotation across the body, but majority of the time that’s not the part of the body you need to get loose.

The alternative is a movement that helps with creating more turn during the backswing while producing a good stretch for the thoracic spine, lats and shoulder rotators, which helps with the full swing.  

Hands behind lower back, swinging hips move

Yes this is actually a move I have seen, multiple times.. Golfer walks up to the range straight out of the car, grabs a driver and starts swinging away. 5 swings later the back tightens up, they grab their lower back with both hands, and start swaying their hips to stretch it out.

So let’s stretch the back, right? Nope. The back usually flares up due other joints not being ready to move, so compensation in other joints and muscles turn on to protect the body.

Here's an easy hip movement to get blood flowing to the right joints so the hips can prepare to move the right way, so the back doesn’t do all of the work.

Bottom Line

The golf swing is not a normal movement and it creates a lot of torque and stress on the body. Wasting 3 minutes on some mediocre stretches might be doing more harm than good for not only your body but also your golf swing. Take the time to not only stretch, but stretch the right way.

For more stretches and movements that will improve your golf game, check out the Premier Fitness Systems Website and Premier Fitness Systems on YouTube.

You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona PFS offers great online training programs for golfers everywhere.

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How to Make Aloe Vera Gel from Fresh Aloe

We recently got a new grocery store in a town near me. I was checking it out one day and came across an array of fun and unusual foods uncommon to most average grocery stores. While there I saw several long beautiful aloe vera leaves and decided to purchase some.

As I continued shopping, a woman stopped me and said, “Excuse me for asking, but what IS that?” I smiled and briefly explained to her that it is the leaves from the aloe plant and how to use it for burns and cuts. She left with a smile on her face and I was happy to teach her something new.

I know sometimes I sound like a broken record but aloe vera gel is one of those things I grew up believing could only be bought in a store, processed, and in a fancy package. But just like so many other things, it is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make at home.

What Is Aloe Vera Good For

Most people are aware of the benefits of aloe vera gel on sunburns. It is wonderful for soothing pain and reducing inflammation caused by minor burns, but in addition to that, it has a wide application of uses.

• Natural Sunburn Relief

Several other over-the-counter first aid products can easily be replaced with homemade, natural versions. Aloe vera is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and has antioxidant properties that aid in healing.

• Homemade Hand Sanitizer
• Post-Partum Relief Spray
• Homemade Anti-Itch Spray

I use aloe vera gel in several of my beauty care recipes. It is very hydrating to the skin but does not leave an oily feel so it is good for most skin types. These qualities also make it great for the hair and scalp, especially if you struggle with dry, itchy scalp and dandruff.

• DIY Hair Growth Serum
• Homemade Baby Wipes
• Natural Liquid Foundation
• Natural Creme Blush
• Natural Homemade Mascara
• Essential Oil Cooling Spray
• DIY Beach Waves Spray
• Foaming Shave Soap

Many people also take aloe vera internally to aid in digestion and to help relieve stomach ulcers. Aloe vera gel contains numerous vitamins and minerals that help replenish the body. These remedies should be practiced under the advice of your health care provider.

Where Can You Get It

Aloe vera makes a wonderful houseplant. Not only will it help filter the air in your home, but you will always have it on hand for all of its wonderful uses. A small aloe vera plant shouldn’t be too hard to find at a nursery.

The aloe plant is similar to a cactus in care requirements. It requires well draining, sandy soil and does not tolerate frost, but will do very well indoors. Water it thoroughly but then allow the soil to dry about 2 inches down before watering again. (Be sure to check the care instructions for your particular plant.)

As I mentioned, I was able to get cut aloe vera leaves locally in the produce section at a grocery store, but they are probably going to be more readily available at organic stores or markets that cater to healthful living. You could also try a smaller grocery store that specializes in Indian food if you have one in your area.

How To Harvest The Gel from Aloe Vera

Aloe vera leaves are long and slightly curved with serrated edges. The gel is the thick fleshy part that is between the skin of the leaf.

