Wells Fargo originated the most mortgages during the 4th quarter of 2015, according to a Mortgage Daily analysis.
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/1Tws373
Monday, April 4, 2016
TESTERS WANTED! MLA Putters
When you’re getting ready to putt and look down at your putter, what do you see?
Do you see one line? A dot? Two lines? Three? Lines and dots?
And do any of these things help you align the putter square to your intended line?
If you’re what they call a “left-brain,” putting should be simple, shouldn’t it? Analyze angles, calculate break, determine speed and make the ball go where it’s supposed to go.
That’s all well and good, but the right-brain wants to throw its 2 cents in, as well. The right-brain gives us creativity and visual imagery – it helps us make sense of what we see.
But if right-brain can’t decipher what it sees, then left-brain can’t do the math, and that’s when the argument starts. With both sides fighting to be heard, is it any wonder we 3-jack from 6 feet?
The MLA Way
Swiss putter manufacturer MLA was a surprise 2nd overall finisher in MyGolfSpy’s 2015 Most Wanted Mallet Putter testing, and came in at #3 overall for all putters with an astounding 1.47 strokes gained. If you want to find the bottom of the hole more often, this one has to be on the short list.
MLA is a 4-year old company, and the name stands for Multiple Line-detector Activation, a technology developed by Swedish PhD Lennart Hogman. Dr. Hogman spent 20 years researching the connection between perception and motor skills, and has applied that knowledge to putting.
According to MLA, the human brain has over 100,000 line detectors, which help us determine what’s straight. MLA’s putters feature a patented alignment system that gets the left-brain and right-brain line detectors working together to help you get the ball rolling on the line you choose. As MLA says, “Trust Your Eyes.”
After that, it’s read it, roll it and hole it.
Does This Stuff Really Work?
Can neuro-science make you a better putter? Can a Swiss-made flatstick help you sink more putts and yodel for joy? MLA believes the science behind its putters, and the patented Multi Line-Detector Activation alignment technology can help improve your aim and roll. And they’re willing to put it to the test and let you decide.
MLA and MyGolfSpy are looking for 5 avid and curious golfers from around the planet to try out one of MLA’s Tour Series or Pro Series putters and tell us what you think. Our testers will get to choose from 6 models, including MGS’s #3 overall putter from 2015, the Tour Classic.
How To Enter:
If you haven’t already, you must join the MyGolfSpy Community Forum.
Once you’ve registered, visit the Official MyGolfSpy MLA Putter thread.
In that thread, please tell us:
- Your first name & home state
- Your current putter
- Which MLA Tour Series or Pro Series Putter you’d like to test
- Your common miss: left, right or short
This is one cool opportunity for you to try out a putter with one of the most unique alignment systems in golf. Can the science behind MLA help you hole more putts? Here’s your chance to find out and let the rest of us know!
All applications must be made in the MyGolfSpy Forum – don’t apply here, it won’t help you! We’ll take applications for the next 10 days or so, and will announce our testers in the Forum thread.
This program is open to golfers all over the world.
For more information:
Visit the MLA website
Follow MLS on Twitter
Like MLA on Facebook
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Titleist C16 – The Company’s First Movable Weight Driver
Remember that story from last week where we told you that a mainstream company may be poised to enter the high-end market?
Well, that company is Titliest, and today, the first product matching the product family description we were given appeared on the USGA's Conforming Club list. As you've probably heard, there's a pretty big tournament this week, so it's not a total surprise that something new would pop-up. It would be a bigger surprise if a Titleist staffer were to be bold-enough to make a driver change going into The Masters.
The new driver is called the C16, the C, we're told, being short for Concept. And while we don't expect full details to be released for at least another few weeks (maybe even months), the markings noted by the USGA do provide some hints as to what's new on the technology front.
Identification Markings:
SOLE: Active Recoil Channel, Titleist, C16, (loft), 811 Ti Body
TOE: Titleist
CROWN: (C16 alignment mark), ATI 425 THIN CROWN
HOSEL: (dot), (orientation indicators)
HEEL: SUREFIT CG
FACE:SP700 RADIAL SPEED FACE
ATI Thin Crown - Manufacturers love to thin crown for weight savings. We can assume Titliest will promote that as the foundation for how they were able to create this next part.
SUREFIT CG - Arguably from the It's About Time department, the photos clearly show rearwardly-placed, movable weights. This would make the C16 the first adjustable CG driver form Titleist. The placement of the weights suggests yet another high-MOI offering from a company that consistently and quietly produces among the most forgiving in the game.
SP700 RADIAL SPEED FACE - For now we'll assume that SP700 is a new technology to help maintain ball speed on off center hits...perhaps around the entire radius of the face.
The $1000 Driver?
