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When other companies live to make a sale, we Anand Techverce ought to create fortune with good service and investment of time with the clientele.
Quality in our service is not what we put in it. It is what our customer gets out of it. Being a best quality provider we obviously make you feel our existence.
"Because nothing great was ever achieved without DIGITAL MARKETING"
With a meticulous history in the Digital arena, Anand Techverce maintains an extensive Digital Marketing, Web Design and UI, Web Development and Health Care Development Services. We stand firm that a company's goal is to have a customer service that is not just the best, but legendry. We use frontline technologies to develop the best software for our client. We are not a brand centric; we are client centric optimizing brands' voice that sells itself.
We strive to impress your user by imparting quality and user friendly features.
the site depends on its layout and visuals. This makes the phase of web development, one of the most creative and success grabbing initiative for a solid foundation to excel in the market.
We create responsive, easy-to-navigate layouts that are user friendly and content management systems that express your brand, increase conversions, and generate sales.
website development process includes elements such as designing interactive contact forms, implementing payment gateways, and choosing a CMS such as WordPress, Joomla, php, Java, and Magento.
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The Borno State Government on Friday announced the death of Alhaji Shettima Ali-Monguno a former Minister of Mines, Power and Petroleum.
"It is with a deep sense of loss and profound sadness that we announce, on behalf of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State and the Borno State Government, the passage of our father and distinguished Statesman, Alhaji (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno.
He said the deceased would be buried on Saturday in Maiduguri after a funeral prayer at 2 p.m. at his residence.
Shuwa prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and his family and entire people of Borno the fortitude to bear the loss.
He attended Monguno primary school, Teacher's College Bauchi and Katsina, College of Arts, Science and Technology Zaria, Moray House college of Education and the University of Edinburgh.
He served as a parliamentarian in the First Republic and was appointed the Minister of Air Force and Internal Affairs between 1965 and 1966.
He was a Federal Commissioner for Trade and Industries between 1966 and 1971 and Minister for Mines and Power, Petroleum and Energy between 1972 to 1975.
Monguno also served as President of OPEC fron 1972 to 1973.


A – Aussie: How else could I begin? Aussies come from Oz or the Land Downunder where I was born and bred.
B – Blois: In the middle of the Loire Valley, where we're in the process of buying a house built in 1584 which we'll be renting out as self-catering holiday accommodation until the NEW ADVENTURE in my life starts in June 2014.
C – Cycling: Our favourite activity from April until October in France and wherever. Next trip: Paris to London once they've completed the bike route for the London Olympic Games.
D – Down Under: Not the Land, but the book by Bill Bryson. Full of clichés, but most of them are just so true! And a good read any time.
E – Early bird: Which I'm not, but it's the only way to beat the tourists and I hate standing in line! And that's what siestas are for.
F – Foie Gras: One of my very favourite foods and that I now know how to make.
G – Garret: Where I thought I was living when I first moved to France, even though it was just a room in a third floor apartment.
H – Home Exchange: Our new way of holidaying. First stop Madrid and lots of exchanges planned for Australia, some simultaneous, some not.
I – iPhone: Something I'm crazy about and which can certainly make life easier on holidays. Perfect for Twitter and Facebook too.
J – Jam-packed: The metro at peak hour so why not take the bus instead and be a real Parisienne?
K – Kilos: The 20 I have lost and never intend to put back on!
L – Loire Valley: Land of kings and queens and castles. Our future home. Less than 2 hours' drive from Paris.
M – Mushrooms: Our second favourite activity after cycling, from April to December. But next year we're heading for Provence in January to check out the truffle market!
N – Natural skinnies: The people who don't ever have to lose 20 kilos.
O – Oysters: Another of my favourite foods, especially on Sundays – "spéciales" with fresh homemade bread and a lovely cold bottle of Sancerre.
P – Palais Royal: My home for another two years and for the last seven. Right in the middle, with a view of fountain from my balcony, directly above Miss Bibi!
Q – Queensland: Where I was born, in the tropics, a true-blue Banana Bender!
R – Relationnel: My very French husband whom I cycle, pick mushrooms and travel with. Among other things.
S – Summer time: The very best time of the year, when it's still light at 11 pm and the days seem to go on forever.
T – Tuileries Gardens: Where I power walk, lunch with friends and Relationnel, and watch the sun set over the Louvre.
U – University: Where I'm still teaching translation, despite the sad lack of equipment and outdated installations.
V – Vélib': Paris' rent-a-bike system that's immensely popular with Parisians and great fun along the Seine on Sundays when the road's closed to traffic.
W – Wolves: To be found in the Palais Royal only when it snows.
X – Xtraordinary: What everyone in Australia thinks my life is, what with living in a Royal Palace and speaking French all the time, but they don't know how hard it really is!
Y – You-tube: The very best way to learn anything these days, particularly all that new technology and how to set up a blog.
Z – Ze only way most French people know how to say "th", including Relationnel, giving them a highly recognizable accent.
This entry was posted in Australia, Cycling, Food, France, French customs, Loire Valley, Paris, Wine and tagged A t Z, meme. Bookmark the permalink.


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NewsInternational
MERCOSUR Blocks Venezuela from Taking Over Presidency
The regional bloc announced that would assume the presidency for the remaining 6 month term.
By RACHAEL BOOTHROYD ROJAS
Sep 16th 2016 at 10.23am
internationalMERCOSUR
mercosur-banderas.jpg_1718483346.jpg
Venezuela entered MERCOSUR as a full member in 2012. (Archive)
Caracas, September 16th 2016 (venezuelanalysis.com) - Venezuela has been blocked by fellow member states in the MERCOSUR trade bloc from assuming the organisation's six months rotating presidency, confirmed an official MERCOSUR declaration on Tuesday.
The communique followed months of deadlocked political negotiations within the bloc as well as uncertainty over its immediate future.
Venezuela was set to take over the presidency in July but met resistance from Brazil and Paraguay, later joined by Argentina, due to alleged human rights abuses against the political opposition in the country.
Tuesday's declaration explicitly bars Venezuela from occupying the leadership role, and stipulates that members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will now take over the temporary presidency together instead. The news came just a day after Organization of American States head, Luis Almagro, called for Venezuela's expulsion from the body.
Caracas also now faces the possibility of a temporary suspension or relegation to allied member status in the organisation.
According to the statement, Venezuela will face further penalties if it fails to comply with around 300 of the bloc's rules and regulations, including international legislation and trade treaties, before December 2016.
MERCOSUR says that the documentation has been outstanding since the South American country joined the bloc as a full member in 2012, when the majority of other member states were allies.
Since then market-friendly governments hostile to Caracas' left-leaning Maduro administration and allied to the country's opposition have been elected in Argentina and Paraguay, while an unelected conservative government took power earlier this year in Brazil.
Brazils' de facto Temer administration has been a leading voice against Venezuela in MERCOSUR, prompting accusations that the charges against Venezuela are mostly political. So far, the organisation has also failed to respond to calls to sanction Brazil following what Latin American observers have called the unconstitutional transfer of power to the Temer government and a wave of repression against opposition to his administration.
Tuesday's MERCOSUR consensus was made possible thanks to a reluctant change in stance from the government of Uruguay, which had initially blocked attempts to bar Venezuela's presidency. Nonetheless it finally backed down to get behind Tuesday's resolution in order to avoid an internal crisis within the organisation, said Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Minister Jose Luis Cancela.
"If Uruguay had opposed the declaration, Mercosur would have been in full paralysis" explained Cancela.
Nonetheless Venezuela has refused to acknowledge the bloc's move, branding it politically motivated and undemocratic.
"Venezuela, in full exercise of the Pro-Tempore Presidency of Mercosur, and in protection of its treaties, rejects the Triple Alliance's (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay) declaration," tweeted Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.
The Venezuelan FM also said that the declaration violated the organisation's legal norms and commitment to taking decisions by consensus.
"It is an attempt to destroy MERCSOUR through illegal tricks and is a reflection of the political intolerance and desperation of bureaucrats," she added.
Venezuela is currently experiencing an acute economic crisis marked by reduced foreign currency earnings and soaring inflation, as well as a standoff between its rightwing controlled legislative branch of government and the left-leaning executive.
Brazilian Senate, Correa Back Venezuela as MERCOSUR President Pro Tempore
The Brazilian Senate's Economic Affairs Commission issued a statement Friday endorsing Venezuela's legal claim to the pro tempore presidency of the...
Venezuela Takes on Pro Tempore Presidency of Mercosur
Venezuela assumes the economic trade bloc's presidency despite several other member states' objection to the lawful transition.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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El desarrollo urbanístico de la ciudad de Albacete, en la comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha (España), ha sido muy intenso a lo largo del siglo XX debido al aumento continuo de la población, que pasó de 21.512 habitantes en el año 1900 a 148.934 en el año 2000. En el siglo XXI el crecimiento continúa, situándose las previsiones oficiales a que la ciudad supere los 250.000 habitantes en 2033, y que los municipios colindantes con la capital tripliquen su actual población. Este aumento del número de habitantes se nutre principalmente de la inmigración de otras partes de la provincia de Albacete, de provincias limítrofes, y de la inmigración extranjera. Por ello, desde 2009 la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha está proyectando un Plan de Ordenación del Territorio del área de influencia de Albacete.

