What will you give?

A simple question, yet, an impactful response.   

With so much discussion of Black Friday and Cyber Monday following a Day of Thanksgiving—our thoughts recently turned on this Tuesday to: “What will you give?”

Well, our staff here at Alliance Packaging Group, Inc., was quick to answer and responded through action on that very important question.  Through Tuesday, December 3, 2013, our efforts and community involvement reaches locally with useful lip balm samples and donations to the Saukville American Legion and a local bank to share with participants at an annual run/walk.  On a larger scale, our products, (i.e. – lip balms, hand sanitizers and sun screen) were included in care packs that are often shared with the homeless in Milwaukee through the tireless work of Mr. Bob’s “Under the Bridge” program—which was started back in 2007.  In addition, we continue to support the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Balance Inc., North Texas Rehabilitation Services, Ozaukee County National Night Out, Advocates of Ozaukee County and Celebrate Grafton, Family Sharing of Grafton and Saukville Community Food Pantry.  Yes, a small sampling of giving back, but, on this #GivingTuesday™, it is our way to make mention on how WE GIVE and IMPACT our communities. 

What will you give? 

Have a great #GivingTuesday—EVERYDAY!

The Sun has been rediscovered!

As snow continues to clog the mighty month of March and Spring that is to come is lost some where, I thought it would do us all good to see what we can expect to see one of these days.  2013 has us with plenty of broad spectrum sunscreen for our clients and we sure hope to use some sooner rather than later.  Come on April, bring us SUN SHINE!

Supply and Demand in Youth Sports

SGMA Study: Basketball, Baseball, & Swimming Have Highest Percentage of ' Core' Participants
SportsOneSource Media     Posted: 9/6/2012

The forces of supply and demand are having a major impact on team sports in the United States. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association's (SGMA) annual participation study on team sports - U. S. Trends in Team Sports (2012 edition) - the number of 6-17 year old children that want to play youth sports is on the rise while overall play in local youth sports leagues is decreasing. This SGMA study indicates that there is a shortage of available facilities and local recreation leagues (a supply issue) and there has been an evolution for team sports, such as basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, into a tournament and 'showcase' based model that puts less importance on regular, local league play (a demand issue).

"The importance and significance of team sports in our lives in the U.S. has never been greater than it is right now and this was reflected in the record number of Americans who watched the Olympic Games on television this summer.  Our national interest in the U.S. Olympic teams that competed in basketball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and track & field was substantial, to say the least," said SGMA President Tom Cove. "While interest is high in team sports, overall participation in 19 team sports actually declined from 2010 to 2011.  It would be great if many of the spectators actually decided to participate as well!"

THE GOOD NEWS

According to SGMA's U. S. Trends in Team Sports, the team sports which have had strongest gains in overall participation since 2008 are lacrosse (up 37.3%), rugby (up 30%), gymnastics (up 21.4%), ice hockey (up 13.9%), beach volleyball (up 10.6%), and ultimate Frisbee (up 9.6%).  Among the 24 team sports in this study, baseball (69%), basketball (67%), and swimming for competition (64%) have the highest percentage of 'core' participants, which are those who are the most committed, in terms of playing days, to their respective sport.  

"Team sports are actually getting a boost from adult females (age 18+) and among young females (age 6-12).  On the other hand, fewer and fewer adult males (age 18+) are playing team sports and those that do play are not playing as many sports as they have been in the past," said Neil Schwartz, director of business development for SGMA Research.

SPENDING MONEY ON TEAM SPORTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, there is a section that reports on consumer spending on team sports.  The results are revealing:

Equipment Is Key.  U.S. consumers were less likely to report cuts in spending on sporting goods equipment in the 2012 survey than they were in the 2011 survey.

'Niche' Sports Spur Spending. At least 40% of the participants in field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling reported an increase in equipment spending in 2011.

Spending This Year.  Nearly 40% of team sports participants plan to increase their spending this year on 'travel to take part in sports/recreation activities' and 'team sports outside of school.'

OUTSIDE INTERESTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, a survey was conducted among team sports athletes to see which sports and activities - outside of their main team sports - interested them.  

1.    75% of all cheerleaders have no other athletic interests;
2.    34% of basketball players enjoy working out with weights;
3.    28% of baseball players like bicycle riding;
4.    Golf is most appealing to baseball players and roller hockey players;
5.    Tennis is most popular among grass volleyball players and indoor soccer players.

