Americans Streb, Walker Tied Atop PGA

Robert Streb became the 28th player to ever shoot a 63 at a Major – but the third in just 16 days – allowing him to tie fellow American Jimmy Walker atop the leaderboard at the end of the second round of the PGA Championship Sunday in New Jersey.

The two men are tied at 9-under, two strokes ahead of world No. 1 Jason Day and Argentine Emilliano Grillo.

Streb climbed from tied for ninth to tied for first by notching eight birdies and a bogey on the day. He hit 63 with the TV broadcast at a commercial as most fans were similarly distracted by the runs being put on by Day and Patrick Reed.

Walker shot a 4-under 66 on the day and would have had the lead had he not slipped up and bogeyed No. 18 after hitting three straight birdies on 12, 13, 14 earlier in the round.

Day looked like he would fall totally out of contention early, 2-over through seven holes after double-bogeying No. 7. But the Aussie turned things around with birdies on 8 and 9 to get back to even, then rattled off five birdies in six holes, including four straight between holes 10 and 15 to fight his way to a 65.

Grillo also caught fire on the back nine, going 1-over on the first 11 then -4 on the final seven. Lurking one shot further back is Henrik Stenson, trying to win back-to-back Majors. Stenson was 3-under for a second straight day shaking off back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 with an eagle on 18.

Three players ended the day at 5-under: Martin Kaymer, Reed, and Brooks Koepka. In all, 19 players are within six strokes or fewer of the lead with half the tournament to play, including former No. 1s Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott, part of a glut tied for 13th at 3-under.

 

 

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Are fresh juice drinks as healthy as they seem?

On these midsummer days, it’s hard to walk down the street without passing someone sipping a vividly colored beverage. According to food industry statistics, these folks aren’t likely to be drinking McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes or 7-11 Slurpees. Instead, people are shifting from sugary beverage with artificial ingredients to cold-pressed juices and smoothies. Sales of juice extractors and blenders lead the small-appliance market, and juice bars continue to spring up on city streets, in shopping malls, and even in supermarkets.

There are a couple of reasons people are taking to these beverages, says Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “They think they are doing something healthy, and the beverages can be time savers. It can be faster to grab a smoothie in the morning instead of sitting down to breakfast.”

What is cold-pressed juice?

Cold pressing employs the same principle as the hand-crank citrus juicer your mother or grandmother might have used: the fruits or vegetables are squeezed between two metal plates to extract the juice. Modern juice extractors may chop or grind the produce before applying hydraulic pressure to separate the juice from the pulp.

• The upsides: Because cold-pressed juices are usually served fresh, they retain more of a fruit’s or vegetable’s vitamins and minerals. They don’t have the added sugars or artificial sweeteners that most bottled juices contain. Additionally, when a glass of juice is squeezed from several fruits or vegetables, it is likely to have a wider array of nutrients per ounce than a single piece of fruit.
• The downsides: Juice has less fiber than a whole fruit or vegetable does, and fruit juices in particular are likely to have a higher glycemic index — a measure of how a food raises blood-sugar levels — than a whole fruit. Also, “there’s increasing evidence that drinking isn’t as satiating as eating whole foods,” says McManus. Studies indicate that people who drink juices tend to add them to their diets rather than substitute them for other foods, thus increasing their total calorie consumption.

What are smoothies?

Smoothies are usually concoctions of several of the following: pureed fruits, pureed vegetables, juices, dairy products, almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, herbs, and spices. The nutritional and calorie content of the beverage can vary widely according to the ingredients.

• The upsides: “Smoothies can be a good way of getting vegetables if you’re struggling to add them to your diet,” McManus says. If you aren’t crazy about leafy greens, blending them with berries or a ripe peach can disguise the taste of the vegetables. A smoothie can also provide a quick meal when you don’t have time to cook or even prepare a salad. For example, throwing a handful of spinach, a cup of blueberries, a couple of frozen strawberries, and a cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt in the blender can deliver a healthy meal or snack in a minute. And smoothies have a nutritional advantage over juices — because the whole fruit or vegetable is used, they have more fiber and a lower glycemic index.
• The downsides: If you’re not careful, smoothies can pack in the calories. If you’re ordering a smoothie at a juice bar or restaurant, ask if it contains added sugar, syrup, or honey. If you’re blending your own, avoid fruit-flavored yogurts or frozen yogurts, which are likely to contain fruit syrups, added sugars, or artificial sweeteners. Use bananas, which have a high glycemic index, sparingly. Go lightly on the sweeteners; even “healthy” sweeteners like agave syrup and honey contain glucose.

The bottom line

Smoothies and cold-pressed juices may provide healthy snacks and an efficient way to get vegetables. But be sure to include the calories they provide in your daily calorie allowance. For a lower-calorie alternative the Harvard T.H. Chan School or Public Health has developed recipes for fruit coolers and flavored water.