El actual espacio urbano de Albacete es fruto de la historia de la ciudad, un crecimiento intenso y desordenado, especialmente durante las décadas de los sesenta y setenta, que hubo de dar respuesta a un incremento exponencial de la demanda de vivienda, y que se articuló en torno a las principales vías de comunicación, con un centro histórico céntrico, un ensanche octogonal con barrios regulares y un extrarradio desgajado e inconexo, que los últimos planes urbanísticos tratan de modificar.

Evolución de la ciudad

La ciudad primitiva
La ubicación de la ciudad y posterior desarrollo de la misma corresponde a un dilatado proceso de poligenismo, en donde el primitivo asentamiento en la zona conocida como Villacerrada, tendría una función meramente militar, al ser este un territorio de encrucijada, aunque estaría habitado por algunas familias de campesinos, que podría remontarse al siglo IX.

Progresivamente la ciudad iría modificando su fisonomía, alcanzando una especie de elipse que circundaría dicho promontorio, y que se mantendría sin cambios significativos durante la alta edad media. Será a partir del siglo XIV, con la obtención del rango de villa, cuando el progresivo aumento de habitantes hará cambiar el plano de la ciudad, ampliándose más allá del recinto primitivo.

Recientes estudios han sugerido la posibilidad de algún asentamiento anterior al mencionado que tendría lugar en la zona actual de la Plaza de Carretas, en donde pudo haberse levantado algún castillo o fortaleza musulmana que hubiera dado lugar a la conocida Al-Basit, una pequeña alquería en este sector de La Mancha.

La ciudad conventual
El siglo XVI será conocido en Albacete por convertir a la ciudad en una "ciudad de conventos" o "conventual" en palabras del historiador albaceteño Miguel Panadero Moya, al crearse a lo largo de este siglo varios edificios dedicados a esta actividad, como el Convento de San Francisco, el de la Encarnación, el de las Justinianas, la Comunidad de San Agustín, la Iglesia de la Compañía o el Hospital de San Julián (muchas de estas edificaciones ya han desaparecido). También será durante esta centuria cuando se produzca la construcción de todo el sector norte de la ciudad más allá del Alto de la Villa.

No será hasta el siglo XVII, cuando se produzca una importante expansión urbana que se manifestará en importantes reformas, como la apertura de una "Plaza Nueva" (inmediaciones de la actual Plaza Mayor), o la demolición de una "Plaza Vieja" (situada en la Plaza del Pozo de la Nieve cerca de Villacerrada, según algunos autores), que precedieron a la fortificación del núcleo urbano. Este siglo se caracterizará como una etapa de ampliación y de consolidación del proceso urbanizador iniciado en torno al siglo XVI.

En este siglo se crean nuevos edificios, como la Ermita de San José del gremio de carpinteros (1608), u otras como la de Santa Quiteria, la del Carmen, la de la Concepción, la de San Antonio Abad, que también se dispersan por las huertas extramuros (Santa Cruz, San Jorge, Santo Sepulcro, Rosario, y más lejanos como Santa Ana o San Pedro de Matilla), que configuran la morfología urbana de la villa de esta época. Se trata del "siglo de los censos", como ha advertido María Teresa Pérez Picazo. Son muy escasos los ejemplos arquitectónicos de esta época que se mantienen hoy día en Albacete.

La ciudad moderna

Por Real Decreto de 19 de diciembre de 1851, se dispone la construcción de la línea férrea de Aranjuez a Almansa pasando por Albacete, que será inaugurada en marzo de 1855, y que marcará la impronta urbanística del norte de la ciudad. Este hecho potenciará el crecimiento de la población que en esta fecha alcanzaba los 17.000 habitantes. Durante estos años la ciudad asiste a la creación de nuevas e importantes avenidas, como la del Paseo del Progreso (renombrado sucesivamente como de Alfonso XII, de la República, de José Antonio, y en la actualidad Paseo de la Libertad) en  1853, en las inmediaciones de la estación de ferrocarril, y que configuraría el eje burgués de la ciudad, enlazando con la Plaza del Altozano, a semejanza de otras aperturas viarias unidas a estaciones de ferrocarril que se ejecutan en el Paris de Haussmann, o muchísimas otras ciudades europeas.

En 1871 se realiza el primer plan de ensanche para la ciudad de Albacete, que mantiene los criterios urbanísticos de ensanches decimonónicos, ejecutando un plano que marcó el crecimiento de la ciudad durante los siguientes decenios, y que se basó en la continuación del crecimiento de la ciudad en manzana cerrada mediante un esquema claramente radiocéntrico. De este modo, se configuró la ciudad en un abanico, esquema que se ha mantenido hasta hoy en día.

Siglo XX: expansión y crecimiento
En los primeros años del siglo XX, la ciudad asiste a toda una renovación urbanística con la creación de la red de alcantarillado, el inicio de las obras del Parque de Abelardo Sánchez que tendrán lugar entre 1.908 y 1.911, así como otras infraestructuras que irán modelando la ciudad.

A partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XX, varios planes generales irán, con mayor o menor fortuna, perfilando el espacio urbano de Albacete, prueba de ello es el Plan de D. Pedro Bogador de 1952 que proyectaban una ciudad en zonning, con una proyección de cincuenta años, y un crecimiento de la ciudad hasta los 250.000 habitantes. El crecimiento urbano origina dos ciudades distintas, la ciudad ya consolidada (crecida en torno al interior del actual Paseo de la Circunvalación sustituyendo edificaciones y aumentando alturas), y la ciudad obrera con viviendas de autoconstrucción situada al exterior de dicha vía.