Supplies:

• aloe vera leaf
• sharp knife
• clean airtight container for storing
• blender or immersion blender
• clean bowl (if you are using an immersion blender)

Directions:

1. Cut the leaf into sections about 8″ long. This makes it a little more manageable.
2. Cut off the serrated edge. Try to get just the edge because it is difficult to get the gel out of those pieces.
3. Cut the 8″ lengths into 2 or 3 long strips.
4. Turn your blade to its side and slide it in just under the skin on the end of one of the strips.
5. Carefully slide the knife along the bottom edge of the skin down the whole length of the leaf. Try to stay close to the skin so you get as much gel as you can.
6. Once you get the whole piece of skin off, flip the section over and repeat with the other side.
7. Cut the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces and place in a clean bowl (if you are using an immersion blender) or your blender pitcher.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 until all sections have been skinned and gathered into your blender pitcher.
9. Blend until smooth. It will almost immediately froth when you start your blender. This is normal. If you are using an immersion blender just blend it in the bowl until smooth.
10. The froth will eventually go down. You can wait or you can just go ahead and pour the gel into the clean storage container and refrigerate.
11. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Preserving The Gel

Fresh aloe vera gel will only be good for about a week in the refrigerator. This may not be a problem if you are using a smaller leaf from your own houseplant, but if you buy a large leaf you will likely end up with more gel than you can use in a week. There are other ways you can preserve it so that none of it goes to waste.

Freeze It

After you store the aloe vera gel you will use in the coming week, pour the extra gel into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Then transfer the aloe cubes into a freezer safe container or bag. Pull out an aloe cube as needed for burns or to use in one of the above recipes. This is a great way to keep it on hand if having your own plant is not an option.

Alternately, before you blend the flesh, cut it into cubes and lay it on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once the pieces are solid, transfer to a freezer safe container or bag. Pull a piece out as needed.

Add Natural Preservatives

When I get one of the large leaves I usually end up with about 1.5 cups. I place 1 cup into a clean pint mason jar. The remaining gel gets frozen as I instructed above. I waited for the froth to go down before I did this so I knew exactly how much I had.

To the 1 cup I add 2000 mg of Vitamin C and 1600 IU (1 tablespoon or 4 400 IU capsules) of Vitamin E. Powdered Vitamin C works well or you can crush the appropriate amount of tablets. Stir well until the vitamins are well incorporated. I stirred for a bit and then let it sit. When I came back to stir it again the Vitamin C was much easier to stir in.

You could also blend this with your immersion blender. This should increase the life of your gel to about 8 months if it is stored in the refrigerator.

Do you have an aloe vera plant? How do you use the gel?

Continue Reading...How to Make Aloe Vera Gel from Fresh Aloe

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Home equity rates for Wednesday, June 29

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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Mortgage rates drop: June 29

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it's a great time to lock in a rate.

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What is Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother?

I use apple cider vinegar a lot. From making cleaning recipes to its many health benefits, ACV is a staple in our home.

For cleaning, any vinegar will do. In food or drink recipes though, I always use an organic and unrefined version of apple cider vinegar with “the Mother.”

Over the years, my mentions of “vinegar with the mother,” have gotten a lot of questions. Readers ask what “the mother” means and how to find it, so I wanted to fully explain exactly what it is and why it is important.

Here’s why:

What is Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother?

In short, it is apple cider vinegar that still has the culture of beneficial bacteria that turns regular apple cider into vinegar in the first place. This is similar to the SCOBY (also called a “mother”) in Kombucha making.

Pasteurized vs. Unrefined & Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

In ACV particularly, “the mother” is a complex structure of beneficial acids that seem to have health benefits. Unrefined vinegars have a murky appearance and typically still contain the mother culture. Clear and pasteurized vinegars typically do not contain the mother culture and don’t carry the same benefits.

Refined and clear vinegars are great for cleaning as they don’t leave residue. Raw, unfiltered and unrefined versions contain many more beneficial properties for culinary uses.

How Apple Cider Vinegar is Made

The word vinegar comes from the latin words vinum (wine) and acer (sour) and in essence vinegar is just that: sour wine.

Organic unfiltered vinegars have a long history of use, having been discovered thousands of years ago!

