Why do we hate PU (fake) leather so much?

Why do we hate PU (fake) leather so much?

What you always wanted to know about PU leather but were afraid to ask.

PU leather has many names: bicast leather, split leather, reconstituted leather, corrected grain leather, leatherette and sometimes, maddeningly just 'leather'. It looks a bit like leather, but trust me it's not leather. Give it a good smell.. You know what real leather smells like, right? Certainly not the faint aroma of a chemical company's R&D lab. Here at LD, we hate PU leather, we detest it with a passion bordering on insanity!

If it's not leather, why does everyone call it leather?

To answer this, lets explain a little bit about the process of making a roll of cheap PU leather. Firstly you get a nice cow hide and take the layers of quality leather from it to use wherever, then you take the fibrous part of the hide that's left over (split leather) apply an adhesive and bond a layer of polyurethane which has been embossed to make it look like leather. Sometimes the suppliers don't even use the split leather, preferring to use a polyester material which is treated to smell 'leather like'.

 What are the differences? 

Putting this simply, real leather (when treated correctly) will get better with age. Leather becomes more supple, giving a pleasing feel to it that’s a pleasure to touch (for most people, sorry vegans!). PU leather will crack around stress points after continuous use. The Polyurethane layer cracks open and peels away from its backing as in the pictures. Leather is of course organic and natural and therefore random where as the grain on PU material will be repeated and made to look like perfect leather.

Why do you hate PU leather so much? You’re scaring me! 

1. Just because it's cheap. I can understand that there will always be a market for a £1 phone cover, so make them out of any old cheap rubbish, fine, I don't care. I was horrified however  to see a very expensive leather iPhone cover a friend had bought from a designer brand shop (I won't say which, but lets call my friend 'Ted B') was starting to crack open around the edges. It was plain to see that it wasn't leather at all but textured PU. I explained this to him, but he just looked at me dumfounded in a state of disbelieve . After all, it had cost him £35 and had been sold as a leather cover - it couldn't be anything else but real leather at that price, surely?! Why did they not use real leather on such an expensive item? Simply to increase their profit margin - bah! 
2. There are much better materials that cost just a little more. The PU element is called Polyurethane, and can actually actually be a very nice material to use by itself. We use a high grade polyurethane for the covers on our iPad 2 cases (as do Apple on theirs). 
3. It's illegal to call it leather in the UK.  As it's not leather, it is a misrepresentation to call it so. Astonishingly though, even main brand suppliers do just that and get away with it. Undoubtedly there are many grades of quality when it comes to PU leather but in our books if it's got a layer of polyurethane on it, it ain't leather - as simple as that. 
4. It's smelly! When you first open a the packaging of a product made from PU leather, you often get a horrible chemical smell assaulting the senses. This comes mostly from the adhesives used in the bonding process. This smell will go away over time, but products made in fast factories in China aren't given time to 'air' and usually go straight into the packaging for shipping.

You Know this ??

What Is In Fertilizer With Trace Elements?

People also need minerals and vitamins. And so do plants. They need "trace elements" like Copper and Iron and Zinc and many more, and other substances, in small amounts. Just like our minerals and vitamins.

You can buy bags or bottles of fertilizers that have "added trace elements".

So now you are feeding your kids protein shakes and vitamin tablets. Hm. The ideal diet? Not really...

Ok, what else have we got?

What Is Organic Fertilizer?

There are natural, organic fertilizers that aren't made by mixing chemicals together. Organic fertilizers are made by mixing natural ingredients, ingredients that are naturally high in N or P or K or all of them, and that also contain trace elements.

 

Chicken poo or blood and bone meal or fish extract and things like that. They contain the NPK in varying ratios, and some trace elements, and maybe other gobbledigook like growth factors, auxins, macromolecules, enzymes...

A bit like mixing herbal supplements and vegetable extracts and the like with your meal replacement diet. Certainly better than just NPK.

However, it's still easily possible to get the balance wrong, especially if you don't know what exactly is in that bag and what exactly your plants need.

Maybe it's theoretically possible to grow reasonably healthy kids on a diet like that, if you do add enough different herb, fruit and vegetable extracts, in a high quality form where most of the goodness in them is actually preserved. And if you really understand what you are doing there, what EXACTLY the kids need!

But it is getting a bit difficult now, isn't it? Tricky and expensive...