A partir de aquí se irán solapando diversas etapas de urbanización mediante planes realizados por los servicios municipales que serán incumplidos por las constructoras, siendo el ejemplo más claro el edificio conocido como "La Pajarita", que pasó de sus iniciales 3 alturas a 16.

Durante los años 70 se produce un gran desarrollo urbano muy ligado a la especulación que llevó a cabo un eclecticismo postmodernista, que transformaría la fisonomía de la ciudad, eliminando varios edificios arquitectónicos de gran belleza de Albacete que en palabras del arquitecto e historiador Fernando Chueca Goitia significó para Albacete "no la transformación de una ciudad, sino la suplantación de una ciudad por otra que la ha desalojado y ha ocupado su sitio", en un corto espacio de tiempo.

Ya a finales de esta década se frustran los planes de desarrollo, presentados por el Ayuntamiento de Albacete a mediados de la misma, siendo la única salvedad la delimitación del suelo urbano. Durante esta época se construirá una nueva terminal de ferrocarriles (que dará servicio a la ciudad hasta la llegada de la Alta Velocidad en 2010), y la urbanización de una zona de edificación abierta contigua a la estación, el Polígono de San Antón. Esta actuación permitió trasladar las vías férreas 200 metros al norte, lo que conllevó la ejecución del Parque Lineal, uno de los más valorados de la capital manchega.

Progresivamente, y ante el aumento de la demanda de suelo, se irán edificando otras zonas de la ciudad durante estos años, entre ellos el barrio de La Estrella, conocido también como el Polígono de las 600 viviendas, que segregado del resto de la ciudad y cerrado en sí mismo, ha sido objeto de varios planes urbanísticos para su integración en el resto de la trama urbana.

Durante la década de los ochenta, Albacete se ve inmersa en una serie de desafíos urbanísticos que tratan de poner fin al crecimiento espontáneo e inconexo de la ciudad. El Plan General de 1985 establece un sistema para la legalización de núcleos urbanos semiconsolidados y de viviendas ilegales en suelo no urbanizable, a lo que se une la expansión urbanizadora de otros sectores de la ciudad.

Ya en los noventa se presentan sendos planes, que serán modificados en función del color político de la corporación local, como son los de 1994 y 1998, que no logran solucionar el problema de las viviendas irregulares (cerca de 1800 según el Plan de 1985 que en el de 1998 ascendían a 5000), y además, el de 1998 será denegado mediante sentencia del Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla-La Mancha, por lo que la ciudad continuará su ordenación en forma de abanico, teniendo como referencia la autovía A-31 y las vías férreas.

La ciudad actual y futura
En 2008 la Junta de Comunidades, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, el Ayuntamiento de Albacete y el Instituto Tecnológico de Massachusetts realizaron un estudio sobre "Desarrollo y planificación de Albacete y su entorno metropolitano", en donde se estima que hacia 2027, el área construida se
habrá incrementado en 2,9 millones de metros cuadrados, expandiéndose el núcleo urbano sobre el la llamada "Y albaceteña" (corredor entre La Roda, Albacete  y Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón).

En 2011, y atendiendo a los requerimientos del anterior estudio, se presenta un nuevo Plan de Ordenación Municipal (POM), que diseña una ciudad vertebrada en torno a cuatro grandes áreas, potenciando el papel geoestratégico de Albacete. Al norte se concentrará la zona industrial, fundamentalmente entre los parques empresariales de Campollano y Romica, reservándose suelo en el noreste para la creación de una plataforma logística intermodal de transporte de mercancías por ferrocarril, a la par que se destinaría suelo a usos terciarios, especialmente servicios a empresas y a la administración, cuyos inmuebles podían ser los que den una nueva imagen a Albacete. El oeste de la capital contaría con zonas destinadas a viviendas de carácter unifamiliar, permitiendo la instalación de actividades económicas y evitando la creación de ciudades dormitorio, eso sí con unos requisitos de sostenibilidad.

Rascacielos

Albacete, conocida como La Nueva York de La Mancha, atesora una extensa acumulación de edificios de gran altura. Así, la ciudad alberga el edificio más alto de Castilla-La Mancha: la Torre Las Pajaritas, de 72 metros de altura, seguida muy de cerca por la emblemática Torre de los Depósitos de Agua de la Fiesta del Árbol, de 69 metros. A continuación se muestra la lista de los cinco edificios más altos de Albacete en la actualidad, que son, a su vez, los cinco edificios más altos de Castilla-La Mancha:

Véase también

 Ensanche de Albacete
 Aeropuerto de Albacete
 Estación de Albacete-Los Llanos
 Estación de autobuses de Albacete
 Área metropolitana de Albacete
 Base Aérea de Los Llanos
 Circuito de Albacete
 Los Llanos de Albacete
 Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La Mancha
 Parque Aeronáutico y Logístico de Albacete
 Parque Empresarial Campollano
 Polígono Industrial Romica

Referencias

Bibliografía
 SÁNCHEZ TORRES, FRANCISCO JAVIER: Apuntes para la historia de Albacete (1902).

Enlaces externos

  La web del Ayuntamiento de Albacete dispone de más información sobre la ciudad.
  La web oficial de la Diputación Provincial de Albacete contiene más información sobre la ciudad.
  La web oficial de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha contiene más información sobre la Comunidad Autónoma.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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A podcast about youth mentorship
CommunityLeadershipResilienceResponsibilityYouth
We Not Me: Uniting a Team of Individuals

As Coach Dave Steckel stepped into his first job as a 6th grade teacher at Governor Mifflin Junior High, he was eager for the opportunity to teach and shape young minds. In the teacher's lounge between classes and after school, the recent college grad was shocked and disgusted by the way some teachers spoke about their students. He felt that these lowered expectations and attitudes set kids up for failure. This event changed the trajectory of his career and how he approached life as a coach, author, father, and husband.
Growing up, Dave was the kid the teachers talked about behind the lounge doors. All he wanted to do was get outside and play sports; not focus on school or study. At 17, he enlisted in the Marines to prove to his father that he wasn't going to sit idly by and do nothing with his life. This decision – much like his moment in the teacher's lounge years later – would change his life.
Though the Vietnam War had just ended, Dave's drill instructors at Paris Island had experienced war firsthand, instilling their valuable knowledge upon him and his fellow recruits. There, Dave discovered how strong the mind can be. The physical tests he was subject to pushed him past the limits his mind had set for him; giving him the mental endurance to get out of his comfort zone.
The skills Dave acquired during that intensive Marine training gave him the discipline and tools needed for his next career step after teaching – coaching. Dave signed on with Dickinson College as head football coach, inheriting a less-than-stellar program. But Stec – as his players called him – embraced the challenge of a rebuild. He decided to approach the rebuild with fresh eyes; refusing to watch film from previous seasons or interview the outgoing staff. Stec didn't want any preconceived notions or expectations about his players until he could see them perform on the field himself.
Stec would go on to deliver Dickinson's first winning season in over a decade, and the year after that. He'd go on to serve as linebacker's coach at University of Missouri and eventually take the helm as head coach at Missouri State University. During his coaching tenure, Stec shared his discipline-oriented coaching style with thousands of athletes. His philosophy about discipline is that kids may hate it in the moment, but when they look back 5-10 years from now, they'll appreciate it.
Dave may have hung up the whistle and clipboard but he's still coaching people through his book, "The Fisherman: Leadership Traits to Win the Game of Life." Dave has taken his experiences as a coach, Marine, teacher, and mentor and shared it in a unique way in this great read. The book teaches important leadership lessons through the eyes of a traveler having a conversation with a mysterious local fisherman. Pick up your own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Fisherman-Dave-Steckel/dp/1938254856
Podcast Topics
Mentorship13
Resilience20
Responsibility22
On the Whistle explores the impact that coaches, teachers and administrators from schools and youth sports organizations have on improving young people's lives.
Each episode features topics such as resilience, leadership, responsibility, and self-awareness as we examine the journey every athlete and mentor takes from the heart to the mind.
Powered by Sweet Fish Media & PodcastWebsites.io · Copyright 2023 · All rights reserved
Transforming Lives through Tennis August 19, 2021
Wrestling with Mentorship August 4, 2021
Unity in Uniforms | Uncovering the impact of team uniforms August 3, 2021