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Walker Leads PGA; Stenson 2 Strokes Back

Jimmy Walker leads the PGA Championship by a stroke after one round at Baltusrol Golf Course in Springfield, New Jersey, with a host of international players trailing him including Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson, who sits two strokes back.

Players from seven different countries – US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Korea, Argentina, and Australia – are in the top 10, with Walker surging to the top by shooting the last six holes 4-under with a quartet of birdies.

Walker’s best shot was a 42-foot birdie from just off the green on No. 7, erasing the stroke lost with his bogey on No. 6. His best-ever finish at a Major was a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship two years ago.

Three players trail Walker by a stroke – Ross Fisher, Emiliano Grillo, and two-time Major winner and former No. 1 Martin Kaymer. Like Walker, Kaymer finished fast, with three birdies in his final five holes.

Stenson is one of four players tied for fifth at 3-under. Playing for the first time since Royal Troon, Stenson was just even par through 11, then picked up three birdies down the stretch.

An even dozen players are bunched together tied for ninth at 2-under including world No. 1 Jason Day, the defending champion, and American Rickie Fowler.  Day started quickly enough, two birdies in his first four holes, but played even par the rest of the way. Day is trying to become the first man to win the PGA in consecutive year since Tiger Woods did so in 2006-2007.

Stenson is seeking to join the rare fraternity of men who have won The Open Championship and the PGA Championship in the same year. The only players to have done so previously are: Rory McIlroy (2014), Padraig Harrington (2008); Tiger Woods (2000, 2006); Nick Price (1994); Walter Hagen (1924).

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The U.S. longevity gap

It’s not hard to find someone praising the quality of this country’s healthcare. I’ve often heard it called the best in the world – and that’s a widely held belief among politicians, public officials, doctors, and patients. While there’s plenty of debate about why healthcare in the U.S. is so expensive and how we should pay for it, the high quality of our healthcare seems incontestable – more on this point later.

But if our healthcare is so good, why isn’t life expectancy in the U.S. the highest in the world? In fact, life expectancy in the U.S. lags by a number of years behind Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and many other developed countries. For example, the life expectancy in the U.S. is about 76 years for men and 81 years for women; meanwhile, in the U.K., it’s about 79 years for men and 83 years for women. This “longevity gap” is not something you hear much about, but it’s been true for quite a while.

Why the U.S. longevity gap?

A new study has identified three reasons that the United States is not at the top of the heap when it comes to longevity. They include:

• motor vehicle accidents
• drug overdoses
• gun violence.

These are so much more common here and affect so many young people that they’re enough to account for about half of the difference in male life expectancy between the U.S. and other top-ranked countries. These causes of death account for about 20% of the difference for women.

These findings surprised me, especially when I learned that these three causes of death account for only 4% of all deaths each year. But they have a big impact on life expectancy because they tend to affect people who are so young. The reason they have a bigger impact on male life expectancy is that each of these causes of death is more common among men: they account for 6% of male deaths while for women, they account for 3%.

Perhaps these findings should come as no surprise. Deaths in car accidents, drug overdoses, and shootings have been well-recognized as important problems, and efforts to reduce them have been ongoing for years. But it’s one thing to understand the causes of premature death – and quite another to prevent them.

But life expectancy is only one measure of quality healthcare….

It’s true – life expectancy is not the only measure of healthcare quality. Unfortunately, there are other measures in which the U.S. lags behind comparable countries: the United States scores poorly in many key measures of health, including infant mortality, health at age 60, and deaths that could be prevented with good medical care.

Deaths due to shootings, automobile accidents, and drug overdoses explain some of this “longevity gap.” The rest may be explained by medical care that’s inaccessible, unaffordable, or just not as good as it’s been cracked up to be.

So, is there good news?

If there is any good news in this latest research about contributors to lower life expectancy in the United States, it’s that some of the primary causes – car accidents, drug overdoses, and shootings – are not new or untreatable conditions. They are potentially reversible problems that we actually know a lot about. While there may be no simple or quick solutions, it seems possible that with effective interventions, many of these deaths could be prevented. In addition, improving access to healthcare and identifying and addressing other gaps in healthcare quality could go a long way toward making the U.S. healthcare system as good as most of us thought it already was.

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RideLondon 2016 – whats on guide

It is that time of year again – RideLondon is back this weekend for its 4th instalment and this year it is bigger than ever. Here is a run down of what is going on for the 3 days and the things we are really looking forward to.

Friday

The cycling festival is 3 days this year, spilling over into Friday for a Grand Prix based at the Olympic Velodrome. The Grand Prix will be an afternoon of handcycling including veterans and elite races and youth races on road and BMX.

