Barbeque Fun Facts - Yum!

Here are some finger-lickin' facts to get your stomach growling for the barbeque season:

• The first barbecuers may well have been prehistoric cavemen. Anthropologists say they may have started roasting meat some 1.4 million years ago. Other sources say this originated in the Caribbean where the native Indians used wood gratings over a slow fire to cook strips of meat.
• 3 out of 4 American households own a grill and they use it on average of 5 times per month.
• The most popular holiday weekend for barbecuing is July 4th (surprise, surprise!), then Labor Day, with Memorial Day close behind.
• The word "barbecue" may have come from the French phrase "barbe a queue" (from whiskers to tail-The term refers to the original method in which a whole animal was cooked on a spit over an open fire), or the Taino Indian word for their method of cooking fish over a pit of coals (barbacoa). Another source says that roast mutton in Romanian translates into "barbec." So there are several accounts that vary on the true origins of the word. Barbecue is also known as "Barbeque", "barbicue", "barbique", "Bar-B-Cue", "Bar-B-Que", "Bar-B-Q", "BBQ", "Cue", and "Q".
• The most popular foods for cooking on the grill are, in order: burgers (85 percent), steak (80 percent), hot dogs (79 percent) and chicken (73 percent).
• Barbecues have been a White House tradition since Thomas Jefferson. Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, hosted the first barbecue at the White House that featured Texas-style barbecued ribs.
• There's a difference between barbecuing and grilling. Most backyard chefs are actually grilling rather than barbecuing. Grilling involves placing the food directly over the heat source, be it coals, gas-fired flame or whatever. Barbecuing means cooking food slowly via indirect heat and smoke.
• According to ESPN, there are hundreds of organized events throughout the country, with cash prizes as high as $110,000. (Competitive barbecuing and beach volleyball are the only sports in which the spectators are the winners.).

Hiking Safety Tips

A summer hiking adventure does not have to result in injury, death or a search-and-recovery mission. Hiking isn't typically dangerous. Much more often it's a great pleasure, even an adventure. But you're outside, sometimes far from 'civilization' and you can get injured or worse. It pays to heed some common sense hiking safety tips.

Here are 5 tips to assist with planning your summer hiking adventures:

1. Have a plan and share it.

Whether hiking solo or in a group, you need to become familiar with the area you will be hiking, the hazards and the expected weather. The process of getting ready will include obtaining maps to review the area you will hike, briefing all members of the group on route selection, having a turn-around time and developing alternate route selections. Let someone know where you are going, when, your departure point, your planned route and expected time of return. A tip for when you are under way: It is always a good idea to pay attention to landmarks from all angles, as these "markers" sometimes will change dramatically in appearance depending on light, elevation and your angle of observation.

2. Make sure your equipment, clothing and food are up for the trip.

Test your equipment before leaving. Having a little extra clothing, especially for inclement weather, may weigh a bit more, but it is worth it when things go sour. The same rule of "a little extra can't hurt" applies to food and drink. Better to lug around more than to be stranded with less than you need to survive.

3. Know your limits – and those of the other individuals in your group.

A military unit travels at the speed of its slowest member, and that is a good way to think about how to hike. Constant communication is also key. If traveling in a group, you should use a buddy system. Checking your partner for energy levels, blisters, food consumption and fatigue can prevent problems down the trail. 

4. Always bring along proper emergency equipment.

When hiking by yourself, ensure that you have, at a minimum, a first aid kit. Some recommended items include Band-aids, medical tape, over-the-counter pain relievers, moleskin, anti-bacterial ointment and a compress or two and spare headlamp batteries. If traveling in a group, have a "community" first aid kit with additional splints, pads and braces.

5. Know in advance what to do if things go bad.

Park rangers typically encourage hikers in genuine distress to "hug a tree," which means staying where you are until help comes to you. You can last a long time with the gear you have with you. Whistles, mirrors, cell phones (when they work) are priceless. A lost person who wanders around aimlessly – especially in inclement weather – can turn a merely bad situation into a truly tragic situation. It is better to be lost and then found (even if a little embarrassed) than to be carried out of the wilderness in a body bag. When traveling in a group, if someone sustains an injury, good judgment is required to determine if it is safe to proceed; better to send someone (two people, if possible) back for help; or "hug a tree" and wait for help.

It is not hard to figure out why hiking is such a desirable pastime. Some hiking trails run across state lines and cover a country's most beautiful natural spots. Exercise caution, be prepared and enjoy!