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An Inspired Life: Xavier Quijas Yxayotl
Posted on February 2, 2016 by Carla Woody
In late 2013 Xavier Quijas Yxayotl—Huichol composer, musician and artist—shared his life story with me. It was a real privilege to hear of his origins, struggles and inspirations. The thing about Xavier is that you'd normally never know the details of his backstory. But maybe you would pick up there's something deeper. He carries a sense of humility that typically only comes by having gone through hard times…survived…and having instilled great meaning in his life, touching others through his craft and presence.
Portrait of Xavier Quijas Yxayotl with one of his handmade ancestral flutes. ©2015 Barry Wolf. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
With permission I turned his disclosures into a narrative that was picked up in 2014 by Still Point Arts Quarterly for their Fall 2015 issue. I thank editor Christine Cote for giving this important story space. I can now share the story in its entirety here as Xavier told it to me. I hope you are as inspired as I was.
Through the Dark
The boy fidgeted. He was in foreign territory, held prisoner by his mother's hand on his arm. They sat side-by-side in matching chairs before the great divide of a massive desk. His mother's voice rose and fell. Words tumbled over each other as though, if she didn't get them out fast enough, the man considering them would summarily swat them out the door, no different than pesky insects.
An hour before, his mother pulled him along inner city streets into a massive building. They finally stopped in front of one door among several down the long hall. She smoothed her skirt and combed fingers through his black hair. With a deep breath, she opened the door. The secretary looked up.
"Please, I would like to see the director," his mother said.
"Do you have an appointment?" The secretary appraised them, noting their dusky skin and worn clothing. When she shook her head, the secretary motioned them to a row of chairs against the wall and picked up the phone. They waited.
The man behind the desk was impeccably dressed in a gray suit matching the color shot through his dark hair and mustache. The lines in his face softened as he listened, shifting attention from the Indian woman before him to the boy, eyes downcast, clutching a notebook in his lap.
"Maestro Caracalla, I am Señora Isabel. This is my son Xavier. He's different, a good artist. In school he always fights because no one understands him, not the teachers, not the other kids. He's always thinking. Since he was old enough to hold a pencil, he always draws and writes about everything. He's like an old person in a little boy's body!"
The woman continued at length relating how, in the last two years, her son kept running away to live on the streets. Xavier slept in parks, skipped school, survived by selling newspapers and shoe shines. Terrified, she would search and drag him home, if she was fortunate to find him. But the next day he'd be gone again. He wouldn't do what his father wanted: to set aside these silly pastimes, to work making shoes to help support the family.
"We have seven children. Xavier is the youngest boy. We are very poor. But he is so different and I'm afraid what might happen to him. Is there something you can do?" She finished softly.
Maestro Caracalla gestured to the boy's notebook, "Is this your work?"
Xavier froze in his chair and prayed to disappear. He didn't think the Maestro would hit him like his father did, but he dreaded the reprimand he knew would come. He whispered, "Yes."
"Show it to me then." The room was silent save the sound of Maestro Caracalla slowly turning pages after scrutinizing each one. Finally he closed the book. Looking over wire-rimmed glasses, his eyes seemed to bore into Xavier's very soul. He gazed at Señora Isabel then back at the boy, whose reddened face was moist with sweat. "Señora, I don't think you have any idea what a beautiful child you have. What ideas! His writing doesn't match his age. He's not a normal child. You have to do something with him. We have to help him!"
Maestro Caracalla told her to bring the boy back the following Monday, handing over a long list of art materials to buy. There's not enough to eat! How can we buy art supplies? Guilt flooded Xavier's mind. He was certain of a dead end. But at the appointed time his mother delivered him to the Maestro. She could only muster a clean new drawing tablet and 6B pencil, keeping even that small expenditure hidden from her husband. The secretary ordered a sandwich for Xavier, although he said he didn't need anything.
"Ah, there you are," the Maestro swept in from his office. He took Xavier by the hand and led him down the hall. They stopped in all the classrooms where he spoke to the teachers, "I want to introduce Xavier. He's coming to take classes."
That is how an eleven-year-old Huichol Indian boy from the streets came to attend Escuela des Artes Plásticas, the art school in Guadalajara, Mexico—the youngest pupil ever to sit alongside regular university students. They became his peers and friends. Maestro Caracalla continued as his benefactor for six years, making sure he had all the classes he needed: writing, painting, art history and more…
Painting by Xavier at the age of 18. Photo courtesy of Xavier Quijas Yxayotl. All rights reserved.
Xavier with one of his painted pow wow drums. Photo courtesy of Xavier Quijas Yxayotl. All rights reserved.
Continue reading Xavier's story here and find out how he returned to the Huichol roots denied him as a child, and went on to resurrect ancient instruments lost to time through visitations from his ancestors.
Categories: Indigenous Wisdom, Interview, Music Review, The Writing Life, Visual Arts | Tags: Core Self, Creative expression, Indigenous traditions, intent, Xavier Quijas Yxayotl | 4 Comments
Music Review: A Deeper Surrender – Kirtana
Posted on April 29, 2015 by Carla Woody
Eleven years ago I received this CD as a gift, and it never gets old. I was embarking on a solo camping trip up to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The friend who gave it to me hoped it would help hold the intent of the trip—and indeed it did!
The sweetness of Kirtana's voice is enough in itself, and the love songs she sings automatically touch something inside. When I realized that she was disclosing the nature of her relationship with the Divine Beloved, it deepened the effect even more. Throughout my journey north and then home, this sacred music compelled me to witness evidence all around me and within me of That which permeates everything.
Available on Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.
Categories: Gratitude, Music Review, Spiritual Evolution | Tags: Core Self, Re-Membering Process, sacred reciprocity | Leave a comment
Music Review: Mayan Ancestral Music by Xavier Quijas Yxayotl
Posted on March 30, 2014 by Carla Woody
Kenosis Spirit Keepers was privileged to sponsor Xavier Quijas Yxayotl in September 2013 for our Spirit Keepers Series held in Phoenix. Xavier is a composer, ritual musician, artist, healer and more. A gentle man of Huichol/Azteca lineage, I'm not sure I've met such a multi-talented person who practices his many arts with such humility.
His music carried me beyond this world to another realm entirely. Those nights I slept more soundly than I had in months. Every unique sound—raindrops, wind, birds—are made through instruments he made with his own hands, not environmental recordings. I was able to witness the vast array of clay flutes, whistles and other percussion instruments that comprised his compositions, all adorned with symbolic art.
He first learned to play the flute through his Huichol grandfather as a child, and shortly after began to make his own instruments. But there's more. In the 1970s, he was called to resurrect ancestral ceremonial instruments destroyed and outlawed during colonial times. Many people are making such instruments now. But back then? No one. How does someone do so when no one else has—and all but a little documentation was obliterated?
I said to Xavier, "Did the calling and ways to make the instruments come to you in dreams and visions?" He confirmed what I sensed. Such things often occur in Indigenous traditions whether to ritual musicians, weavers, midwives, healers, those who hold prayers in varying ways. He also told me, "When I am playing my music, I can often feel my ancestors there standing next to me."
Xavier has been nominated several times for the Native American Music Award, played at the Nobel Peace Ceremony in Rome, featured on PBS and countless other accolades. For the movie Apocalypto, Mel Gibson contacted him to make the historic instruments used in the movie. Due to union rules, Xavier couldn't appear in the movie, but he taught the actor-musicians how to play the instruments he made.
We are fortunate that Xavier has a number of CDs available, aside from from Mayan Ancestral Music. You can go to CD Baby to play sample tracks and purchase. Also available on iTunes.
Our next Spirit Keepers Series program will feature Laura Alonzo de Franklin, curandera (healer/spiritual guide) of Mexhica/Aztec lineage. Mark you calendar for September 26-27, 2014 and join us in Phoenix. Check back for more information soon.
Categories: cultural interests, Healing, Indigenous Wisdom, Music Review | Tags: culture, indigenous healing practices, Indigenous traditions, Native spirituality, Xavier Quijas Yxayotl | 2 Comments
Unexpected Music
Posted on November 4, 2013 by Carla Woody
Place des Vosges