Many people think they have to learn all that to fertilize plants correctly.

Secrets of Fertilizer

What Is Fertilizer Made Of?

Plants also have three main "food groups", or rather "macro nutrients", the three elements that make up the bulk of a fertilizer: NPK.

You may have seen those letters on fertilizer bags. They stand for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (kalium in other languages, hence the chemical symbol K).

Plants need a lot of that stuff. NPK needs to be available to the plant in the right ratio, just like we need a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. (We're not looking at the latest fad diet, we are talking about a balanced diet here, ok?)

Now, many people grow plants in the belief that all they need to give them is water and fertilizer. Water and NPK, at a correct ratio.

That would be the same as bringing up your kids on instant meals or meal replacement shakes that contain nothing but powdered protein, carbohydrates and fat, in the correct ratio.

Do you think your kids will grow strong and healthy, with a good immune system, if you feed them just that? Neither do I.

History of trade of the People's Republic of China

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Agricultural products were distributed in three major ways in China during the 1980s. They were either retained by the household (now the primary production unit) for distribution among its members, procured by the state, or sold in rural or urban free markets.

Approximately 63 percent of the population was located in rural areas, where the majority of people worked in agriculture and rural industries. Under the responsibility system for agriculture instituted in 1981, the household replaced the production team as the basic production unit. Families contracted with the economic collective to farm a plot of land, delivered a set amount of grain or other produce and the agricultural tax to the state, and paid a fee to the collective. After meeting these obligations, the household was free to retain its surplus produce or sell it on free markets. Restrictions on private plots and household sideline production were lifted, and much of the produce from these was also sold on free markets.

Distribution of food and other agricultural goods to urban consumers, industry and rural areas deficient in food was carried out primarily by the state and secondarily by producers or cooperatives. The state procured agricultural goods by means of taxes in kind and by purchases by state commercial departments (state trading companies) under theMinistry of Commerce. The agricultural tax was not large, falling from 12 percent of the total value of agricultural output in 1952 to 5 percent in 1979.

Restrictions on private business activities were greatly reduc

In 1984 the number of agricultural and sideline products subject to state planning and purchasing quotas was reduced from twenty-nine to ten and included cereal grains, edible oil, cured tobacco, jute, hemp, and pigs. In 1985 the system of state purchasing quotas for agricultural products was abolished. Instead, the state purchased grain and cotton under contract at a set price. Once contracted quotas were met, grain and cotton were sold on the market at floating prices. If market prices fell below the listed state price, the state purchased all available market grain at the state price to protect the interests of producers. Vegetables, pigs, and aquatic products sold to urban, mining, and industrial areas were traded in local markets according to demand. Local commercial departments set the prices of these goods according to quality to protect the interests of urban consumers. All other agricultural goods were sold on the market to the state, to cooperatives, or to other producers.

ed, permitting peasants as well as cooperatives to transport agricultural goods to rural and urban markets. This also allowed a rapid expansion of free markets in the countryside and in cities. The number of wholesale produce markets increased by 450 percent between 1983 and 1986, reaching a total of 1,100 and easing pressure on the state produce distribution network, which had been strained by the burgeoning agricultural production engendered by rural reforms. In 1986 free markets, called "commodity fairs," amounted to 61,000 nationwide.

Once food was procured and transported to urban areas, it was sold to consumers by state-owned stores and restaurants. In the mid-1980s food items were also available in free markets, where peasants sold their produce, and in privately owned restaurants. As noted previously, the prices of pigs, aquatic products, and vegetables were determined by local authorities according to quality and demand. The prices of other products floated freely on the market. Except for grain, edible oil, and a few other rationed items, food items were in good supply.

Industrial goods used in agricultural production were sold to agricultural units in the 1980s. Local cooperatives or state supply and marketing bureaus sold most agricultural producer goods, including chemical fertilizers and insecticides, to households at set prices. The state also offered preferential prices for agricultural inputs to grain farmers to encourage grain production. Households were permitted to purchase agricultural machinery and vehicles to transport goods to market. In order to ensure that rural units could cover the costs of the increasing quantities of industrial inputs required for higher yields, the government periodically reduced the prices of the industrial goods sold to farmers, while raising the procurement prices for agricultural products. In the mid-1980s, however, the price gap between agricultural and industrial products was widening to the disadvantage of farmers.

