Custom Guitar: Flamenco | Custom Guitars

Custom Guitar: Flamenco | Custom Guitars

Performers of flamenco music quite naturally want a custom guitar, one which matches their particular touch and which sounds best to their ear. Selecting the various elements of the custom flamenco guitar or the classical guitar is no simple task.

The flamenco Gypsy guitar is similar to the classical guitar, but also differs in several ways. The Gypsy guitar is more lightly constructed, weighing almost nothing. The top on the flamenco guitar is generally thinner, and there may be differences in the bracing patterns used. The thin top gives the flamenco guitar its characteristic snare drum like rasp when strummed. As well, because the top is thinner, flamenco guitars have less sustain than their classical counterparts.

The strings of a flamenco guitar are also set much lower than on a classical instrument. This makes for a much faster action. Usually flamenco guitars come with tap plates to protect the top. As well, traditionally (although seldom today) they used tuning pegs rather than machines.

For a luthier or custom guitar maker, the main difference is in the wood used to create the characteristic sounds of each. Thus, a classical guitar is usually made with rosewood back and sides, spruce or cedar tops. A flamenco guitar, on the other hand uses cypress for back and sides and spruce for the top.

Recently, the two have been joined in the “flamenca negra,” a guitar which has its back and sides made of rosewood, but is otherwise built like a flamenco guitar.
The choice of wood type, though,is merely the start of the choices as each type of rosewood, spruce, cypress and cedar has its pros and cons. For instance, German spruce (Picea abies) has a very rich, bright, and clear tone. Its noble, focused voice and rich overtones offers a wide range of color. It has a woody sound that ages into a very powerful tone. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) has a bright, neutral tonal quality. Because of its strong fundamental, it has less tonal complexity and a narrower range of color than either German or Englemann spruce. Consulting with the luthier, the purchaser must make his choice for his custom guitar.

Besides the wood of the custom guitar, the most important component, other elements are also important to the performer. The finish, for instance, is it to be French polish or lacquer?
Traditionally, French polish was thought to be superior as more conducive to sound,but that is debatable. More important, how hard and thick is the finish, especially on the top. Although thick, hard finishes will dampen sound, lacquer may be applied just as thinly as French polish, and if properly applied seems to work just as well. French polish is notoriously delicate-- scratches easily, and does not tolerate heat well. This is an issue for the purchaser to decide.

Another issue for the purchaser concerns the strings. Strings of a classical or flamenco guitar are always trebles of clear nylon and basses of nylon thread with metal wrap. But, the performer will most likely have string preferences and must clarify with the luthier exactly which type of string to be placed on the custom guitar.

Grass-Fed Organic Beef: Solution to Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Grass-Fed Organic Beef: Solution to Drug-Resistant Bacteria

According to latest news reports, American beef may be widely contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria. Recent scientific research has pointed to evidence that almost half the meat samples tested, 47%, showed evidence of staph-infection-causing Staphylococcus aureus, and more than half were resistant to common antibiotics. Besides beef, the researchers tested chicken, pork and turkey, all purchased from grocery stores. Does this mean that grass-fed organic beef, along with other organic meat, which are not fed antibiotics, is safer?

Scientist responsible for the study hypothesized that this widespread contamination is most likely due to how the animals are raised. Healthy meat animals in the U.S. and Canada are most commonly fed antibiotics throughout their lives to prevent disease and promote growth. But, such practices have contributed to the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. Last year, the FDA urged the meat industry to cut back on the use of antibiotics in feed lots and stockyards where animals are held in huge numbers, sometimes for several months, to fatten them for market. Routinely using massive doses of antibiotics on meat animals makes the drugs less effective on the humans who consume the antibiotic-laced meat.

Since the meat industry does not appear ready to change anytime soon, the solution appears to be grass-fed, organic beef along with organic chicken, pork and turkey. These animals are never fed antibiotics. Studies in Denmark and Canada have shown that taking antibiotics out of animal feed vastly reduces the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with no ill effects for either the animals or the ranchers. Organically is the safest and the healthiest way to raise meat.