We were exploring Le Marais district when I remembered one of my favorite places. Ah yes, just a short distance away. I succeeded in persuading my friends they really must experience the oldest square in Paris. We turned down a side street that opened into Place des Vosges. Its elegant French classical façade spoke to the aristocracy that once lived above the arcades below. It didn't take much to imagine Victor Hugo striding along anxious to be home to continue penning his novel of the moment. We noticed a bistro just in time for lunch. Salad, cheese, bread and wine somehow tasting so much better than it ever did at home.
Exiting, we started to round the corner that would take us out of the square when we noticed activity across the way under the arches. Some ten or so people setting up—a musical ensemble! We edged closer to watch. A few others began to gather. The discordant sounds of musicians tuning their violins and cellos ensued. And ensued. And ensued. Until finally my friends were getting impatient, wanting to leave. Oh no! Just a few more minutes, I was saying in my head. Feeling the tug of the group, I started to turn away with them.
And in that moment, the cacophony stopped. A split second of silence brought chaos into perfect order as the haunting strains of Pachelbel's Canon filled the air. The acoustics amplified the notes to such a degree that we were enveloped, rooted in place. The beauty of the moment was overwhelming. I didn't want to move from that spot. The energy continued to rise as they went on to play Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi. Thankfully, a violinist broke away and began offering CDs. I gladly purchased one and then discovered their name: Classique Metropolitain. What an unexpected gift, an extraordinary dessert, one we wouldn't have had if we'd not been willing to pause.
Now when I play their recording, especially when I paint, it takes me right back to that split second of perfect order when my spirits soared—to experience it all again, gaining inspiration. Only much later did I discover that Classique Metropolitain regularly frequented metro stations and Place des Vosges playing to passersby, perhaps to lend pleasure to their day.
On a nearly annual basis, I sponsor a spiritual travel program called Entering the Maya Mysteries in the Chiapas region of Mexico. I usually go in January and we spend several days in the highlands participating in ritual and religious festivities for San Sebastián. One particular year music was a thread that ran through our time together—sacred and celebratory, vocal and instrumental—something to be expected considering our itinerary. But it was unexpected music, taking the edge off a situation and lifting our spirits or instilling a hush to any tumbling thoughts, that I most savored and have tucked away in that same place where Classique Metropolitain and Place des Vosges reside.
Lalo Ed Adams lives in New Jersey. Some years ago his search for someone going to Piedras Negras brought him to me. He joined our travels, in the process discovering a new name that he wore proudly. On his second trip with me, Lalo came along again wearing the glow I saw develop on the first one. Early on, he brought out a guitar saying he'd learned to play a couple of years ago and now gathered weekly with guitarists back home. During our days staying at El Panchan outside the Palenque ruins, he inched his way from casually playing at our table at Don Mucho's Restaurant—until fully on stage with microphone and sound system going! I admired his chutzpah and his playing.
One thing about Lalo was that he understood how music can intervene and shift the energy in a moment. We'd been on our way to the Lacandón Jungle village of Najá anticipating the upcoming ceremony with Don Antonio Martinez when the van began to hesitate and sputter. Our driver was worried. "Bad gas," he said, finally pulling over. We all bailed out; it appeared there would be a long wait while the situation was remedied. It was hot. We were in the middle of nowhere milling around on the side of the road.
Lalo Ed Adams (2nd from right).
Photo credit: Bob Moore
It didn't take long before Lalo pulled out his guitar. I finally couldn't resist. I joined in with what he later called my "vocal chops"—that hadn't been let loose in years. Some of the others chimed in until we had a plein air concert of sorts going. It turned a difficult situation to a light one full of fun. We continued to find moments to sing, all the way up to our closing dinner when we essentially took over a restaurant, and the other patrons joined our musical frivolity that ranged from "I Shall Be Released" to "Nowhere Man."
But backtracking a bit, the latter half of our journey we stayed in San Cristóbal de las Casas in the Chiapas highlands. While we were visiting Na Bolom I heard faint notes of piano music and wandered into a room. Beautiful, I thought. Taking note of the pianist but not wanting to disturb, I examined the religious icons in the room. At leaving, I saw a poster announcing Richard Pierce Milner as the current artist-in-residence with evening concerts being held regularly. In the next day when we were in the Maya village of Zinacantán witnessing the raucous festivities for San Sebastián, I noticed the pianist there with a friend. This time I made sure we met and, on a whim, invited him to come with us. We were on our way to Don Xun Calixto's home above San Juan Chamula where a special ritual awaited us. In return, I joked to Richard, I must have a concert.
Indeed. A few nights later, after the group had flown home, I went back to Na Bolom. At one time, before it had been the home of Frans and Trudy Blom, or a museum, the old hacienda had housed a seminary. One long room still bore reminders of that time, an altar at one end, religious paintings on nearly every inch of wall. But a grand piano at the other end dominated the space. The only light source was candlelight. I took a seat. Richard began to play. And I was transported.
Richard Pierce Milner at Na Bolom.
Photo credit: Carla Woody
Truly, Richard's compositions are hard to categorize, a blend of neo-classical and crossover jazz as descriptor not at all doing them justice. What do you say about pieces that snatch you up to share a deeply personal journey with the artist? That wend their way through memories of a moment by the sea, a difficult healing process, or tribute to a mentor now passed? That touch on something not often touched? I can only say that Richard exposes his innermost feelings through his music and extends an invitation for listeners to join him. As I write these words, piano solos from his CD entitled Other Ways of Knowing are taking me back to that candlelit time at Na Bolom when I first heard him play.
In these times when so much of life is artificially structured, perhaps even constricted, that we can no longer breathe, do moments other than that—should we allow them—create openings. Chance encounters, courage mustered, intuition followed, and willingness to engage possibilities provide a distinct loosening that allows us to take flight. For me, unexpected music, especially when I find it within myself, has been a theme that has provided a springboard.
To see what other bloggers have posted in response to the Daily Post Writing Challenge: Moved by Music go here.
Categories: Creativity Strategies, Music Review, Travel Experiences | Tags: Chiapas, DP Challenge, listen, spiritual travel destinations, Whole Health | 5 Comments
Review: "The Shaman's Heart Program" and "Nada Terma"
Posted on October 31, 2012 by Carla Woody
In November 2008 Byron Metcalf and Mark Seelig generously gave of their time and talents to perform to a very appreciative crowd at our annual Kenosis Spirit Keepers Benefit Concert. If you were there you'd need no introduction to their work that takes you into another realm entirely. I'd like to revisit the reviews I gave at that time so that new readers are also aware.
Nada Terma
Music by Byron Metcalf, Mark Seelig and Steve Roach
Byron Metcalf is an international recording artist who happens to live in my area. I had the good fortune to sample Nada Terma in his studio with all its high-quality sound technology — and the effect was memorable. The music itself was mesmerizing. What was so surprising were the vibrations it produced in my body, and the field surrounding it—that took me even deeper into the experience. Something totally unexpected.
I confess that I have about a 30 year-old sound system and no headset. So I was skeptical that the music would produce anywhere near the same result in my own home, but I was wrong. It was close in comparison and different segments of the CD generated energy movement focused in separate energy centers in my body.
Nada Terma is an immersion in mysticism through sound and vibration. The merging of ambient music, Tibetan-like toning and bansuri flute has an undulating quality that delivers the listener to a threshold. So that, when the gentle drumming finally appears, it's a vehicle that delivers you into a sacred inner landscape. And then its rising insistence keeps you there.
Just as a writer or artist must embody their subject in order to convey it masterfully, it's evident that Metcalf, Seelig and Roach have experienced deep states of consciousness themselves. We are fortunate that, through their grasp of these inner realms and trance music, we can be guided to such a place ourselves.
Nada Terma is translated as: discovering spiritual treasures through the world of sound—and it is that.
Categories: Healing, Healthy Living, Meditation, Music Review, Spiritual Evolution | Tags: Core Self, healing, meditation, Mysticism, Spiritual Evolution, Whole Health | Leave a comment