IF (and we're still very much at the IF stage here) this is the driver we heard about a couple of weeks ago, expect retail price to be substantially north of anything Titleist currently has on the shelf. Our source told us the C16 driver would be priced upwards of $1000.
We have an email into to Titleist asking for details. We'll update you if we receive any new information.
For now, we'll have to wait and see.
from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/25GnPPh
Nature Collage Suncatcher Craft for Toddlers
We started these nature suncatchers by going the nature scavenger hunt that I shared last week, and it turns out, its a great craft for toddlers to do! Contact paper is wonderful!
For the little amount of flowers I have in my yard, these still turned out colorful and fun! The colorful frames added such a nice touch of color, I think!
I found this idea to hang in the window that Jean of The Artful Parent shared in the Camp Mom: Summer Activities Pack. They’re just gorgeous!
We kept these pretty simple. (Ideal!)
I made the frames for the suncatchers using leftover birthday paper plates. I always have green ones on hand (because Henry’s favorite color is green… so we have that every year). And we had orange plates this past birthday too, so they were fun colors to match with nature items I think!
I loved what Jean did for her frames though, and that brought the kids into the craft a little bit more than we did.
To make the frame, I just cut out the center of the plate. That was easy enough.
Then I used the center piece that I cut out to figure out the size of contact paper that I’d need. I cut a square just larger than the center of the plate. And trimmed down the corners just a tad to make sure they wouldn’t stick out past the plate edges.
I stuck that onto the back of the paper plate, so the sticky side of the contact paper was up when I set the plate on the table.
The boys then played around and added their nature items to the contact paper, inside the paper plate frame.
They added nature objects that we found from our scavenger hunt. Tore them apart into little pieces, or added big pieces. They took stuff away from it too. The contact paper isn’t too sticky, so that can easily be done. I wish I had more photos of the boys working at it, but I was happily making my own suncatcher with them that I only got a couple snapshots.
I love contact paper as a medium, to craft with toddlers especially, but Henry really enjoyed this too. Contact paper is a mess-free way to glue! It’s so easy and kids love the stickiness of it. It’s like magic to them!
When the nature collages are finished, I attached a piece of ribbon to the top of the paper plate frame (I just stapled ours on) and hung it in a window from the window locks (or use a curtain rod).
Nature Collage Suncatcher Craft for Toddlers on handsonaswegrow.com
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Misconceptions about Common Medications
Pharmacist Mary Lee Snodgrass is with us again to discuss the common misconceptions about digestive health and how the drug cascade we discussed in an earlier episode is causing a rise in digestive health issues.
Misconceptions About Common Medications…
First, she gives us insight from the pharmaceutical side on how certain prescriptions given to pregnant women and babies can alter long-term gut health and the steps we should initially take to address the issue (such as probiotics, low inflammation diet and specific nutrient supplementation).
We also talk about the confusion relation to cholesterol and why this often vilified pre-hormone gets such a bad rap. Mary Lee explains how cholesterol is the building block for hormones, how it works in the body and whether or not it is bad. It’s amazing to see how interconnected cholesterol is to our hormones, nutrients and overall health from her medically trained eye.
She offers practical advice about how to combat high cholesterol and other digestive issues with diet and lifestyle changes before considering traditional medicines, as well as times when medicine is necessary first, along with a focus on digestion and lifestyle changes.
In this episode, we talk about:
Want to Understand the Cascade of Common Medications?
To help you discover your own health answers, Mary Lee has offered her PDF which shows the cascade effect that can occur from taking just one medication. To get this along with other bonuses, join our free membership community.
Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please share it with family and friends via email or using the social media buttons at the bottom of this post.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes so you don’t miss any future episodes, and please leave an honest rating and review of the podcast on iTunes. Rankings and reviews really matter in the rankings of my podcast and I greatly appreciate every review and read each one.
Continue Reading...Misconceptions about Common Medications
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Saturday, April 2, 2016
Gluten-Free Homemade Playdough Recipe
Few things impress a child more than mixing a little of this and a little of that to make one of their favorite toys in a matter of minutes. And with a little help from you, even your child can do it with this fun homemade playdough recipe!
“Non-Toxic” (or is it?)
Commercially manufactured playdoughs claim to be non-toxic, and while it may be true that consuming small amounts of the stuff will not immediately harm your child, there are still ingredients in there that make me nervous.
It is difficult to find an exact ingredient list because each company has their own proprietary blend, but a quick web search will show you what ingredients are included in the patent. These include artificial fragrances and colorants, a petroleum additive, borax, and preservatives, just to name a few.
Any mom will tell you that children explore with their mouths, so why should they behave any differently with playdough? They are going to taste it. And even if they didn’t, the skin is the largest organ on the body, and all that squishing and squeezing easily lends itself to absorption.