LISTEN TO THE LEADERS OF TEAM SPORTS
This edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports features Q & A interviews with four individuals who play a prominent role in team sports in the U.S.  They are Scott Hallenbeck, executive director, USA Football; Stephen Keener, president/CEO, Little League Baseball International; Jon Butler, executive director, Pop Warner Football; and Kevin Davis, president/CEO, Bauer Hockey.

Scott Hallenbeck says USA Football is constantly looking at how the game can be enhanced and improved.  In a nutshell, Hallenback says preserving the status quo is never the option at USA Football.

"Football has thrived for decades. It's notable how strong the game is, although there are so many ways that we are improving it, particularly in coaching education. The sport must continue to evolve. This is happening," said Hallenbeck.  "We have the only nationally accredited coaching education program.  Coaching education and instruction have become an important part of youth football. Ours incorporates video, quizzes, 3D visualization, and other tools that add practical value. We have more than 30,000 coaches who come to us individually each year. They genuinely want to get better."

At Little League Baseball, Keener says it's important that, as young children, promising baseball players should not focus their athletic talents just on the game of baseball.

"We try to educate parents that everything we've heard tells us that specialization at such a young age is not necessarily a good thing,
"said Keener. "For instance, in warm weather locations kids are being provided opportunities to play baseball year-round and they get burned out. They'll be healthier long-term if they diversify."

At Pop Warner, Jon Butler says his group is well informed on the issue of concussions and is doing everything in its power to keep players as safe as possible.

"In 2010 we established the Pop Warner Medical Advisory Board, led by physicians with expertise in neuromedicine and sports safety, to ensure that Pop Warner stays at the forefront of new health and safety issues and any medical developments that may affect our young athletes,"said Butler.  "In June we announced two new rule changes for the 2012 season that address the type of contact and amount of contact allowed in football practice - a first at any level of the sport."

While Bauer is having success in the marketplace, Kevin Davis says his company does not take that success for granted.

"With Bauer we have 60% market share in ice hockey helmets, and with Cascade we have 80% market share in lacrosse helmets'so safety is our responsibility," said Davis.  "We treat each season like you rent your market share. We approach everything from a relatively humble basis. There's a consumer and a customer, and you have to earn that business every season."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Listed below are some newsworthy excerpts from this edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports:

A Young Foundation:  Competitive swimming has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are 6-17 years-old, as 84% of all 'core' competitive swimmers are in that age group.  And, 70% of all swimmers are in the 6-17 year-old age group.

School Is Cool:   Cheerleading has the highest percentage (77%) of 'core' participants who are engaged in an activity through either school or college.

Girls Rule:  There are seven activities where more than 50% of the 'core' participants are female - cheerleading, field hockey, gymnastics, fast-pitch softball, swimming for competition, court volleyball, and grass volleyball.

The Mature Crowd:  Beach volleyball has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are between the ages of 25 and 54 - 64%.

Money Matters:  The two sports where the largest percentage of participants comes from households that make more than $100,000 a year are field hockey and swimming for competition.




Those are the facts as we see them.  Want to support your teams and young athletes?  FACE PAINT!
Want to protect your precious assets?  SPF 30 for the outdoor sports!
We make them both.
The Pied Piper

Attributed to Baz Lurhman

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…

Please trust him on the sunscreen!
The Pied Piper

All American Products

All of our products are proudly made in America by American Craftsman.  Our employees come from just about every ethnic and religious background and are joined together in the great joy of living and working in America!

As American made products, what does that get you??

The highest quality products made in the world under the watchful eye of trained quality control people.  American made gets you products that will be manufactured in a humane way with out testing on animals, child labor or unknown additives.  Made in America at our plant means a great product, done right at a great price delivered in a timely manner.  With real people that answer real phones!

We love the whole idea of made in America!

The Pied Piper

The smash hit video...Everybody's free to wear sunscreen! Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ&feature=player_embedded

The Pied Piper

Not for the lips but for another use.....

I shot this little bit of video to send to the client showing them that their product was at the end of the line in production and would be shipping out that day.  There is something mesmerizing in watching the continuous flow of product as it goes through the labeling equipment at a remarkable rate. All products are lot coded and quality control needs to come by and sample it for product meeting specs on the batch, the fill and even the labeling to make sure we are all spinning in the right direction.