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Whether you are a teen, tween, or simply individual with teenagers in your life, emotion To acknowledge Teen is the place to be. The teen age can be exciting, difficult, confusing and charged with so much to learn and do. With that in mind, we go at slightest some of the answers to life's burning questions.


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August 1, 2019 / 6:54 AM / 6 months ago
UPDATE 2-France's Veolia eyes bigger acquisitions as recycling activities boom
Geert De Clercq
* Toxic waste treatment, plastic recycling boom in H1
* Veolia to look at medium-sized acquisitions from 2020
* Revenue and earnings growth sped up in second quarter (Adds CEO comments, stock price)
By Geert De Clercq
PARIS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - French water and waste group Veolia said on Thursday it will target bigger acquisitions from next year as it focuses on high-growth activities such as toxic waste treatment and plastics recycling.
The utility said it had agreed to sell its district heating business in the United States to infrastructure fund Antin for $1.25 billion, which CEO Antoine Frerot said would free up cash to reinvest.
Veolia's revenue from plastics recycling jumped 30% in the first half and will bring in 400 million to 450 million euros (about $470 million) this year, up from just 50 million euros a few years ago, and could top 1 billion euros by 2025, it said.
Asset rotation and focusing on growth could help Veolia keep activist investors at bay. Smaller peer Suez is under pressure from activist fund Amber to do exactly that.
Frerot said on an analysts call he will present a new 2020-2023 strategy in February.
While in recent years acquisitions typically cost 10 million to 100 million euros, under the new plan they will be in the range of 100 million-500 million euros, Frerot said.
He said Veolia was selling its U.S. heating business because it is a mature and capital-intensive asset, but that does not mean Veolia will exit this activity elsewhere.
Veolia's core earnings rose 5.4% to 2 billion euros as revenue rose 5.8% to 13.32 billion. Frerot confirmed guidance for 2019 core earnings of 3.9 billion to 4.0 billion and said growth had picked up in the second quarter, with core earnings up 7.3% after growing 3.8% in the first quarter.
Veolia shares were down 2.1% at 0900 GMT. They are up 27% in the year to date.
Frerot said Veolia is now a global leader in toxic waste, which accounted for 2 billion euros in revenue in 2018 and saw 13% growth in the first half of this year.
"The capacity to treat this waste is a limiting factor to growth in developing countries. Without the ability to treat it, industrialisation is hampered because the population contests growth," he said.
On plastics recycling, he said that big food brands, concerned about their image, want to use more and more recycled plastic in their packaging.
"We expect over 1 billion in revenue from plastics recycling by 2025 and it could be well before that," Frerot said.
Veolia has agreements with Nestle, Unilever, Tetrapak and Danone, for whom it is building a plastics recycling facility in Indonesia.
"We are building recycling facilities everywhere in the world," Frerot said. ($1 = 0.9060 euros) (Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Susan Fenton)