About 11,000 people a year die from S. aureus according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. More than half those deaths come from the hospital "super-bug", methicillin-resistant S. aureus, the dreaded MRSA. MRSA has no known cure. It could well be that this pathogen comes from the meat supply. Eating only grass-fed, organic beef and other organic meats would solve this problem.

Public safety spokespeople are suggesting that consumers be extremely careful in the preparation of supermarket meat. Consumers who want to avoid staph infections must cook the meat thoroughly and wash off all other foods and surfaces with which it comes in contact. Using bleach or hydrogen peroxide on these surfaces is another good idea. Consumers might also wear gloves when handling raw meat. All these precautions are not necessary when preparing grass-fed organic beef which also tastes much better.

So far, the meat industry has responded by simply declaring that the meat supply is safe, but indications do point otherwise. The so-called cost-efficient practices of lacing animal feed with antibiotics in the absence of disease as well as herding vast numbers of animals from different ranches together on feedlots is actually very expensive. The cost in lives, hospital stays and the degenerating healthy of consumers seems too high a price to pay. Far better for consumers to purchase grass-fed organic beef at a slightly higher price. Not only does grass-fed organic beef taste much better, but it contains the same amounts of GLA found in wild salmon.

Diane Butler, a writer living in Southern California, is very concerned about the food supply, especially our contaminated meat supply which can so easily be corrected by changing how we raise our animals. Grass-fed is certainly the way to go. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Butler

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Pasadena Short Sale: Banks Don’t Like Federal Loan Mods | Pasadena Area Short Sale Blog

Pasadena Short Sale: Banks Don’t Like Federal Loan Mods | Pasadena Area Short Sale Blog

Grown-Ups Love Trikkes

Grown-Ups Love Trikkes

The new kid on the block, the trikke [pronounced trike] is a three-wheeled vehicle with foot platforms and upright handlebars propelled from a standing position by shifting body weight from side to side as if carving "S" turns while skiing. A new hybrid vehicle, not entirely well-known as yet, the trikke's origins seem to be an amalgam of skateboard, scooter, skis, snowboard, and bicycle. Designed for teenagers when it first appeared in 2004, the trikke initially seemed perfect for aerial acrobatics and extreme downhills. But, then, something entirely unexpected once it hit the market.

Who Are the Buyers?

Far from the envisaged teenagers, most buyers turned out to be middle-aged and often overweight. Who would have thought? Perhaps bored with tennis and biking or now just too heavy to enjoy these sports of their youth, middle-aged adults love the flowing, non-impact, all-body movement of the trikke. The attraction is in the possibility of getting a full-body workout while whizzing around town or along the beach. Dieting is no fun, but trikking is a blast!

The workout is tremendous and exhilarating. The trikke, unlike a bicycle, requires no bending over the handlebars; in fact, it requires no bending at all. This is a distinct advantage for some older folks who are having trouble with their joints or for the overweight who can't bend without immediately cramping up. The trikke solves the exercise issue for the older, out-of-shape would-be athlete. Practitioners claim that it is a mighty workout. Push it, pull it, lift it, lean it, spring it forward, all at once. This requires great effort, but it's so much fun that trikkers barely notice. Many users have lost mighty amounts of weight as even one-hour-a-day workout daily spins by at warp speed.

Trikkes are also very easy to maintain. Unlike bicycles which seem to have require far more upkeep--oiling the gears, re-filling the tires, repairing the tires-and which are often difficult to transport, trikkes solve all these issues. It has smaller, harder wheels than a bicycle which rarely go flat. The brake system is a simple affair which takes little care. And, its size and flexibility makes it easy to transport in even a compact car trunk. That way, if the trikke owner wants to skim along a friendly bike path a short ride by car from home, it's no problem. And,users have no worries about potentially breaking down in the middle of the workout. Break-downs are rare, indeed.

In some areas, trikkers have formed groups and buddies can go on long excursions together. The South Bay Trikkers, for instance, in southwest Los Angeles County takes advantage of the mild weather Southern California weather to make regular rides along beachfront bike paths. Along the Pacific Ocean, trikkers can ride a well-lit, well-maintained bike from Pacific Palisades to San Diego, a distance of over one hundred miles. Additionally, trikkers can head to the mountains and trikke the 38 miles to the beginning of the bike path in San Gabriel Canyon.