Just so we don't spin out of control!

The Pied Piper

Avid golfer, Undisclosed handicap.

Saukville, Wisconsin,1/27/12

USGA Woman’s  Open, Blackwolf Run and Alliance Packaging Group take sun exposure seriously!

Alliance Packaging Group is the authorized manufacturer of SPF Lip Balm, SPF Sunscreen and SPF face Stick for the USGA Woman’s Open at Blackwolf Run,the Kohler, Wisconsin golf course.  APG an FDA approved high quality Lab and manufacturer is pleased to be the providing these logoed items for the tournament.  The host club, the USGA and authorized vendors will be selling the collectable items at the event, July 5-8, 2012.

Alliance Packaging Group is a premier manufacturer of lip balm, body and skin care products specializing in formulation and private label products, Alliance Packaging Groups CEO Linda Kamal , an avid golfer with an undisclosed handicap, said “we are so pleased to have been allowed to make our products for this premier event, especially as it is so close to our manufacturing facility.  The hands free face stick will certainly be favored by the players as a way to apply needed sunscreen without using their hands.”

Alliance Packaging Is also celebrating State of Wisconsin recognition as an official Woman Business Enterprise.

The Pied Piper

Protection racket exposed!

Sunburn is no fun!

A couple of quick facts for you today.  Getting sunburned 5 times results in a dramatically increased risk for skin cancer.  Not 5 times per week, not 5 times per month, not 5 times per summer but 5 times in your life.

Wearing a hat is great but that only controls the amount of sun you get hit with from directly overhead.  Reflected sun is a greater danger.

And did you know that SPF 30 blocks 97% of the UVB rays?  You don't really benefit from higher SPF ratings., SPF 50 has 1% more blocking power.

Knowledge is power. Protect yourself. Use broadband sunscreen.

The Pied Piper

Face that Paint

Puddy is the Devil-Sienfeld

 

Why is face paint becoming so popular?

Check this:

7700 College and Universities (with teams and clubs galore)

140,000 Schools (with teams and clubs galore)

1089 Heritage festivals (What does your flag look like)

5752 Professional or Semi Professional sport teams (Wear your colors proudly)

8,000,000 High schoolers involved in sports (who is rooting for who)

311,591,917 US population –(how many teams do they each support)

THE OLYMPICS

Now toss in art and crafts at camps and in schools.  Add high holidays like St.Pats and 4^th of July.  Include causes like breast cancer awareness.

What do you have?  Unbelievable opportunity!

The Pied Piper

Who's outside? Everyone is!

"In 2011, participation in outdoor recreation reached a five-year record in the U.S. providing hopeful evidence for the ongoing move toward healthier living and active lifestyles according to the 2012 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report.
More than 141 million Americans, or 49.4 percent of the U.S. population, participated in outdoor activities last year, an increase of three million people compared to 2010 and continuing a five-year trend. In addition, Americans made a total of 11.6 billion outdoor outings in 2011, which is 1.5 billion more than the previous year. Annually, participants averaged 82 outdoor outings – from hiking to biking, skiing to paddling.
“This report shows that Americans are getting up and getting outside – a great trend for the outdoor community and the country,” said Christine Fanning, executive director of The Outdoor Foundation, which published the report. “We are encouraged by the growing population of active young people, which reflects recent efforts to re-engage and re-inspire America’s youth to get outdoors.”
The research showed increases in youth and young adult participation – continuing an encouraging, yet modest, trend over the last few years. Outdoor participation increased by one percent in every age bracket, 6-to-12, 13-to-17 and 18-to-24 respectively. This accounted for more than four billion outdoor outings for the younger generation with an annual average of nearly 90 outdoor outings. While encouraging, these rates are significantly lower than those recorded in 2006. For example, 63 percent of youth ages 6-to-12 participated in outdoor recreation in 2011, compared to 78 percent in 2006.
The Most Popular activities among young people in overall participation continue to be Running, Biking, Camping, Fishing and Hiking.
The Most Favorite activities as measured by frequency of participation were Running, Biking, Skateboarding, Triathlons and Birdwatching. Interestingly, adults share a passion for similar recreational pursuits."