Choosing between the different types of double edge safety razors can be a little confusing. 1-, 2- or 3-piece, butterfly, open or closed comb, adjustable, straight or slant? We get it, you just want a razor that works like a razor. For those new to wet shaving, a double edge safety razor uses a single blade with two cutting edges that is guided against the skin with the razor's head.
In this guide, we'll run through the different types of double edge razors and hopefully, help you to choose the right razor for you. The truth is, it's all in your head. The razor's head, that is! The size, shape and weight of the razor's head play the largest role in differentiating one razor from another.
In a regular straight bar double edge razor, the blade is held at right-angles to the handle – giving a comfortable, predictable shave. This design works well and has been popular among all quality manufacturers of double edge razors since their inception. However, slant bar razors provide a different take on this traditional set up that has earned them a loyal fan base.
Slant bar razors use the same double edge blades, but hold them in place with a pronounced twist. In addition to adding stiffness to the blade, the twist adds a subtle slicing action as it moves through facial hairs, resulting in a closer first-pass shave.
For this reason, slant razors are considered to be more aggressive than a regular straight bar double edge razor, but the fewer passes required for a close shave has endeared them to people with sensitive skin that are prone to irritation.
In short, whether your razor separates into one, two or three pieces will have little or no bearing on the quality or comfort of your shave. It is simply the method in which the blade is held in place that will vary.
The most common varieties are 2- and 3-Piece razors. 2-piece razors have a handle that is fused to the base of the head, while 3-piece razors have a head that can be fully unscrewed from the handle. In each case, a blade is wedged between the head's top plate and its base, and then fastened by tightening the handle.
1-Piece razors are commonly referred to as 'butterfly' razors. They are opened by twisting the bottom of the handle, which unscrews to open flaps at the top of the head. When fully opened, these flaps resemble the wings of a butterfly – hence the name. A blade is inserted between the flaps and the handle re-tightened to clamp the blade in place.
Below, you'll see popular examples of each type of these razors.
Most safety razors feature what is known as a comb along the edge of the head. Closed combs resemble small grooves along the edges of the blade guard, while open combs – as the name suggests – appear as individual teeth, similar to a hair comb. Open combs are designed to guide stubble against the blade to more easily cut through longer or thicker hair. If you're shaving regularly, a closed comb razor is our recommendation, although you shouldn't notice any less of a close shave with an open comb razor.
When comparing double edge safety razors, wet shaving enthusiasts will often refer to the 'aggressiveness' of a particular razor on a subjective scale from mild to very aggressive. An aggressive razor is one with a blade that is more exposed than a less aggressive razor, and it is determined by tiny differences in the shape of the razor head. These aggressive razors will generally require fewer passes to achieve a close shave, though they may result in additional cuts or nicks for beginners, and can cause more skin irritation.
To complicate matters, tiny differences in the thickness, width or strength of blades from different manufacturers can cause two razor blades to perform differently – even in the same razor!
Enter: adjustable razors. Adjustable razors offer the user the ability to fine-tune the shape of the razor head and hence, the angle of the blade – allowing the user to find the sweet spot for aggressiveness, no matter the blade. These adjustable razors may use interchangeable base plates for the head, or alternatively, a screw-type handle that can be adjusted to achieve the same effect.
Hey Daren, appreciate the question! As with cartridge razors, you'll need to pay some attention to that area when shaving with a DE safety razor, but you should definitely be able to enjoy a great shave.
The key to a smooth, comfortable shave with a DE razor is not applying too much pressure and letting the weight of the razor and sharpness of the blade do most of the work.
I have a scar on the middle of my chin just at the apex between my face and neck. I nick the scar about 3% or so of the time with a standard multi-blade razor (typically this happens when I am going fast and not paying close attention to that area).
I have never used a safety razor before but am highly considering moving over. Am I going to find the scar highly problematic with a safety razor? How would you recommend I best deal with the scar when using a safety razor.
Hi Alex, thanks for your question! We agree that the best shaves are had with a traditional double edge razor.
To my knowledge, there are currently no adjustable butterfly razors in mass production. Rockwell Razors (from Canada) is currently in the pre-release of one such razor, which they've named the Model T though it's not a model we currently have in our range.
When I first started shaving, about 55 yrs ago I tried numerous different razors but settled on a one piece (butterfly) design adjustable double edge razor. It would take any of the double edge blades although I mostly used Wilkinson Sword.
I have used electric now for many years but am going back to wet shaving which I prefer and which gives a better result and feel.
Does anyone now make a one piece (butterfly) design adjustable razor?
For someone new to double edge shaving, we normally recommend one of our kits as a great place to start. The Beard & Blade Starter Double Edge Shaving Kit contains a Wilkinson Sword double edge razor, which is a great entry-level option and a solid choice for a young man. Like all of our kits, it also comes with a brush, shaving cream and blades so he has everything he needs to get started.
Stepping up from that, our Essentials Double Edge Shaving Kit includes a Merkur 34C razor which is the world's most popular double edge razor for good reason. It gives a great, smooth shave and will work just as well on sensitive skin as it will with coarse facial hair when paired with a sharp blade such as Astra or Feather.
If it's just the razor you're looking to purchase, either of those (Wilkinson Sword, Merkur 34C), the Edwin Jagger DE89, Muhle R89 or our own Beard & Blade BB89 are excellent choices for your brother.
I hope that helps and that he loves his gift!
Hi Liz, thanks for the question! You've heard correctly — many women have made the switch to double edge razors to reduce waste and to benefit from the many advantages of double edge razors over multi-blade cartridge razors.
For body shaving in general, we recommend a long handled razor such as the Merkur 23C. The long handle makes it easy to grip in the shower, and also to reach awkward areas such as the legs. Paired with Astra blades, you'll enjoy a great shave.
Hi, I recently read that some women have swapped to safety record to shave body hair to reduce waste. Is this a good idea and if so which razor would you recommend on this case?
Hi Hailey, thanks for your question! For effectively cutting through longer growth, it's recommended to use a razor with a more 'aggressive' blade angle. This will make it less likely to clog with cut stubble, so will take off more hair per pass.
With the larger blade gap, he'll just need to be a little more careful that he doesn't nick his skin by pressing the blade too firmly against the cheeks — the weight of the razor should do most of the work.
A very popular option is the Muhle R41, which has a great-looking chrome finish. It's also worth looking at the Rockwell 6C, which has adjustable plates that will allow him to dial in exactly the level of aggressiveness he prefers.
Whichever razor you choose, his thick stubble will need a sharp blade from either Feather or Astra. These will help to cut through the hairs with very little effort, making for an enjoyable shave.
Hi, I am looking at buying a safety razor for my husband for Father's Day. It's a surprise so can really pick his brain regarding preferred type. He has looked at getting one before and become overwhelmed with options and given up.
Could you suggest a model for him please?


""Newman closed the door, Rothko pulled down the shade, Reinhardt turned out the lights, and Klein jumped out the window."" If you get it, this is the book for you. A serious and well-argued study of conceptual and performance art, McEvilley explains how and where various forms and styles arose and outlines the work and theory surrounding key players. One of his main concerns is to show how anti-art, defined as art articulated through ""(1) chance, (2) the Readymade, and (3) the procedure of creation by designation,"" came to be a major force in late 20th-century culture. A professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and author of several other books of art criticism, McEvilley unexpectedly starts his study with a look at ancient Greek Diogenes of Sinope, whom he calls the ""patron saint of conceptual and performance art."" From there the roots grow through Marcel Duchamp, Dada Yves Klein, Jospeh Beuys, Marina Abramovic and Carolee Schneemann, among others. Not an introductory book, McEvilley's study brings fresh insights to nonrepresentational artists and their work, finding new ways of thinking about the origins and overriding principals of that specialized world where post-anti-Modernism is distinct from neo-pre-Modernism.


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If you arrive late for your appointment, we will make every effort to see your child. In certain situations, we may have to reschedule your child to be able to be fair to our other scheduled children.
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please give us at least a 48-hour notice. There is a fee for an appointment missed without giving us at least a 24-hour notice. Don't forget to call us if your plans change.
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget, and gives your child the best possible care. We accept cash, Care Credit, debit cards and most major credit cards.
If we have received all of your insurance information on the day of the appointment, we will be happy to file your claim for you. You must be familiar with your insurance benefits, as we will collect from you the estimated amount insurance is not expected to pay. By law your insurance company is required to pay each claim within 30 days of receipt. We file all insurance electronically so your insurance company will receive each claim within days of the treatment.
Please understand that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment, we at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim. We also cannot be responsible for any errors in filing your insurance, once again we file claims as a courtesy to you.