There will also be a festival zone with exhibitors celebrating all things cycling. This is where my personal highlight is going to be – Danny MacAskill will be there with his trials demo tour. MacAskill is an amazing rider who generally likes riding along the tops of buildings, walls and such – check out his Cascadia video, its amazing – think what he could do with a London commute?

Saturday

On the Saturday there is the Freecycle in the morning which you can still register for at time of writing (Thursday July 28th), or you can just turn up and join in. This is an altered route from last year so that it can take in the new cycle superhighway along embankment – something to keep in mind if you are doing any non-freecycle riding that day. The route is 8 miles and is a usually ridden at a leisurely pace with a great festive atmosphere. There will also be festival areas on South Bank if you just want to go along and soak up all things cycling and awesome.

Saturday afternoon sees the Brompton World Championships at RideLondon for its second year. This is always a fun event to go and watch. As will all Brompton races, the race has a folded start and dress code. This means you get to witness many people running around in formal attire trying to unfold their bikes under pressure. It is always good entertainment! Some people really race this, and entry is always over subscribed with people traveling from all over the world to take part.

Saturday evening is the women’s pro race, the Classique. This has made the news this year as the prize money is going to be the same as the men’s – something not seen across the gender gap in cycling. All the recent women’s favourites will be there, including Dani King, Hannah Barnes and recent La Course winner Chloe Hosking. It should be a great race and hopefully will mark a step towards parity between mens and women professional cycling.

Sunday

Sunday starts bright and early for those taking part in the Ride 100 event – 6am at the velodrome to be exact. The Ride 100 course is fast approaching iconic as it travels through central London and then hits the Surrey hills. The finishing straight it down the Mall. If you feel jealous of those taking part this year, the ballot for next year opens on August 8th so you can capitalise on the joy instilled in you during a whole weekend of bike related fun.

New this year is also a shorter 46 mile sportive, aimed at younger riders and those who are newer to road cycling and don’t want to go for the full 100. It’s a nice step towards encouraging more people to ride in events and making them open to less ambitious folk.

The Sunday afternoon sees the culmination of the weekend, the Surrey Classic. This is the men’s professional event and has many of the stars of the pro peloton. A highlight here has got to be Chris Froome who is riding this year, straight off the back of his excellent Tour win. I guess it will be kind of a warm down race to keep the legs going prior to the Olympics for him. There is lots to race for though as the Surrey Classic has the biggest prize pot of any one day race.

Watching

Most events on the Saturday and Sunday will be centring around the Mall area. Therefore this is great place to head if you want to watch the racers. If you stick to the St. James’s Park side you can watch the riders and have a nice picnic, if the rain holds off. You can head over to the Prudential website if you want more information about access and good areas for specific events.

Obviously there are going to be a lot of road closures in central London this weekend to accommodate the rides and races. Prudential have all the details on their website if you need to get around for business or other pleasure. I was working for Brompton this time last year and so was around for the whole event on Saturday and it was incredibly busy. There was certainly a great atmosphere though and I am very glad I got to watch many of the rides.

Are you taking part in any of the events? Let everyone know what you are doing below!

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Moving Interoperability Forward by Engaging Small, Rural, and Critical Access Hospitals

As I announced at our recent Annual Meeting, hospitals across the country continue to make progress toward the goal of ensuring that health information flows where it is needed the most. Today, almost all U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals have certified electronic health record (EHR) technology and 82 percent are electronically exchanging laboratory results, radiology […]

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Pace to breathe — New treatments for sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a common condition. As many as 26% of all Americans may suffer from this condition, in which there are long pauses between breaths during sleep. Unfortunately, many patients with sleep apnea do not tolerate the most effective current therapy, continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. For some of these people, a new approach pacemaker therapy may be an alternative.

Pacemakers for sleep apnea? This must be a “typo,” right? Don’t you really mean heart pacemaker? No, this isn’t a typo. Pacemakers are some of the newest treatments for sleep apnea. Before explaining how they work, a short physiology lesson is necessary.

Normally, when you breathe in, air flows from the nose and mouth, past the back of your tongue, through the trachea and down into your lungs. This occurs because nerve signals from the brain activate the diaphragm to produce inspiration. The resulting negative pressure pulls air in. However, these nerve signals also stimulate muscles surrounding the throat, including the tongue to contract in order to prevent the airway from being suctioned closed with breathing. Sleep apnea occurs when these processes fail during sleep, and consequently air does not enter the lungs.

There are two types of sleep apnea. The most common is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when there is repetitive collapse of airway at the back of the throat. In obstructive apnea, the stimulus to the throat muscles is insufficient to prevent their collapse and the airway becomes blocked. Less common is central sleep apnea. In central apnea, nerve signals from the brain are absent for prolonged periods of time, and there is no effort made to breathe during these intervals.