So you need to grab your sunscreen, lip balm, sport lubricant and get in the game!
The Pied Piper

Alliance Packaging Group regroup

Mr. Economy, Business is booming.  Please follow our example.
The Pied Piper

A little lesson in Anatomy

The Anatomy of a new product.   Development: Part One

We meet multiple times a month to discuss "the week that was" and to toss around new product ideas.  Ideas that are new to us anyway. 

 One idea that came up concerned oil diffusers for the home and office.  We have been making massage oils with fragrances and thought this might be a natural extension for us. 

So we started the process to see what kind of containers we could use but knowing the primary market would be promotional product rather than package for retail.  We quickly discovered that the traditional size jar and oils involved with retail diffusers were going to be too big and too costly. 

 As we started up the path to downsizing the product, a new thought occurred.  Using the existing and available containers we usually work with, can we develop a small tube for use in the car or cubicle or home that held pre-soaked pieces of bamboo?

 

The lab made some up and we discovered that the fragrance evaporated to quickly.  So the project was parked for a few weeks.  Then we got back after it and made the following decision. We need to test a vaiety of substrates to find a workable solution.

We are testing a wide variety of materials from cork to cotton to find  a vehicle that will provide consistent  and longer term aroma therapy…come back and find out how we did!

Want to know a secret?

I have a lot of secrets.  Things that no one should know.  I have secrets about products that clients want to have perceived as being made by them and not us.  I have secret formulas. I have secret processes.  I have secret ingredients.  In fact I have secret documents!

In the business we are in, if you can't keep a secret, everybody loses.  Like real life, but instead of hurt feelings you get hurt financials.

I am asked all the time to divulge secrets.  But I can not do that.  When a client asks us to keep something confidential, we do.  When a client asks us not to disclose, we will not disclose.  Out feeling is that we are an extension of our clients and their best interest is our best interest.

What do we do that is so special it requires secrets?  We make lotions and potions that others market under their own brands.  We may add a secret ingredient to a common base formula.  We may brand a common formula that is enhanced by marketing.  We make a lot of product and we do it for others.

So, yes indeed I have a secret or two!

The Pied Piper

Give ME the hives will you??

Hives mean Bees and Bees mean Beeswax!

We use our fair share of beeswax to make what some have called the finest lip balm in the USA.  It is the essential ingredient to a high end lip balm for moisture and protection.  But what is beeswax?

From several web sources we learn:

Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols. Typically, for a honey beekeeper, 10 pounds of honey yields 1 pound of wax.^[1]


The wax is formed by worker bees (the females), who secrete it from eight wax-producing mirror glands on the inner sides of the sternites (the ventral shield or plate of each segment of the body) on abdominal segments 4 to 7. The sizes of these wax glands depend on the age of the worker and after daily flights begin these glands gradually atrophy. The new wax scales are initially glass-clear and colorless (see illustration), becoming opaque after mastication by the worker bee. The wax of honeycomb is nearly white, but becomes progressively more yellow or brown by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis. The wax scales are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) across and 0.1 millimetres (0.0039 in) thick, and about 1100 are required to make a gram of wax.^[2]
Honey bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells in which their young are raised and honey and pollen are stored. For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient temperature in the hive has to be 33 to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F). To produce their wax, bees must consume about eight times as much honey by mass. It is estimated that bees fly 150,000 miles, roughly six times around the earth, to yield one pound of beeswax (530,000 km/kg).


When beekeepers extract the honey, they cut off the wax caps from each honeycomb cell with an uncapping knife or machine. Its color varies from nearly white to brownish, but most often a shade of yellow, depending on purity and the type of flowers gathered by the bees. Wax from the brood comb of the honey bee hive tends to be darker than wax from the honeycomb. Impurities accumulate more quickly in the brood comb. Due to the impurities, the wax has to be rendered before further use. The leftovers are called slumgum.
The wax may further be clarified by heating in water. As with petroleum waxes, it may be softened by dilution with vegetable oil to make it more workable at room temperature.

• Beeswax is mainly used to make honeycomb foundation for reuse by the bees.
• Purified and bleached beeswax is used in the production of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals:
  • As a coating for cheese, to protect the food as it ages. As a food additive, it is known as E901 (glazing agent).
  • As a skin care product, a German study found beeswax to be superior to similar "barrier creams" (usually mineral oil based creams, such as petroleum jelly), when used according to its protocol.^[8]
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in moustache wax, as well as hair pomades.
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in surgical bone wax.
  • Beeswax is an ingredient in the best lip balm in the world made by Alliance Packaging Group.