High gas prices may deter drivers, but trikkers know exactly how to maximize their driving fun.

Diane Butler, Ph.D. is a writer living in Southern California where trikkers are just gathering their power. Visit her website at www.trikkescity.com to see more trikkes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Butler

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Banks Get Spanked! « Diane’s Blog

Banks Get Spanked! « Diane’s Blog

Banks Get Spanked!

Dual Tracking Limited

In the wake of the foreclosure crisis, federal banking regulators have initiated multi-pronged probes into banks’ behavior. Recently, a coalition of federal regulators finally issued settlements with major banks and home-loan servicers designed to halt their most egregious practices. Here’s one that really astounded me when I first encountered it: dual tracking.

What is Dual Tracking?

What does that mean exactly? Last year I encountered this nefarious practice several times. In one case, I was sent by a bank to do an interior bpo or interior inspection. Banks typically order several drive-by bpos on properties where the homeowner has fallen behind in payments. An interior inspection,though, usually means the bank is getting ready to foreclose. In chatting with the homeowner whom I had called to arrange the inspection, I discovered that, though he had missed a few payments months previous, he thought he was caught up and was negotiating a loan mod with the bank. He had no idea the bank was poised to pounce and take his home.

Why Banks Do It

He is not alone. Many, even most, banks initiate foreclosure proceedings a few months after a homeowner misses payments. The homeowner, meanwhile, may take some time to come to grips with the situation. Once out of denial, the homeowner may attempt to arrange a loan mod or restructure the payments. The two bank departments, loss mitigation and customer service, though, are separate entities and may even be located in separate states. So, while the homeowner is innocently making up payments to the bank, the foreclosure department is humming along. Even in cases where the homeowner has made up all the payments or entered a trial loan mod, as I discovered recently, the foreclosure department does not lift the NOD or notice of default allowing it to foreclose. Again, often unbeknwnst to the homeowner, hanging over his head like th sword of Damocles, is this foreclosure threat.

Banks say they are just protecting their asset, the loan’s security, the property, since so many loan mods fail. That may be true, but it seems banks negotiating with homeowners anxious to save their homes ought to at least wait until the loan mods do fail before grabbing the property. How hypocritical to let the homeowner think the home is safe while all the time the bank is really preparing a foreclosure!

Practice Sort Of Stopped

This practice must now stop according to this long-awaited settlement. Or, sort of. Now, if the homeowner is approved for a trial loan mod, the bank must stop the foreclosure proceedings. Close, but no cigar. The only hope of a complete ban on this practice that homeowners may have is a parallel investigation into banks’ foreclosure processes by a separate coalition of states’ attorneys general and federal agencies, including Treasury, Justice, Housing and the Federal Trade Commission [FTC]. These groups have proposed a regulation prohibiting banks from starting foreclosure if the homeowner has applied for a loan mod. Naturally, as the banks frequently take more than a year to consider a loan mod application, they do not want this to happen.

When the final deal is struck between all these regulating and investigatory groups, let’s hope at a minimum this hypocritical practice is outright banned. In the meantime, any distressed homeowner should be checking to see if an NOD has been issued on the property and pushing the bank to remove it if an agreement has been reached. For anyone in California, call me at 626-641-0346. I would be happy to check for you.

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How To Place A Persian Carpet - drdbroker's posterous

How To Place A Persian Carpet - drdbroker's posterous

Sometimes it is hard to know exactly how to place a rug so that it gains maximum exposure. This is especially true if you have a beautiful Persian carpet from Persian carpet bazaar which you would like to show to advantage.  What, then, is the ideal way to position a Persian carpet?  Besides showing to advantage, of course, the rug must lay flat on the floor so that no one trips over curled edges.

Balance Is the Key To Carpet Placement

How to attain these twin goals is a major issue for rug owners. The first, more aesthetic, question is answered by a return to a classical secret: balance.. The most important element in placing a rug is balancing the carpet with the wood floor beneath and with the rest of the furniture.