In a recent study, pacing of the hypoglossal nerve in the neck during sleep was effective treatment for people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Twelve months after pacemaker insertion, the average number of obstructed breathing events decreased by approximately 50%. In addition, nighttime oxygen levels improved, as did measures of quality of life and daytime sleepiness. There were few side effects.

How does the hypoglossal pacemaker work? The pacemaker has three major components. The first is the stimulation electrode, which is surgically implanted on one hypoglossal nerve (there are two nerves, right and left). The second is a sensing electrode, which is surgically inserted in the chest and detects when a person starts to inhale. The third is the electrical generator, which supplies battery power for the pacemaker. When the sensing electrode identifies the start of a breath, it signals the stimulation electrode to activate the hypoglossal nerve, which is the primary nerve to the tongue. This causes the tongue muscle to stiffen and resist airway closure, thus preventing apnea.

Although the hypoglossal pacemaker sounds like a dream come true for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have trouble using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), it has not been used in large numbers of patients to date. Two reasons have hindered widespread use––cost (about $30,000) and lack of data showing effectiveness in patients who are severely obese. This is important because two-thirds of people with obstructive sleep apnea are overweight or obese. The insertion procedure is not complicated, although it requires a brief surgical procedure and follow-up to adjust the pacemaker settings. However, as more experience with it accumulates, usage of this novel therapy may increase.

Central sleep apnea also may be amenable to pacemaker treatment. Central apnea frequently is observed in patients with heart failure, and is difficult to treat. Recent studies show that a pacemaker inserted through a central vein, in a manner similar to placement of a heart pacemaker, can stimulate the phrenic nerve, which controls contraction of the diaphragm. This pacemaker senses the absence of any effort to breathe and then activates the phrenic nerve. The phrenic nerve then causes the diaphragm to contract, initiating inspiration. The studies show that central apneas decrease and sleep quality improves. Although the pacemaker is not yet available in the United States, FDA approval may be forthcoming.

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PGA Championship: Baltusrol Preview Hole by Hole

The PGA Championship begins July 28 at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. The 121-year old private club is one of the most famous in the country, with a par 70 for Majors and a total length of 7,400 yards. Both the Lower and Upper Courses were designed by A.W. Tillinghast.

Baltusrol first hosted a Major with the 1903 US Open on the Old Course, which hosted it again in 1915. The Upper Course hosted it in 1936, with the Lower taking over duties in 1954, 1967, 1980, 1993, and 2005.

Here’s a hole-by-hole look at the Lower Course, host of the 2016 PGA Championship.

No. 1, 478 yards, Par 4 – If you’re a member, it’s a par-5, but this is the PGA, no easy holes! If you hit it too far left, say hello to Bambi since you’ll be in the deep forest; if you’re not dead center, you’re likely to wind up in one of five bunkers.

No. 2, 378 yards, Par 4 – When the second hole is 100 yards shorter than the first, but still a Par 4, that should tell you something’s up. That “something” is 12 bunkers, but players who can control either a long iron or a 3-wood can avoid the sand.

No. 3, 503 yards, Par 4 – Eleven years ago this was the second-hardest hole during the 2005 PGA Championship. If you don’t drive it straight on this dogleg left, go ahead and start scratching out that “5” on your scorecard. Comparable to the 10th at Augusta, there’s a thick rough and a lot of trees on both sides of the fairway. The green has a ridge that will feed balls to the right if you put it in the wrong place.

No. 4, 195 yards, Par 3 – The Famous Fourth, it has become the signature hole of the course. The story behind it, the golf equivalent of Babe Ruth’s “called shot” home run from the 1929 World Series, saw Robert Trent Jones, the English-American golf course architect, redesign the course in 1952 and be criticised for making No. 4 too difficult. Jones took said critics with him out on the course, promptly aced No. 4 and said to the rabble, “Gentlemen, as you can see, the hole is eminently fair.” The ‘S’ shaped curve of the lake along with three surrounding bunkers makes it a perilous thing.

No. 5, 442 yards, Par 4 – There are five fairway bunkers lurking, four of them to the left. Four more bunkers protect the green, which has a false front with a tough slope.

No. 6, 482 yards, Par 4 – With a long hill requiring a blind tee shot between two bunkers, the sixth favours longer hitters. Once clear, things are easier headed toward the green, although a mishit either way leads to a pair of bunkers down the sides.

No. 7, 501 yards, Par 4 – It was the toughest hole at the 2050 PGA Championship, with an average score of 4.38. It’s a dogleg right this time with four bunkers right around the landing area for most drives. The green is the largest on the course, and there are two bunkers at the short right side which will put a lot of players in the sand and make for some difficult escapes.