• Candles
  • Beeswax was traditionally prescribed as the material (or at least a significant part of the material) for the Paschal candle ("Easter candle") and is recommended for other candles used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.^[9]
  • Beeswax is used commercially to make fine candles.

• Although only about 10,000 tons are produced annually, a variety of niche uses exist:^[10]
  • As a component of shoe polish
  • As a component of furniture polish, dissolved in turpentine, sometimes blended with linseed or tung oil
  • As a component of modeling waxes.
  • As a blended with pine rosin, beeswax serves as an adhesive to attach reed plates to the structure inside a squeezebox.
  • Used to make Cutler's resin.
  • Used in Eastern Europe in egg decoration. It is used for writing, via resist dyeing, on batik eggs (as in pysanky) and for making beaded eggs.
  • Formerly used in the manufacturing of the cylinders used by the earliest phonographs.
  • Used by percussionists to make a surface on tambourines for thumb rolls.
  
  Now you know the rest of the story!
  The Pied Piper

March Madness is 90 Degrees in Wisconsin

As all of us long time residents of the upper Midwest know, March is a mysterious month.  Rain, sleet, snow, sun, wind, cold, not as cold, almost not cold and often almost warm all in the same day.   To be the epicenter of awesome weather in the US is not our usual m.o.  But here we sit setting record after record with mild winds to make our entire ecosystem think that it is summer!  Bugs are out, flowers are blooming, seeds are being planted.

The weather man said last week, the computer model showed only increasing and very nice temperatures into the future as far as the he could see. We know it won't last but how nice to be the new Arizona or Florida instead of the new Tennessee in these days of global warming.

So we are ramping up our production of sun screens and SPF lip balms.  You have to go with the flow!

I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.

Yesterday was chocolate day in the back.  Chris and Lee were cooking up a big batch of our dark chocolate based cocoa noir for lip balm making.  The whole plant and offices were awash in the delicious aroma of chocolate.  Is it any surprise that there are now cookies available in the office area.  One good day of absorbing the chocolate lead to baking sessions at home and sweet dreams for all.

Things about chocolate:


A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies. – Robert Paul

Put “eat chocolate” at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you’ll get one thing done.

There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers

After a bar of chocolate one can forgive anybody, even one’s relatives.

There are only three things in life that matter – good friends, good chocolate and, oh dear, what was that other one?

Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. – Sandra Boynton

A little too much chocolate is just about right.

Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.

If chocolate is the answer, the question is irrelevant.

I take chocolate from strangers.

There’s a thin person inside of me screaming to get out, but I keep her sedated with chocolate.



Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment.

Chocolate isn’t a food, it’s a medicine – an anti-depressant.

Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate! – Elaine Sherman, Book of Divine Indulgences

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already. – Dave Barry

Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension. – Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Institute of Food Research

When no one understands you, chocolate is there.

Hot fudge fills deep needs. – Susan Isaacs



The 12-step chocoholics program: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE! – Terry Moore

I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.



So noble a confection, more than nectar & ambrosia, the true food of the gods. – Dr. Bachot, 1662

The Greek term theobroma (Latin name for cacao) means literally food of the gods. Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil, but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.




Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces. – Judith Viorst

If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage? – Marquise de Sévigné



Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits. – Baron Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), German chemist
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain. – Thomas Jefferson

All of the evil that people have thrust upon chocolate is really more deserved by milk chocolate, which is essentially contaminated. The closer you get to a pure chocolate liquor (the chocolate essence ground from roasted cacao beans) the purer it is, the more satisfying it is, the safer it is, and the healthier it is. – Arnold Ismach, The Darker Side of Chocolate

Chocolate is a Vegetable: chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable. To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy. So candy bars are a health food.

I do recommend a piece of good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack . . . It is a source of polyphenols, the same type of antioxidants found in red wine, and the fat it contains is stearic acid, which doesn’t affect cholesterol levels. The latest good news for chocolate lovers comes from a study indicating that flavonoids in chocolate are good for your heart. These compounds reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. By eating a 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar, you get the same amount of these protective compounds as in a 5-ounce glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. – Andrew Weil, M.D.