Source : wikipedia 

Cheese

Di Bruno Bros Employs The Highest Number of Certified Cheese Pros In The Nation

• There are only 406 Certified Cheese Professionals in the entire world.
•  Nine of them are here in Philadelphia, working at Di Bruno Bros.
• And what exactly is a Certified Cheese Professional, you may ask?
• Also known as CCPs, Certified Cheese Professionals are cheese experts who have gone through the cheese certification program sponsored by the American Cheese Society and have then passed the 3-hour, 150-question test. 

The test includes questions on the chemistry of cheese production, display building, animal care, HACCP plans, cheese pairings and much more. Not only is the test content-intensive, but it costs hundreds of dollars to take.

And yet still, Philadelphia's own Di Bruno Bros has 9 of the world's total supply of CCPs working in their cheese department--the highest concentration of CCPs in the nation by any independent retailer. And if that isn't impressive enough, all Di Bruno Bros' CCPs passed the exam on their first attempt.

Whey protein powder

The Best (and Worst) Whey Protein Powders

Does your whey protein powder is bad? Get a crash course on which powders pack a real punch.

• How do you choose a whey protein powder? 
• Do you go on the recommendation of your buddy at the gym and take what he takes?
•  Do you pick the bottle with the shiniest, most cutting-edge label? 
• Do you go by what tastes good or what’s on sale at your local GNC?

The first step in determining whether your protein is worthy is to give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve recognized whey’s benefits and have included it in your daily regimen. Just to review, whey is enormously beneficial for several reasons, including amino acid and microfraction content (more on that in a minute) and digestion rate.

 

Whey is one of the richest sources of BCAAs, which include the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. These bad boys have been shown to be absolutely critical for muscle growth, and even for energy during workouts. Whey protein also contains biologically active protein microfractions such as alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, glycomacropeptides, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and various growth factors. These provide antioxidant benefits, boost immune function and enhance muscle recovery and growth.

But probably the most critical factor that puts whey protein miles ahead of other forms of protein is digestion rate. Whey digests very rapidly. In fewer than 30 minutes it can fast-track a good portion of its aminos to your muscles, and that rapid delivery of amino acids to muscle cells has been shown to be important for pushing muscle growth.

Find the right supplements for your diet and fitness goals at GNC Live Well If you know that whey is one of the proteins found in milk, then it should be obvious that whey protein production starts with dairy cows. Cows are milked on the farm, and this milk is the starting source for most protein

Whey protein powder is far more effective than any other protein form out there, but its effectiveness can vary widely. Often the limiting factor of a whey protein product is the other ingredients companies add to it. But the type of whey — and the amount of each type present in a product — can also affect effectiveness.

What is a pashmina shawl?

The following notes are drawn from an account of Kashmiri shawl production in Anamika Pathak's Pashmina. Our understanding is that methods are similar in Nepal.

• The primary source of wool is the domesticated goat Capra hircus. This wool is called pashm.
• The word shahtoosh derives from shah (king) and tus (wool), and refers to the highest quality fabric, which was reserved only for royalty. Although historically (and perhaps currently) other wild species are used as well, shahtoosh wool is derived primarily from the endangered Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), more commonly known by the Tibetan name chiru. It is illegal in most countries.
• The domesticated shawl goats have an outer coat composed of short and relatively brittel guard hairs, and a softer inner coat. The best quality fiber comes from the area under the neck and belly.
• The goat is sheared once a year, at the beginning of the summer. A knife is used rather than scissors, because the scissors allow the inner and outer layers of fleece mix. A knife is used to remove the outer coat first, and then the inner fleece is combed toward the head and carefully cut off.
• Despite the care and skill of shearers, there is always some outer hair mixed into the finer fleece, and this has to be removed by hand.
• The raw wool is sorted according to quality and fiber length. Individual hairs may be as long as 40 cm (16").
• The sorted fibers are washed with plain water to get rid of dust and plant matter. Soap is not used, as it makes the wool harsher.
• The cleaned wool is teased between two wooden combs to loosen and separate tangled fibers.
• Prior to spinning, the cleaned wool is spread out and rubbed with a paste of pounded rice and water. Once dried and teased again, the toughened wool is ready for spinning into yarn.
• Two qualities of thread were spun. The warp thread, which is subject to more tension than the weft, is prepared with a greater number of twists. The weft thread is less intensively twisted, so that it retains a fluffier texture.