No. 8, 380 yards, Par 4 – Five bunkers dot a fairway leading to a small green that is surrounded by sand. Irons should rule the day for most players, but a pitching wedge is essential once you get closer.

No. 9, 210 yards, Par 3 – It’s the second-shortest hole on the course but has one of the tougher greens, with four big bunkers around the putting surface.

No. 10, 460 yards, Par 4 – If you make a 4 here, consider yourself lucky. There’s a creek in play that is an instant penalty shot if a ball winds up there. The green is narrow and surrounded by three bunkers, including one behind that will penalise the overzealous.

No. 11, 431 yards, par 4 – The sharpest dogleg on the course, it sends players sprawling to the left. For those who don’t make it around the corner, the green can’t be seen until you get up the hill. The putting surface is enormous but also has the most undulation of any spot on the course.

No. 12, 218 yards, par 3 – It will feature a different look than it did in 2005, with a collection area to the right side behind the green, which will likely be put into good use unfortunately. The front-side bunker makes it hard to see the putting surface, and the slope beyond it will make staying on the green tough.

No. 13, 451 yards, par 4 – A different Jones, Bobby, was said to have drawn inspiration for No. 13 at Augusta from this 13th. The hole itself is a dogleg right. If you stay straight, one of three bunkers will likely gobble up your shot. Straight is the path from there, as bunkers appear on both sides of the green.

No. 14, 430 yards, par 4 – It as the second-easiest hole at the 2005 tournament. The big hitters can make it over the first two left bunkers and the slight dogleg left. From there, a layup among the five bunkers that circle the green can lead to a great opportunity for a birdie.

No. 15, 453 yards, par 4 – It’s 25 yards longer than in 2005, and there’s a stream across the fairway which might some of the longer hitters think twice before blasting their moon shots. Six bunkers leading up the green make long blasts just as dangerous the second and third times around.

No. 16, 230 yards, par 3 – Usually a tournament definer on Sunday, the green for this hole has had recent facelifts with five big bunkers surrounding it. If you’re struggling to remember its significance, it was the site of Lee Jansen’s famous chip in in 1993 that gave him the title over Payne Stewart.

No. 17, 649 yards, par 5 – The monster’s been lurking right around the corner and here it finally is. It’s the third-longest hole on the PGA Tour this year, with a dogleg left and a fairway bisected by a collection of bunkers. John Daly is the only man to ever reach the green in two, which he did at the 1993 US Open.

No. 18, 554 yards, par 5 – After the 17th, this almost feels like a break in the action, and it was the easiest hole on the course 11 years ago. There’s water on the left and bunkers on the right, with bunkers all around the green. Phil Mickleson made a birdie here on Sunday in 2005 to deliver himself the championship.

 

 

 

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When hot gets too hot: keeping children safe in the heat

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Heat is part of summer — and for the most part, children do fine in the heat. But sometimes, heat can be dangerous, even deadly. As summer heats up — and as much of the country sits in a heat wave — it’s important to know about those dangers so that you can keep children safe. Here’s what you need to know about heat and children:

Never leave a child in a car in the heat. Children’s bodies can heat up incredibly quickly — leading to damage to organs and even death. Every year children die from being in a hot car — because their caregiver thought they would be fine, because an errand took longer than expected, or because the driver simply forgot they were there. There is no safe time or safe temperature when it comes to leaving children in cars, so never do it (it’s not safe to leave a child in the car for other reasons, too). And always, always do a check of the back seat before you leave a car. The very best people can get distracted and forgetful. The American Academy of Pediatrics has some very useful information about preventing child deaths in hot cars on their website for parents.

Know the signs of heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is what can happen to the body when it gets overheated, especially if there is dehydration as well. It’s more common when temperatures get over 90 degrees, and when the humidity is over 60% as this makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body, but it can happen at lower temperatures and lower humidity when you are in direct sunshine or very active. Some of the symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Muscle cramping
• Excessive sweating
• Cold, clammy skin
• Dizziness or weakness
• Fast pulse
• Vomiting

If your child has any of these, get them out of the sun, have them lie down, cool them off with cool water, and get them to drink (nothing with caffeine), making sure they take little sips at a time. If they still complain of dizziness or keep vomiting, bring them to an emergency room.

Heat stroke is an emergency: know the signs and know what to do

Heat stroke is an emergency. Heat stroke is what kills those children in cars, and it truly is a medical emergency. You should suspect heat stroke if the child’s skin is hot and dry rather than cold and sweaty, if their temperature is very high, or if they are excessively sleepy — or unconscious. If this happens, call 911 and get the child to a cool place and cool them down with cool water. If they are sleepy, don’t try to get them to drink as they may not be able to do so safely.