Nitric oxide plays such an important role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and, in turn, cardiovascular health. If our research results continue to support a link between consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and nitric oxide synthesis, there could be significant implications for public health. – Norman Hollenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School

Chocolate contains large amounts of the same beneficial plant chemicals that now have burnished the reputation of tea. In fact, just one ounce of chocolate has about as much of these plant chemicals as a cup of brewed black tea. One large, ongoing study of the benefits of exercise found that men who eat chocolate in moderation live longer than those who eat none. – University of California-Berkeley Wellness Letter

We already know that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables results in an increase of antioxidants in our blood. We believe chocolate consumption may have the same effect. We forget that chocolate is derived from cocoa beans-the fruit of the cacao tree-a fruit that is a rich source of these potentially beneficial substances. – Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Chocolate just stands out [for antioxidant content]. It’s much higher than anything else. – Joe Vinson, Ph.D., University of Scranton

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food. – Michael Levine, nutrition researcher
In 1724, Dr. Richard Brookes claimed that chocolate prolonged life and cured ringworm and ulcers. He also suggested cocoa butter for skin treatment, piles and gout.

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process…. It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

Golf is coming! A few facts..

Golf is thought of highly here at APG. Mike, one of our quality guys, is already pushing for a game.  Reed, who runs our back end, has tee times set.  Snow just left yesterday, only 36 degrees today, but everybody seems ready.
There are 25 million golfers here in the USA.  Over 500 million rounds of golf will be played.  There are over 450,000 outings and events.  With over 118 Professional golf tournaments between Men, Ladies and Seniors-which gives us 18,000,000-20,000,000 spectators.

And what are all these people doing?????  Sitting, standing, walking, laying, squatting, stretching, and facing into the sun.

Since we sell a lot of SPF 30 Sunscreen lotion, SPF 30 face stick and hands fee sunscreen balms and SPF 15 and 30 lip balms amongst other things...that is another reason why we like golf.  Keep your elbow straight, read the greens from three angles, shift your weight as you swing and liberally apply sun screen.  Our best advice.

The Pied Piper

Talking Tubas and cork grease

Tubas are on my mind today for three reasons.

 Reason number one is the fact that we make cork grease and package it for clients and the fact is, it is damn fine cork grease!

 The second reason is my son plays the Tuba and has his solo and ensemble performances this weekend.  It should be a fine time for all the musicians in the area.  If you have not done so, go to one of these judged performances.  You will be amazed at the sheer number of nice and even great musicians.

The third reason is that I caught an article not long ago that reported the Tuba is on the must steal list for thieves.  In California it seems they steel them and probably sell for scrap not knowing what the real value is!

I do love the marching Tubas of the University of Wisconsin.  Go to a Badger football game and watch them as they march the stands in the fifth quarter!

In big breath,
The Pied Piper.

Sheep Grease

BAAAAAAAAA...
Sheep Grease is also know as LANOLIN!  I was in back with Chris and Lee, our Chefs du Jour, and there was a rather pungent odor coming off a barrel in the blending area.  Pure barnyard.  And Chris told me it was Sheep Grease.  Which is of course, lanolin.

The history of lanolin dates back to 8000 years when people first began to use the substance derived from sheep wool. Going by ancient Egyptian history, we find that the primeval Egyptians placed blocks of lanolin on their head. When this lanolin melted in the sun and spread over the face, it made the skin soft. Several therapeutic and pharmaceutical texts written during the last 2000 years offer us valuable information and guidelines regarding the use of lanolin. In fact, the term lanolin is derived from the Latin words ‘lana’ meaning wool and ‘oleum’ denoting oil. However, chemically, lanolin is not oil, but a kind of wax. To be precise, lanolin is secreted by the sebaceous glands in sheep and shields their coat from rain and other natural elements.
Lanolin is derived from the wool after shearing the fleece of sheep and it is interesting to note that extraction of lanolin does not cause any harm to these animals. Normally, 100 pounds of wool or fleece from sheep produce merely two to four pounds of lanolin. The best thing about lanolin is that the substance is a replenishing natural resource and not a synthetic compound produced artificially.

And we use lanolin in a variety of our products.

So how much shearing goes on to fill a 55 gallon drum?  How about 12,000 lbs of wool!  That is over 1600 sheep's worth of fine waterproofing..

The Pied Piper