Folklore claims that Cleopatra once dissolved a pearl in vinegar and drank it in order to win a bet with Marcus Antonius (Marc Antony). She wagered that she could spend a fortune on a single meal. Vinegar is mention in the Bible and Hippocrates often recommended it for a variety of ailments.

Any carbohydrate or alcohol in theory can become vinegar. Carbohydrates are made into an alcohol through a process of careful fermentation.

The (non-distilled) alcohol in beer, wine or cider is exposed to air and a group of bacteria (acetobacter) that convert the alcohols into acetic acid.

In unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar, this beneficial group of bacteria and acids remains and creates the murky web-like “Mother.”

This type of vinegar gained commercial popularity in the 1930s:

In 1394, a group of French vintners developed a continuous method for making vinegar called the Orleans method. In this method, oak barrels were used as fermentation vessels and the vinegar was siphoned off through a spigot at the bottom of the barrel. About 15% of the vinegar was left behind which contained the “mother of vinegar” and its concentrated bacteria floating on top. A new batch of cider or wine was carefully added to the barrel and was quick started by the remaining vinegar. (source)

This is similar to the process for continuous brew kombucha, and at the time, it allowed these Frenchmen to satisfy the growing market for vinegars. They went on to create infused vinegars with herbs, spices, and fruits to meet the growing demand.

Benefits of The Mother in Apple Cider Vinegar

As with many things in nature, vinegar in its unfiltered, unadulterated and unrefined form has a variety of benefits that are lost when it is filtered and heated.

The acetic acid created in the secondary fermentation process is a component of the finished vinegar and has a host of benefits on its own. Certain medications contain acetic acid in concentrated form and studies have looked at the role of acetic acid in balancing blood sugar, blood pressure and dissolving cholesterol deposits in arteries.

More research is needed, but acetic acid in vinegar has a long history of use in alternative medicine.

Cleaning and Preserving

The high acid content in vinegar makes it a powerful preservative for food and it is often also recommended in cleaning for this reason. In fact, historically, vinegars were added to water to make the water more drinkable.

It is important to note that vinegar has some limitations as a natural cleaner and that it is not a registered disinfectant for disinfecting uses. A hydrogen peroxide based formula is a better choice and strong natural soaps (like this one) are better for degreasing.

Digestive Support

Digestive problems and acid reflux can often be from too little stomach acid rather than too little. Apple cider vinegar is a simple and really inexpensive remedy for low stomach acid. Personally, I’ve found relief from minor heartburn by adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar to water and drinking.

Immune Support

ACV also has a long history of use for immune support. According to legend, thieves during the bubonic plague survived by making an herbal vinegar with herbs like rosemary, thyme and lavender.

The “mother,” which provides immune boosting properties on its own, also allows the vinegar to get stronger over time and maintain its beneficial properties.

Beautiful Hair

The beneficial acids in the “mother” of apple cider vinegar are also great for hair, and this is one reason that ACV is often recommended as a hair rinse for conditioning hair and increasing shine.

For Healthy Skin

Unrefined Apple Cider Vinegar is also often used in skin remedies and beauty recipes. It can be used to help sunburns, skin rashes and mosquito bites (I typically dilute 50:50 with water).

Blood Sugar Balance

Unrefined apple cider vinegar, high in beneficial compounds, is also known for its ability to help keep blood sugar in check. It isn’t a wonder drug, but studies have shown that it can help lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. (source)

Other studies have shown the benefits of ACV in helping improve cholesterol levels, and support heart health.

Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother: Bottom Line

Apple cider vinegar with the mother is simply unrefined, unpasteurized and unfiltered ACV. The “mother” is a colony of beneficial bacteria, similar to a Kombucha SCOBY, that helps create vinegar through a secondary fermentation process.

Vinegar is high in acetic acid and other beneficial compounds. Unfiltered apple cider vinegar may have more benefits that filtered and heated types of vinegar (though those types can work well for cleaning).

Does your vinegar have a mother?

Continue Reading...What is Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother?

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2016 Fairway Wood Center of Gravity Locations Revealed

By: Tony Covey

Within literal hours, I think, of the first time we published driver CG data, we began fielding requests for similar data for fairway woods. Because you guys asked for it, and because we think it's generally good info regardless, today we're providing that information.