Here are some general tips to keep children safe in the heat

• Limit time in direct sunlight (especially during midday hours). Look for shade, or make your own with umbrellas, tents, or wide-brimmed hats
• Bring water along whenever you are going to be outside in the sun — for drinking as well as putting on the skin to cool down
• Keep an eye on the forecast as you plan outdoor activities, especially active ones; check the temperature and the humidity, and plan accordingly
• Take plenty of rest breaks and use them as a chance to check to see how everyone is doing with the heat. Every child is different; some may be fine when others are getting into trouble.

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Kryptonite Messenger Mini+ Review

In 2009, I bought a Kryptonite New York Standard bike lock. Since then, I’ve never had my bike stolen. No need to review further bike locks. The end (although not really – we have looked at other locks).

But wait.. it’s now 2016. Have Kryptonite just been twiddling their thumbs?

It turns out the Kryptonite team has been harassing New York bike messengers with probing questions such as: what is the right length… (awkward pause)… for a bike lock?

As you can imagine, a New York messenger probably listed their bike lock priorities as follows:

1. Balancing weight and security
2. Quick and easy to use
3. Fits a range of posts
4. Orange is a good colour for a bike lock

Let’s take a look at how well the Kryptonite Messenger Mini+ hits these 4 important points.

Mini+ weight & security

As someone used to the 1.97kg heft of the Kryptonite New York Standard, the Mini+ feels delightfully light at 1.14kg.

As you would expect, with reduced weight comes reduced security. The Mini+ is rated 7 out of 10 by Kryptonite, compared to the New York Standard 9 out of 10.

This earns the Mini+ Sold Secure silver rating, as opposed to gold. It’s worth checking with your bicycle insurance company the lock rating they accept for coverage.

Is this enough to secure your bike in London? It’s intended for quick stops on its own and would be great for immobilisation when the bike is in sight but not within reach (think sitting in the park, pub garden, etc.). In combination with another lock, you’d probably be fine for longer. Everyone needs to make that calculation of how much weight they are willing to carry vs. the security offered.

It’s worth noting that Kryptonite offer a Global Anti-Theft Protection Offer. With the Messenger Mini+ you get £1,500 worth of cover. To qualify, you need to register on the Kryptonite website and pay a small yearly fee. I recommend checking the terms and conditions on the site.

Quick and easy to use

The Kryptonite Messenger Mini+ comes with an interesting new feature. It’s called the Extender and it allows you to lock your frame and wheel.

In practise, it’s a little fiddly to use. Inevitably, with anything fiddly that adds to my locking time, I ended up leaving the Extender at home, therefore turning the Mini+ into the straight Mini.

If you are locking your bike to a typical bike stand, then the mini is large enough to go through the rear wheel, frame and post.

Kryptonite also have another innovative new product called Gravity WheelNutz, which we’ll be taking a look at next week. In combination, this would mean you’d only need one lock to secure both wheels.

Fits a range of posts

Kryptonite have smartly increased the shackle dimensions, which gives a little more locking flexibility.

The Messenger Mini+ has a 3.75 inch by 6.5 inch locking dimension, which is a half inch wider than the current Evolution Mini.

In practise, this makes a difference and provides a decent range of locking options around London. You still won’t be able to get it around a lamppost of course. Only locks such as the Hiplock will be able to pull that off.

Orange is a good colour for a bike lock

The Kryptonite Mini+ is a nice, calm, safe feeling orange, which is important for a lock, especially when locating and excavating it from a large bag.

Beyond that, there are a couple of noteworthy features.

The first is a dust cover, which can be positioned above the keyhole. It’s a nice little addition, if not entirely necessary. After 6 years with the Kryptonite New York Standard, I’ve only needed to lubricate the lock once and it works as new.

With your purchase, you get 2 keys which come with a coiled wrist keychain. This is actually surprisingly useful. While fiddling with your lock, your keys can sit on your wrist.

Mini+ Review

As a long time customer of Kryptonite, the Mini+ is a welcome addition to their range.

It feels like a good balance has been struck between the internal locking dimensions, security and weight.

The Mini+ provides enough flexibility around London for locking options. Security is good, not great, so it’s not to be used in isolation. The upside of being a 7 out of 10 on the security scale is you get a lighter lock, which feels more convenient.

Overall, I’d be happy to recommend the Mini+ to friends and family. In fact, the lock is now securing my girlfriend’s bike and I feel confident that in combination with a Hiplock it’ll be safe.

As I said, we’ll be taking a look at Gravity Wheelnutz next week, which are designed with urban locking and utility in mind too and make they Mini+ a much more useable proposition.

The Mini+ is available on Amazon.co.uk for £35.95 with Prime delivery, huzzah!