Many children are sensitive to artificial dyes and fragrances, and an increasing number have wheat allergies or celiac disease. The ingredients in commercial doughs make this childhood toy off-limits to these kids.
Thankfully there are some decent pre-made playdough options available, including one that is gluten-free and allergen free, and another that is naturally colored but contains gluten. Or you can make your own! It is so simple and can be made with things you probably already have in your pantry.
If you are still cleaning out your pantry of all the “food” you shouldn’t be eating, you can use flour to make playdough. For those who are gluten intolerant, this gluten-free playdough is a great option.
Benefits of Playdough
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children spend an average of 7 hours a day using entertainment media. There has been extensive research done on what this does to the brain, including but not limited to degradation and shrinkage of the various lobes in the brain.
I know that personally I have seen what too much “screen time” does to my children. Even after a 2-hour movie I notice shorter tempers, an increase in whining, and a general lack of imagination. Kids generally have more active imaginations than adults, but like with anything else, you can lose the ability for imaginative play if you don’t use it.
Usually, the easiest remedy for this behavior is more play! Kids are extremely tactile. If you have ever taken little ones to the store and felt like a broken record with the constant stream of “don’t touch” and “put that back” then you know exactly what I am talking about, and playdough is irresistible!
It encourages the imagination in a way that is unique. Pots and pans encourage kitchen play and dolls prompt little ones to “play house”. But playdough is truly a blank slate. It’s squishy, moldable, flexible and can be formed into virtually anything they want it to be. It is marketed as a toy but there are many beneficial effects that can come from playing with it.
- Exercises the imagination – Making anything with playdough requires you to use your imagination. You may start with a ball which becomes a snowman which, in turn, morphs into a cow that finds it’s fate as a dragon. There are no rules, which allows each child to be free to create what they see in their mind’s eye.
- Improves fine motor skills – The muscles in your child’s hands will be strengthened as they squeeze and shape the playdough. This is beneficial for fine motor skills like cutting, writing, and manipulating small objects.
- Calming and soothing – If you simply watch a child play with playdough it becomes apparent how calming it can be. It can work in the same way as a stress relieving ball that is squeezed to relieve tension and pent-up energy.
- Encourages focused play – Another benefit of the soothing effect is that it satisfies the need many children have to fidget, allowing them to be still for a time and focus better on what they are doing. It directs their energy into manipulating the dough, thus limiting other behaviors that may cause a distraction.
- It’s interactive – “Look at what I made!” “Can you make a … ?” “Watch what I can do.” The ever changing aspect of playdough facilitates interaction between peers, siblings, and parents by fostering curiosity about what others are doing and encouraging collaborative play.
Playdough makes a great go-to activity for little ones in our homeschool room as well.
Natural Homemade Playdough Recipe
Making your own playdough is very simple and takes less than 10 minutes. Adding color is optional but I find that most of the time my kids don’t even request it.
Playdough Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour mix (or rice flour)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tarter
- 2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 cup warm water
Playdough Directions
- Combine dry ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Add oil and water.
- Stir together with a silicone spatula.
- Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes until it forms a ball.
- Remove from heat and turn the ball out onto parchment paper.
- When it is cool enough to handle, knead ball for several minutes until it is smooth.
- Store in an airtight container.
Even though this playdough recipe is made from all natural ingredients it does have a very high salt content and should not be consumed.
How To Add Color
There are a couple ways to add color to your playdough. You can use a natural food dye and add a few drops until you achieve the color you want to the 1 cup of water before mixing it in with the other ingredients.
Another option is to make your own colored water. Simmer 2 cups of water with various fruits, vegetables, or herbs until the water takes on the color you want. Strain and use 1 cup of the colored water in your playdough recipe.
- Blue – shredded purple cabbage
- Green – spinach
- Red/pink – shredded beet
- Purple – grape juice
- Yellow/orange – turmeric
Have you ever made playdough? Will you try it?
Continue Reading...Gluten-Free Homemade Playdough Recipe
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Friday, April 1, 2016
PXG Introduces PXG Gold
“At PXG, we feel like we are meeting the needs of our exclusive clientele, but perhaps not the most exclusive clientele within the golf market. To fill this void, we are releasing PXG Gold."
Hot on the heels of the recently announced Xtreme Dark finish for its 0311 irons, Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) is ready to make another entry into the Performance With a Price Tag marketplace with the new the PXG Gold irons.
PXG Gold is geared toward the golfer who truly appreciates the finer things in life. Hypercar collectors, yacht aficionados, people shopping for their second airplane... this is the target audience for PXG Gold. Entry-level PXG gear targets the millionaire golfer demographic, but the new PXG Gold line targets the previously neglected billionaire golfer.
"Golf needs to be inclusive, not exclusive. We can’t have equipment that segregates a subset of the golfing population from the others. No one feels welcome when quality gear is not available within one’s tax bracket. Today, that neglected market is serviced.”