Which Fairway CG Location is Right for You?

Like drivers (and pretty much every club in the bag), there's no single fairway wood CG location that's ideal for every golfer. And even when your swing characteristics dictate a theoretical ideal, there's no guarantee it will actually work for you. An aggressive swinger with a negative angle of attack has a high probability of fitting into forward CG driver. With fairway woods, it's less cut and dry.

One R&D contact inside one of the major OEMs we work with often believes there's a bit less science in fairway woods fittings. Regardless of the golfer's individual swing characteristics, golfers to who struggle to hit fairways woods well, or need the proverbial help getting the ball in the air will often see better performance from rear CG clubs, while competent fairway wood players will often see better results with more forward CG offerings.

As with everything else, your actual mileage may very.

Required Reading

Before we get to the charts, let's make sure we're all good with our fundamentals.

For those of you who are stumbling across our CG charts for the first time, you should know that these charts are an excellent resource for comparing arguably the most important element of metalwood design (CG location) between different manufacturers and models. Having this information at your fingertips can help you identify the clubs that are most likely to perform well for you. Of course, before you can leverage our info you will need to understand a bit about what you're looking at.

If Center of Gravity or CG, the Neutral Axis, or any of the other terminology in our charts is new to you, before digging in any deeper, I would encourage you to check out any and all of our previous posts on the topic.:

• Golf Geeks - How Center of Gravity Makes a Huge Difference
• 2015 Driver CG Data
• 2016 Driver CG Data & 2016 Driver CG Update

About the Charts

Included in the charts below is Center of Gravity location data for 21 fairway woods released in 2015 and 2016. We've created a set of consistent filters across all of the charts that will allow you to filter by Model Year, Manufacturer, or Model Name. You can select as many or as few fairways as you like. Clicking on a model name from the list below the charts will highlight only that model.

Clicking on any dot on the chart itself will reveal more data tied to that model.

ATTENTION MOBILE USERS: We've done what we can to make these charts more accessible for mobile users, however, if you are on a mobile device, you're going to want to rotate your phone to landscape mode.

Lie, Loft, and Head Weight

Before we get to the CG stuff, let's first take a look at our basic measurements for loft, lie, and weight. For obvious reasons, loft matters, but what about lie angle?

Lie angle contributes to the starting direction of your shot. Guys who start the ball too far right may benefit from a more upright lie angle, while guys who start it too far left will often benefit from a flatter lie angle.

The chart also compares actual measured loft to the stamped loft, which gives us an indication of which companies do the most vanity lofting, and which come closest to aligning actual loft with stated loft.

Finally, we should mention that each of the clubs measured is designated as a 3 Wood by its manufacturer.

Observations

• While the actual loft of the majority of samples tested is reasonably close to the stamped loft, it's not unusual, particularly in models designed to be easy to hit for lofts to be a degree or more above the stated number
• At just over 221 grams, TaylorMade's M1 is the heaviest head measured, while Callaway's Big Bertha V-Series (208.1g) is the lightest
• The Nike Vapor Fly has the most upright lie angle we measured
• The Big Bertha Alpha 815 has the flattest lie angle of any fairway measured. Callaway's Alpha 816 is the flattest of the 2016 models

Front to Back CG (CG YZ)

The chart below shows the front to back Center of Gravity locations of the fairways measured relative to face center. As we've discussed previously, both low CG and rear CG will generally increase dynamic loft which leads to increased launch angle, while high and forward CGs will decrease dynamic loft (on a comparative basis) and ultimately launch angle.

Heads with CGs located farther back are generally easier to square at impact, and are often billed as being easier to hit, or easier to get in the air.