Do you have a Mini+? What has your experience been with a smaller lock?

The post Kryptonite Messenger Mini+ Review appeared first on London Cyclist.

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An Opportunity for Sharing Information about Cyber Attacks

As recent news reports show, security breaches and ransomware attacks in the Healthcare and Public Health sector are on the rise.  Criminal cyber attacks against health care organizations are up 125 percent compared to five years ago, replacing employee negligence and lost or stolen laptops as the top cause of health care data breaches. The […]

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Video: Spicy Pasta Salad by Ree

Here’s the second video of the day! Remember the Spicy Pasta Salad I posted a few years ago? It was based on a pasta salad I’d had from Whole Foods, and is so delicious with grilled chicken or beef.

Here’s the super speedy, whippy-zippy video, friends! Hope you enjoy!

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Video: Strawberry Oatmeal Bars by Ree

Happy Monday! I have two videos to share with you today.

The first is Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, which I posted here in step-by-step photo form way back in the dark ages of 2013! (You can click on the link to see the photo version.)

Here’s the video! Be sure to have your volume on so you can enjoy the wacky sound effects. They satisfy my soul.

This is a great snack, and if you haven’t already tried them, I know you’ll love them!

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E-cigarettes: Good news, bad news

Follow me at @JohnRossMD

Americans are confused about electronic cigarettes. A recent poll showed that the public was about evenly split between those who thought that electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, were less harmful than conventional cigarettes, and those who believed that e-cigarettes were as bad as or worse than regular cigarettes.

Unfortunately, there is no long-term safety data about e-cigarettes. What information we do have suggests that e-cigarettes have a complex mix of potential harms and benefits.

E-cigarettes: Less deadly than regular cigarettes

First, the good news: e-cigarettes are almost certainly less lethal than conventional cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is a uniquely dangerous addiction. In fact, cigarettes might be the only consumer product that kills when used as directed. Cigarettes are the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing 480,000 people every year. That’s more deaths than HIV, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, and firearms combined. Smoking increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, COPD, asthma, diabetes, and most cancers. The free radicals in cigarette smoke physically age the human body. On average, smoking reduces your life span by at least 10 years. Tobacco could not possibly be approved for sale in the United States today if it was a new product coming on the market.

A burning cigarette gives off noxious gases, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. Cigarette smoke also contains an ultrafine suspension of gummy residue, known as tar. Most of the carcinogens in cigarette smoke are found in the tar. The major benefit of e-cigarettes, compared to regular cigarettes, is that they do not produce the tar or the toxic gases found in cigarette smoke. An e-cigarette contains a cartridge of fluid, popularly known as e-liquid. E-liquid is made up of nicotine and flavorings dissolved in propylene glycol and glycerol. The e-liquid is superheated by a battery-powered vaporizer, converting it into a mist which is inhaled, or “vaped.”

Studies about e-cigarettes and smoking behavior show conflicting results. E-cigarettes were mildly helpful in kicking the habit in one clinical trial. In other studies, e-cigarette use did not increase quit rates, or was even associated with a higher risk of continuing to smoke. A recent review concluded that real-world use of e-cigarettes is associated with lower quit rates.

The downside of e-cigarettes

Now the bad news. Nicotine in e-cigarettes may have several negative health effects. Chronic nicotine exposure may lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, although this risk may be offset by the well-known appetite suppressant effects of nicotine. Inhaled nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure. Nicotine is highly addictive in its own right, and it may lead to changes in the brain that increase the risk of addiction to other drugs, especially in young people. Nicotine may also impair prefrontal brain development in adolescents, leading to attention deficit disorder and poor impulse control. These potential harms of nicotine are particularly worrisome in view of soaring rates of e-cigarette use in U.S. teenagers.

The nicotine in e-liquid may also be a household hazard. Many e-liquids have candy and fruit flavoring and packaging that makes them attractive to children. Cases of nicotine poisoning from e-liquid have skyrocketed, with accidental ingestions of e-liquid by kids rising by 1,500% in the past three years.

Flavored e-cigarettes may pose another health threat. They often contain a chemical compound called diacetyl, which is associated with a rare lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans that causes permanent damage to the bronchioles (the tiniest airways in the lungs).

Propylene glycol and glycerol, the major components of e-liquids, are not thought to be dangerous on their own. However, they may decompose when heated by the vaporizer, and be transformed into toxic compounds such as formaldehyde. This is more common with newer vaporizers that use high wattages.