Life Insurance - Get it sooner rather than later!

Life insurance is for the other people, right? Let those with the gray hairs and the anxiety about their pension plans fill in the life insurance application forms. You are in your prime, and have better things to do. Wrong! Smart people get the ball rolling on insurance plans early. When you are young, fit, energetic, and in good health you attract the lowest premiums and most rewarding deals on life insurance.

Life insurance might seem like a daunting rite of passage into maturity, but it's really a keystone of adult life. It's about taking out sensible protection to make sure your family isn't faced with unforeseen expenses, a threat to a child's future college fund, or even the loss of a home. The longer you put off getting a life insurance policy, the more likely it is to cost you more. Whether your decision is to buy a policy for a term, perhaps the length of your mortgage, or a permanent policy, your premiums will generally be lower the younger you are.

Insurance carriers take factors like an applicant’s lifestyle and family health history into consideration to determine premiums. For example, if there is a pattern of serious illness in your family, many insurers will factor that into your assessment, which may make it more difficult or expensive to obtain life insurance later in life. This in part is why, younger applicants have a stronger chance to secure lower premiums.

In a tough economic climate, it can be tempting to cut back on household expenditures. Life insurance though is an important and affordable part of your financial planning. For some, the main obstacle to buying life insurance is psychological. They don't want to have to think about an issue that, for people who still feel young, seems remote. That's a mindset that must be overcome. It’s best to think about life insurance rationally. Life insurance is a necessary and valuable safety net while you live your life. Once it's in place you can stride forward confidently.

Contact Modern Insurance Marketing Inc today with any questions you may have regarding life insurance for you and your loved ones. We can help you  find a policy tailored to your budget and to your insurance needs, allowing peace of mind without substantial monthly outlay.

Pool Safety - Worry Free Fun in the Sun

Whether you have a luxury in-ground pool, or plan to blow up an inflatable kiddie pool, it is important to consider the safety implications. 

There are an estimated 7.4 million swimming pools and five million hot tubs in residential or public use in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, there are over 3,400 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States each year, with more than one out of five drowning victims being a child 14 years old or younger, according to the CDC.

If you have a pool, consider taking the following safety precautions:

1. Install a four-sided barrier such as a fence with self closing gates to completely surround the pool. If the house forms the fourth side of the barrier, install alarms on doors leading to the pool area to prevent children from wandering into the pool or spa unsupervised. In addition to the fences or other barriers required by many towns, consider creating several “layers of protection” around the pool, in other words setting up as many barriers (door alarms, locks and safety covers) as possible to the pool area when not in use.
2. Never leave small children unsupervised—even for a few seconds. And never leave toys or floats in the pool when not in use as they may prove to be a deadly temptation for toddlers trying to reach them who might then fall into the pool.
3. Keep children away from pool filters and other mechanical devices as the suction force may injure them or prevent them from surfacing. In case of an emergency, know how to shut off these devices and clearly post this information so others can do so too.
4. Ask if pool users know how to swim. Learners should be accompanied by a good swimmer. If you have children, have them take swimming lessons as early as possible. And, do not allow anyone to swim alone.
5. Check the pool area regularly for glass bottles, toys or other potential accident hazards. Also, keep CD players, radios and other electrical devices away from pools or nearby wet surfaces.
6. Limit alcohol use around the pool, as drinking alcoholic beverages negatively impacts balance, coordination and judgment—and its effects are further heightened by sun exposure and heat. The CDC reports that alcohol use is involved in up to half of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation.
7. Clearly post emergency numbers on the phone, in the event of an accident. Keep a first aid kit, ring buoys and reaching poles near the pool. You may also want to consider learning basic water rescue skills, including first aid and CPR training. For additional information, contact the American Red Cross.

Call your insurance agent at Modern Insurance Marketing, Inc.

(www.moderninsurance.com)

Let us know that you have a pool, since it will increase your liability risk. Pools are considered an “attractive nuisance” and it may be advisable to purchase additional liability insurance. Most homeowners policies include a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability protection. Pool owners, however, may want to consider increasing the amount to at least $300,000 or $500,000. You may also want to talk to MIM about purchasing an umbrella liability policy. For an additional premium of about $200 to $300 a year, you can get $1 million of liability protection over and above what you have on your home. If the pool itself is expensive, you should also have enough insurance protection to replace it in the event it is destroyed by a storm or other disaster. And, don’t forget to include the chairs, tables or other furniture around the pool deck.