Observations

• The four most forward CG fairway woods are all produced by TaylorMade
• Not surprisingly, PING's models all have relatively rear CGs; however, Cobra, Callaway, PXG each have offerings that can be defined as rear CG.
• While most models are clustered in the middle, notable outliers include:
  • Nike Vapor Fly - High CG
  • Cobra KING LTD and Adams Tight Lies Titanium - Low CG
  • Cobra KING F6 and PING G SF Tec - Rear CG

CG Relative the Neutral Axis & MOI

Woods with Center of Gravity locations closer to the neutral axis will provide better performance on true center strikes. Additionally, the portion of the face (above the CG) that produces lower spin due to the gear effect will be larger, while the portion (below the CG) that produces higher spin (also due to the gear effect) will be smaller.

Golfers who consistently strike the ball on or below the center of the face will likely see more distance from golf clubs with CG locations closer to the neutral axis, while consistent high face strikers may see better performance with higher CG clubs.

The farther right a club falls along the X-axis, the higher the MOI or Forgiveness. While the correlation is not absolute (there are other factors), clubs with more rearward CGs (as shown on the previous YZ chart) generally offer higher MOI.

Observations

• All but four of the models measured fall between 2mm and 5mm from the neutral axis, and most models have a MOI between 2400 and 2900
• The Cobra KING LTD is the only fairway model with a CG location anywhere close to the the neutral axis
• Not surprisingly, 4 of the 5 most forgiving models are produced by PING. It's worth noting that the SF Tec's extreme high CG (relative to the neutral axis) is due to its 16.3° of measured loft. With the data normalized, the SF Tec would sit slightly lower than the Nike Vapor Fly
• Though billed as extremely easy to hit, the Adams Tight Lies Titanium has, by far, the lowest MOI of any fairway wood measured

Heel / Toe CG (XY CG)

This chart comes with a disclaimer of sorts. Determining XY CG location is not straight-forward. We might find woods with similar XY CG locations, yet very different face heights, face shapes, crown curvatures, bulge and roll radii, etc.. XY CG similarities aside, those other design considerations may cause two similarly appearing clubs to play quite differently from one another. So while this chart can give us some indication of draw or fade bias, the CG NA and MOI chart will provide a better indicator of total performance.

Observations

• All but 3 models/configurations tested have at least a slightly heel-biased center of gravity location.
• The XR 16 is the most heel (or draw) biased club measured, which will benefit some slicers
• TaylorMade's R15 and M1, along with the PXG 0341, when properly configured may benefit hookers, and other toe-centric ball strikers

Want More?

As always we enjoy hearing your feedback (mostly). If there's anything else similar you'd like to see, please let us know.

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Which of These Sandbox Activities Will Your Child Love?

Have you ever thought of bringing your fun outside and doing some sandbox activities?

Fun in the sun and in the sandbox! That’s where my kids spend their summer… digging in the sandbox!

I think it might be fun to come up with some new ways to play in the sandbox, so I’m searching for some neat sandbox activities that I know my kids will love.

I’m personally going to start with making the colored sand castles, that is just brilliant! Read through and let me know, which of these sandbox activities is your child going to love the most?

I’m digging all these sandbox activities!

Make a construction-themed sand pit. Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails put theirs together in a portable sensory bin. It would work just as well in a big backyard sandbox! Let children go on a search for rocks and pebbles, then add in some construction toys.

Lead a dinosaur dig. Little paleontologists will surely get a kick out of this idea. Rubberboots and Elf Shoes set up a small dinosaur sensory bin, but this would be even more fun on a larger scale. Add rocks and other decorations to the sand, then hide dinosaur bones. Add some dress up clothes and paleontologist tools to make it even more exciting for the kids.

Make colored sand castles. Let the kids use spray bottles in the sandbox to create colorful sand creations. Play at Home Mom shares her tips for making the colors.

Create a rocking car track and town. The kids can collect rocks to their hearts’ content for this activity from Playtivities. Once the rocks have all been collected, it’s time to paint. Then add all of the rocks to the sandbox and watch as the children’s imaginations play out.

Go panning for gold. Mess for Less shares how to turn a sand table into a gold panning expedition. This would be even more fun on a larger scale in a sandbox! The kids can make their own “gold nuggets”, hide them in the sandbox, and then set about digging and panning for them.

Add water. This amazing idea from Squashed Tomatoes holds so many possibilities! The kids can design their own sandbox water irrigation system over and over (and over!) again. Imagine the fun they’ll have testing out each of their designs.