So what makes the PXG Gold irons ideally suited to the previously underserved golfing billionaire?
New Model, New Metals
“With PXG Gold, we allowed our engineers to experiment essentially across the periodic table. Early prototypes featured metals never before seen in a golf club, Rhodium, Mercury, even Plutonium . Ultimately though, we kept the needs of the client in mind and settled on the most recognizable symbol of opulence: gold.”
You read that right, the new PXG Gold irons are meticulously forged from gold; more specifically, PXG’s new proprietary gold alloy. The exact formula remains undisclosed, but we’ve been told the alloy does contain some traditional golf materials such as tungsten and titanium, but also contains metals previously unseen within the golf industry.
“We saw the performance gains that Mizuno made through the addition of boron, so we took it to the next level like only PXG can.”
Left untreated, gold would be too soft for use as the primary clubhead material. In fact, the gold alloy proved not strong enough to support the face during early prototype testing. However, engineers found that by treating the clubhead with uranyl acetate dihydrate, the yellow-green salt prepared from depleted uranium, not only would the face withstand impact forces through tens of thousands of swings, but the grooves also hold their edge seemingly indefinitely post-treatment.
PXG’s use of new materials also extends to its signature weight screws as well. While the company continues to leverage the familiar tungsten found in the first generation of PXG products, the steel weights have been replaced with platinum.
Said PXG, “The decision to go platinum is not purely cosmetic. The uranium face treatment caused an unexpected reaction with our steel weights. Platinum, being essentially non-reactive in this situation, was the obvious alternative.”
Damascus Shaft
In an industry first, PXG’s engineering team was also able to construct the first ever golf clubs featuring Damascus steel.
“No one was prepared for the performance of Damascus steel in the shaft. Once we had the first mock ups of the Damascus shaft, we knew immediately it was right for PXG Gold. The flex profile and torque are as unique as the layered Damascus steel.”
But Do They Perform?
Like the PXG 0311 irons, the PXG Gold irons are more than just eye candy. Sure, they would look great in the boardroom or the bedroom, but these irons really look their best on the golf course.
“A pretty face with no game is a worthless venture. The experience of playing PXG Gold needed to be something special.”
To accomplish this, PXG once again took the yokes off of their engineers and let them run. Not with the metal this time, but rather with the polymer inside.
“When your designs must be accessible to millionaires, in terms of available material, it really forces you into a box. Thermoplastic elastomer will get the job, but it’s not without limitations.”
For a solution, PXG took an non-traditional route, straying from the fields of metallurgy and chemistry, instead looking to biology. The main component of the new PXG Gold’s polymer filling may surprise you.
It’s gila monster venom.
“Sometimes the solution is right in your own desert backyard. Our engineers figured out a way to incorporate the highly toxic gila monster venom into the new elastomer recipe, and in doing so, increased the expected distance and forgiveness by several orders of magnitude.”
PXG’s R&D team, working in conjunction with a team of reptile specialists at the Phoenix Zoo, found a way to weave the venom’s protein fiber matrix into their existing elastomeric fiber system, reportedly in a collagen-similar triple helix orientation. This would be the obvious configuration as collagen is known for its excellent elasticity and strength.
“We had to milk quite a few gila monsters to reach the final formula, but we are really proud of this final omega version.”
Synthetic Gila Monster grips with distinct 24 karat inlays complete PXG Gold’s iconic look.
“The PXG Gold irons represent a beautiful fusion between nature and man; between nature and biology. By combining the unexpected and the unaffordable, we have created something truly unique for our most discerning customer.”
Availability and Pricing
Retail price for PGX Gold is $25,000 per club, making the total for an eight club set $200,000.
While this likely puts Gold out of the price range of the average golfer, remember, this iron is designed specifically for the billionaire class.
Even if your pockets are deep-enough, getting your hands on PXG Gold could prove challenging as only three sets will be produced, all right-handed.
“We know that the billionaire golfer wants something that is special. PXG Gold is unique, it’s not going to be in everybody’s bag. We don’t expect it to be, we don’t want it to be. This is exactly why we are limiting these to three sets. In an ideal situation, three members of a usual Saturday billionaire foursome will buy them, thus allowing them to lord that weekly over the PXG Gold-less fourth. It’s great to have something special, but it’s even better when not everyone can have it.”
Specifications: PXG Gold Irons
Model: 0401
Heads Material: PXG Gold alloy
Polymer Fill: Gila Monster Elastomer Ionomer Omega
Weights: Tungsten and Platinum
Shaft: PXG Damascus, X-Flex only
Grip: Synthetic Gila Monster Leather with 24k Gold inlays
Set Construction: 4-AW
Price: $200,000
Availability: April 1, 2016
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