What you need to know

• For people who are currently addicted to cigarettes, e-cigarettes provide a less dangerous nicotine source, without exposure to tar or most of the poisonous gases in cigarette smoke. However, it is unclear whether e-cigarettes actually help significant numbers of people to quit smoking.
• People who do not already smoke should avoid e-cigarettes. E-liquids contain nicotine, which increases the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as flavoring agents that may cause a chronic lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. High-wattage vaporizers may also generate significant amounts of formaldehyde and other toxins.
• E-cigarette use is soaring in young people. This is of particular concern, as exposure of the developing brain to nicotine may impair brain development and predispose teenagers to addiction to other drugs.

Related Post:

• Low-nicotine cigarettes may help determined smokers cut back
• What’s the best way to quit smoking?
• New strategies help smokers quit when nicotine replacement…
• We should be ashamed if we don’t pass Tobacco 21 laws
• Quitting smoking doesn’t have to mean big weight gain

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Day, Mickelson, McIlroy Paired for PGA

Knowing how to get butts in the seats, the PGA Tour has paired defending champion Jason Day, 2014 winner Rory McIlroy, and recent Open Championship runner-up Phil Mickelson together for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship, which gets underway Thursday at Baltusrol.

Day is the obvious draw – ranked No. 1 and the winner here a year ago; McIlroy has “slipped” all the way to No. 5 in the world after seeing time at No. 1 as late as a year ago, but Mickelson might get the most applause of the trio if he’s in contention after 36 holes. One of the unexpected side effects of Tiger Woods’ descent into injury hell is more golf fans truly appreciating how fantastic Mickelson’s career has been, and desiring to see him win another Major; this is the perfect spot, he won the PGA here in 2005.

Even more impressive from a 2016 perspective is the trio of Masters champion Danny Willett, US Open champion Dustin Johnson, and Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson.  Johnson is playing the best of the three, but who knows what Stenson will do in his first action since his Sunday 63 at Royal Troon?

Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth might not care for being relegated to the third-best group, but it’s likely neither one of them really cares about anything but winning at this point. The pair of Top 10 Americans are matched with Sergio Garcia for the first two rounds. Watson had just one win and three top 10 finishes in 13 events this year, and has finished in the top 25 just once since taking second at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March. With Stenson winning his first Major two weeks ago, Garcia is once again the best player in the world without one – he has 21 Top 10 finishes at Majors including three runners-up.

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Vegas Rolls to Canada Win, PGA Berth

Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas wasn’t the hometown favorite on Sunday at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, but he won the crowd over, then the tournament, then a spot in the PGA Championship.

Vegas’s 8-under 64 early in the day on Sunday got him to 12-under, which proved to be the winning score against all coers in the RBC Canadian Open, a win that clinched Vegas a spot in the fourth Major of the year, which starts in just four days.

Five strokes behind the co-leaders to start Sunday, Vegas blistered the course with five straight birdies on the front nine before bogeying No.8. He strung together four more birdies from No. 13 on, including three straight to end the round.

Thus he defeated Spain’s John Rahm, Scotland’s Martin Laird, and the US’ Dustin Johnson by one stroke each. Johnson, ranked No. 2 in the world, made a closing push with an eagle on 16 and a birdie on 18 but it wasn’t quite enough.

Day Three contenders Brandt Snedeker and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit got to look at Vegas’ score the longest, as they were in the day’s final pairing. The amateur looked to have nerves early, with two bogeys in his first six holes. He finished with an even-par 71 to wind up tied for ninth at 9-under.

The more experienced Snedeker was just as up and down, bogeying No. 1 and also shooting a 71 to finished tied for fifth at 10-under.

Other notable finishers were two-time champion Jim Furyk, who was 13th at 8-under, and world No. 1 Jason Day, who wound up at 7-under, tied for 14th.

 

 

 

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Who is Jared du Toit?

Canadians will have their television sets fixed firmly on the final round of the Canadian Open come Sunday, ready to firmly affix a national hero crown on young Jared du Toit if he can do the unthinkable.

du Toit is one stroke back of PGA veteran Brandt Snedeker heading into the final round of the Open. If he could rally for the win, he’d be the first Canadian in 62 years to win the national tournament, the first Canadian-born player to do it in 102 years.

du Toit is a native of Kimberley, British Columbia, and played his junior year of college at Arizona State University, the squad that produced Phil Mickelson once upon a time. He concluded his junior year with a win at the Glencoe Invitational, finishing with a 2-over 218. He was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2015-2016 with five top-10 finishes.

Prior to attending Arizona State, the 21-year-old du Toit went to Idaho University, a bit closer to home. As a sophomore in 2014-2015, he had three first-place finishes, including at the Big Sky Conference Championship.

The only time an amateur won the Canadian Open was American Doug Sanders, who did it in 1956 at age 22. He went on to win 20 PGA titles and finish second at four Majors.

Of course the last man to win a PGA Tournament as an amateur was Mickleson, who did so at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open. Only four men have won a tournament as an amateur.

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