Mine for diamonds. Turn the sandbox into a diamond mine with just a few simple additions. Childhood 101 shares a way to spruce it up so kids really feel like miners unearthing treasures.

Turn the sandbox into the beach. The sandbox is the perfect spot to set up a beach small world like Kitchen Floor Crafts. The kids can add shells, stones, and anything else they need to make their beach perfect. Then let their imaginations run wild.

Put loose parts in the sandbox. Spark kids’ creativity with this idea from The Imagination Tree. Add a variety of loose parts gathered from the yard and the house. Then watch as the kids build, tunnel, dig, and create. Lots of open-ended possibilities.

Add a rain gutter. Such a simple idea from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, but so many opportunities for play! Children can use it to move sand around the sandbox, as a prop for small world play, to race cars across the sandbox, and so much more.

Aren’t these sandbox activities brilliant? Who knew there could be so much more fun in the sandbox!

Which of These Sandbox Activities Will Your Child Love?

Which of These Sandbox Activities Will Your Child Love? on handsonaswegrow.com

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Wells Fargo rates and news for Tuesday, June 28

Wells Fargo's rates are remaining competitive on mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.

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Home equity rates for Tuesday, June 28

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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Mortgage rates fall: June 28

If you're purchasing or refinancing, it's a great time to lock in a rate.

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Don’t Lock Your Dog in Your Car, Its Hot in there! | Mr. Locksmith Blog

Don’t Lock Your Dog in Your Car, Its Hot in there! | Mr. Locksmith Blog

On a hot summer day even in Vancouver leaving your dog in the car “just for a minute” can be a deathtrap. On a 26 C degree day the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 40C  and 50C degrees in just minutes, and on a 40-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 50 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

 

Don’t Lock Your Dog in a Hot Car

At Mr. Locksmith we have very quick response to 24 Emergency lockouts but if your dog or any dog is locked in a car on a hot day we recommend you call the Fire Department, Police, 911 or safely break the car window.

When a dog is left in cars on warm days, animals can succumb to heatstroke in just minutes. Leaving your dog in your car is a death sentence for them.

 

 

 

Last years (2015) video from the BC Humane Society.

The post Don’t Lock Your Dog in Your Car, Its Hot in there! | Mr. Locksmith Blog appeared first on Mr Locksmith Vancouver.

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Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe (Optional Lacto-fermentation)

Home equity rates for Monday, June 27

Many borrowers tap their equity to pay for things such as home improvements.

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Air Force One Golf – Take Two

By: Chris Nickel

Depending on how closely you follow companies not named TaylorMade, Titleist or Callaway, you may have some vague idea about Air Force One. Chances are, any association you do have is tied to a company that rhymes with Schmowerbilt. So let’s set the record straight.

Air Force One equipment was previously released under the PowerBilt Brand, a licensee of Hillerich and Bradsby. Now, Air Force One is both the brand and licensee and the PowerBilt name is no longer. As in, it’s gone the way of the dodo bird and Taylor Swift songs which are actually country.

That relationship is over. Done. Finito. Kaput.

Awesome, but what is Air Force One?

The name doesn’t exactly conjure up nostalgic memories of persimmon woods and leather wrapped/hickory shafted mashie niblicks. Truthfully, it doesn’t conjure up much of anything to do with golf.

And therein lies the basics of the problem, one which CEO Ross Kvinge (pictured above) is working to resolve by re-launching Air Force One as its own entity. On paper, Kvinge’s original 2009 plan seemed to make a lot of sense. Take the heritage and credibility of the PowerBilt name, add in some 21st century compressed nitrogen technology, and presto, you have a high-performance golf company (Air Force One) with built-in brand awareness and a positive history steeped in a rich tradition of quality product (PowerBilt).

The problem was consumers never got this message.

“The first problem is perception. You had the golfer who knew PowerBilt as a premium name releasing more budget friendly clubs.Then you had younger golfers who had no idea who Powerbilt was.” - Ross Kvinge

It didn’t matter that PowerBilt was in the bag of more than 120 PGA Tour winners like Chip Beck, Frank Beard, Fuzzy Zoeller and Grant Waite. The history of the company as one of the oldest (est.1859) and most reputable companies meant nothing to a generation of golfers raised on titanium heads and solid core balls.