Balance is attained  with a thinner type rug, for example, a large, sisal-type carpet, by placing it about a foot from the wall, revealing approximately five narrow strips of wood. A smaller carpet, perhaps a precious Persian, could be layered over the top to define a more intimate space. A conversation grouping of furniture could be pulled together in this way.

Safety Comes From Layers

Larger Persians should be placed on  a non-slip underpad to prevent their slippage and, possibly, tripping passersby. Historically, in France where Persians were all the rage for years, even centuries, these rugs were laid atop larger wool carpets. In this way, the Persians were held in place, preventing them from becoming “flying carpets” and taking passengers along with them.

Sometimes carpets, including Persians, curl up at the edges, also creating a tripping hazard. This tendency of area rugs of all kinds can be mitigated by regular cleaning and then by rotating them. This also spreads the wear and tear, so they look beautiful for many years to come.

Of course, fine  Persian carpets displaying visible signs of aging with worn areas are hugely appealing. This is evidenced by the enormous sums that many bidders pay for even the smallest fine hand-knotted Persian carpet at auction. A beautiful Persian rug from Persian Carpet Bazaar is an investment forever.

How To Grow Mushrooms From Plug Spawn

How To Grow Mushrooms From Plug Spawn

The other day while rambling through the local home and garden show, I came across a small booth tucked away in a corner where a kind-looking gentleman was selling mushroom plug spawn. Intrigued, I stopped to chat and soon decided that, as I had no idea at all how to grow mushrooms, it seemed a charming hobby which, I was assured, really was very easy and took no time at all.

That is how I came to purchase a 100-plug bag of mushroom spawn. Until that moment, I had never really thought about how mushrooms grow. Something about caves and dark was all I knew. Well, it turns out that, of course, the type of mushroom you want to grow will determine your choice of spawn. Besides plug spawn, it turns out mushrooms can be cultivated in a variety of ways. Since I wanted to grow lion's mane, I purchased that bag of lion's mane plug spawn from the kindly gent.

So why lion's mane? This mushroom is hard to find commercially, but it is delicious with a taste very similar to lobster. As it grows, it forms white, frothy bubbles which resemble pom-poms. This seemed the one for me.

As instructed, I took the plastic bag with the 100 plugs and left it in a dark closet for two weeks. The plugs are small wooden dowels inoculated with the spawn. Sure enough, by the end of the two weeks, the plugs were now covered in mycelium which would eventually grow into mature mushrooms. I felt strangely elated, though the plugs had done all the work.

In the meantime, again following precise instructions, I had selected a three-foot log of Douglas fir and allowed it to age for the two weeks. Sometimes, mushroom growers can use a stump, but, as I was out of stumps, I had selected a medium-sized log and let it dry out a bit. The idea was that by aging it, any parasitic elements would have died and new ones would not have had time to colonize the log. It was a reasonably clean environment for the plugs.

The log was upright, setting in about six inches of sand which I had prepared and then placed in a fairly shady spot near a water source. Now, came the tricky part. I knew as soon as I heard about it, I would have trouble. I had to drill two- to three-inch deep holes four inches apart, making a diamond pattern. At first, I had trouble figuring out what size drill bit to use, but, eventually, I got it and wound up with about 50 holes. My log looked like it had a bad case of acne.

Then, I hammered the plugs in with a rubber mallet. Naturally, I was afraid that the pounding would strip the mycelium off the plugs, but the holes were big enough so that did not happen. I could hardly believe I had managed thus far.

My next and last task was to brush melted beeswax over the holes, filling them in so they were impervious to outside influences. Apparently, the kind of wax used in cheesemaking would also work. As an experienced jam-maker, I didn't have any trouble with this step. Now, the spawn were to go ahead and grow. I had heard it could take a long time, up to a year. It seems indoor farming, like regular, outdoor farming, requires the long view. In fact, for anyone taking up the hobby of growing mushrooms, a prime requisite is patience.

Diane Butler is a writer living in Southern California with a yen for mushrooms. Mushrooms From Plug Spawn seemed a logical next step. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Butler

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