Conversely, those who count a dusty Louisville Slugger and trusty PowerBilt three wood as valuable family heirlooms couldn’t quite wrap their collective heads around the uber-affordable pricing structure of this newfangled N7 nitrogen-infused technology. Economists refer to “prestige goods” as items which require higher prices so people believe they’re purchasing something of quality. The AFO DFX premium driver starts at $249, and in this case a lower price works against perception of the brand.

Call it a lose-lose.

But as of now, that complicated relationship is in the rearview, although some objects are still closer than Kvinge would like.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK

So, Air Force One is back. Again. For the second time. It makes sense from an economic standpoint, as Kvinge states “It costs ten times as much to resurrect brand as it does to launch one”, and it makes sense from a brand clarification perspective. It’s much cleaner to sell your product when you only have a single, focused story to tell.

But, like any relationship gone sour, there’s some scar tissue. Google “Air Force One Golf” and you’ll be hard pressed to find the homepage for the newly single Air Force One. In fact, if anything, it’s reasonable to think Powerbilt and Air Force One still have a bit of thing for each other. If I’m interested in the product, I’d prefer not to have to search that hard to find the homepage to get more information.

The question is, what do you do about this? Succeeding in an online environment is absolutely critical, and if Kvinge really wants to establish Air Force One as a distinct brand, he’ll have to figure out a way to remove unnecessary roadblocks.

Same Performance. Less baggage.

If a brand is going to exist for any period of time, it has to “win” somewhere. Because retail space is controlled by the behemoths of the industry, you won’t see Air Force One fighting for space at your local PGA Superstore.

Instead, Kvinge sees a distinct home court advantage with professional fitters. In this context, the player isn’t as brand conscious and may even be resistant to the often unfulfilled promises from less than honest marketing efforts of large OEMs.

"What you see in that environment is people who are ultimately focused on performance. Brand awareness still plays a role, but not it’s not the deciding factor. Ultimately this is the combination that wins."

The lynchpin to this entire model is you have to make clubs whose performance is equal to if not better than competitors and provide the customer the type of value for which they’re looking. For Air Force One, this translates to nitrogen charged, distance-oriented clubs and moderate cost. 

 

Do They Work?

I’m not the target player for the AFO AFX Game Improvement iron ($499 for a set of 8), but I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable this iron feels and how well it performs. The AFX checks all the boxes for a great Game Improvement iron. They’re hot (I carried the 6 iron 205 comfortably), they launch high and they’re extremely forgiving. The sweet spot is as big as anyone reasonably needs and this particular iron has no problem going up against any distance iron from any OEM, big or small.

The performance of the AFO DFX driver is well-documented and the recently released DFX-Black fairway is quickly becoming a clubfitting favorite; in turn, Kvinge has reason to be optimistic. “We’re already seeing reorders from some clubfitters….which is generally a good sign.” Clubfitters may place an initial order based a hunch or relationship, but they don’t re-up unless the product is generating sales.

Have we answered anything?

It’s muddy, but this much we know: Air Force One is not Powerbilt. Powerbilt no longer has anything to do with Air Force One. Capiche?

Air Force One is a company whose success rests on the shoulders of their proprietary N7 Nitrogen Charged technology, which for my money is most effective in woods and hybrids, where everyone is looking to gain distance.

It makes sense the current lineup is anchored by two drivers (DFX Tour and DFX MOI), one fairway wood and one hybrid, all of which boast N7 technology. Just for good measure, there’s two sets of irons - one aimed at better players (Pro Series) and the other focused on game improvement. Prices are generally half of what you’re used to seeing from major manufacturers, but you might be surprised by how much ball speed these clubs produce.

No doubt it’s a work in progress, but the technology is legitimate, and with a more defined purpose and cleaner focus, there’s no reason Air Force One won’t establish themselves as a premier option for players who care more about their pocketbook than the brand of clubs in their bag.

For more information about the new Air Force One, visit the company website.

 

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