Healthy smoothies for weight loss! What could be better?
Smoothies are an amazing and delicious way to cool down on a hot day and to satisfy those cravings for something sweet! The only downside is, smoothies are so often made with lots of sugar which is a huge no-no for weight loss.
But that surely doesn't mean that you can't have any smoothies or anything delicious while losing weight! It's time to get rid of the understanding that weight loss automatically means bland, gross, tasteless food and saying goodbye to any enjoyable meal until you shed those pounds.
There are so many diet-friendly healthy smoothies for weight loss out there! And what could be better than enjoying a delicious smoothie while also losing weight at the same time?
If you don't know much about how to make a smoothie, don't worry! Each recipe is very thorough and tells you precisely how each one of these drinks for weight loss are made! Well, keep on reading to find out some of my personal favorite healthy smoothies for weight loss!
I don't know about you but I absolutely love key lime pie! Who am I kidding, everyone loves key lime pie! And what could be better than being able to enjoy this delicious dessert in the form of a healthy drink while losing weight?
This smoothie consists of some non-fat greek yogurt, banana and, obviously, lots of lime juice among other ingredients. I recommend this smoothie if you enjoy creamy and citrusy desserts. It will surely satisfy your cravings and give you lots of energy!
Another creamy delight! This peaches n cream smoothie tastes just like peach pie! Made with some oats, greek yogurt, and lots of peaches, this is the perfect meal to start off your day, to get ready for your workout, or to coll down on a hot day.
Remember those delicious orange creamsicles that you'd buy from the ice cream truck in your childhood? Well, this smoothie is like a trip down memory lane because it tastes pretty much the same!
Another imitation of one of your favorite childhood desserts! This nutritious, fruity and peanut buttery drink is the perfect quick breakfast or pre-workout meal.
There's been huge hype about green smoothies lately… and not without reason! Green smoothies are absolutely delicious, look beautiful and have lots of vitamins from the greens and fruits in them.
Here's a delicious, refreshing, dairy-free strawberry-blueberry-raspberry smoothie rich in antioxidants! This smoothie is perfect for cooling down during the summertime or just for a quick meal on-the go.
This creamy, dreamy mango smoothie is absolutely delicious and perfect for satisfying those annoying sugar cravings! It's surely one of the tastiest healthy smoothies for weight loss!
I'm sure a lot of you love banana bread and are now trying to avoid it due to weight loss. Well, this delicious weight loss-friendly banana bread smoothie features features the amazing taste of fresh, soft and sweet banana bread, making it one of the best weight loss shakes tastewise!
Ahhh… pumpkin pie. Probably the most delicious dessert of autumn. This pumpkin pie smoothie is super easy to make and tastes just like the famous dessert! That's why it's one of my favorite healthy smoothies for weight loss.
Full of vitamins and nutrients, this is the perfect way to start of your day or to have a quick meal in between daily activities or before your workout.
In this recipe, unsweetened cocoa powder, almond butter, and bananas are brought together to create the perfect weigh loss breakfast or snack!
Filled with protein and vitamins, it will surely get you pumped for the day and provide you with lots of energy, as well as satisfy your sweet tooth or chocolate cravings.
So there you have it! These were some of my favorite healthy smoothies for weight loss which I love to have even when I'm not on any diet! They're guilt-free, delicious and filled with lots of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and fiber.
After reading this article, you are probably relieved to know that there are so many delicious alternatives to some unhealthy snacks or smoothies!
However, it's important to know that most of these smoothies have lots of carbs in them which means that the best time to consume them is in the morning or before your workout, NOT IN THE EVENING.
If you have the right amount of these healthy smoothies for weight loss at the right time and combine them with other healthy eating habits, you'll be sure to succeed in your weight loss journey!
Attention if you want to lose weight!
However, if you don't know much about weight loss and diets, we recommend investing in a weight loss diet which will definitely be a huge help and will give you many useful weight loss tips. Not to mention, you won't have to waste your time searching for weight loss info online because you will have it all in one place!
We recommend the 15 Day Di.et Plan which will tell you step-by-step how to succeed in weight loss!
If you follow this program, you could lose up to 15 pounds in just 15 days!
Not only will you look skinnier but you will also feel noticeably better, you will get rid of those annoying aches and pains all over your body and you will take a huge step towards a happier and healthier you!
So, what's it going to be? Will you continue putting off weight loss or will you finally invest in a skinnier and healthier body?
Click here for a detailed review of the 15 Day Diet Plan and what to expect from it!


Edmond's local seasonal Christmas Tree Farm!
From Oklahoma City, travel north on I-35 to Exit 143, Covell Rd.; turn east to Midwest Blvd. (Approximately 1 1/2 miles) second stop sign; turn left (north) 1 3/4 miles to Midwest Lane; turn right (east) to farm on left.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Photographers are allowed to take photos on the first two weekends in November between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Photographers will not be allowed to use the property on any other dates or times.
Wreaths, garland, mantle pieces, door boughs, tree stands, drilling, shaking, wrapping, disposal bags, preservative. Saws provided. Free hot chocolate, cider, coffee, candy canes, and cookies.


Graft is endemic across Iraq, not only in the city the Islamic State group controlled for three years before their expulsion in July 2017.
The country ranks among the world's worst offenders in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
That is more than Iraq's GDP.
For the past week, the cry of "corruption is killing us" has been ringing across Mosul.
It could also impede the rebuilding of Mosul, much of which was reduced to rubble during the year-long battle to evict IS.
He said such sales were being conducted by "armed groups and their frontmen through letters of authorisation from the government".
At the same time, according to the report, Nawfel al-Akoub, the governor who has been fired and gone on the run, authorised the construction of two roads in violation of municipal regulations, for the benefit of oil smugglers.
The ferry's capsize in the swollen River Tigris, after operators ignored warnings of dangerous weather, proved a tipping point.
"The governor's dismissal came after the ferry shock but it's based on evidence collected well before that," he said.
According to former defence minister Khaled al-Obeidi, on contender to succeed Mosul's disgraced governor is offering $200,000 each to provincial councillors to ensure his election.
"The ferry's sinking revealed dozens of cases of corruption in Mosul," one Iraqi activist wrote on Twitter.
"How many more victims... will it take to uncover all the other corruption files in Iraq's other provinces?"


text:
'Employers must back speaking out safely drive'
16 July, 2014 By Jenni Middleton
It looks like the tide is turning on attitudes to people who speak up about poor healthcare practice.
The public vindication of nurse whistleblower Elaine Fernandez, covered in last week's issue of Nursing Times, proves that those who have been silenced for too long are at long last being listened to.
And other changes are on the horizon too. After months of lobbying by Nursing Times and Action against Medical Accidents among others, health secretary Jeremy Hunt has finally agreed to take forward Sir Robert Francis' recommendation and implement a statutory duty of candour in England from October (see page 5).
Mr Hunt has also launched Sign up to Safety, asking individuals and organisations to make a public pledge to deliver harm-free care, reducing avoidable harm by 50% and saving 6,000 lives in the next three years.
At the core of this is listening to patients, carers and staff, learning from what they say when things go wrong and taking action to improve patient safety. Sounds a lot like the Nursing Times Speak Out Safely campaign to us. But we're proud to think we may have inspired Mr Hunt to actively encourage staff to speak out.
But let's not pretend this problem is fixed. It will take more than the government saying what should happen - it's employers who must make sure it does happen. And while we're delighted that almost 100 NHS organisations have signed up to SOS, that leaves an awful lot apparently unwilling to support staff who raise concerns.
There are still too many health professionals afraid to challenge their colleagues or managers. Those who blow the whistle are still losing their jobs for no good reason, and patients are still suffering because others fear to speak out.
It should be the norm for employees to raise concerns. Things will go wrong, you will see them and you should be encouraged to speak up by organisations that see concerns as an opportunity to learn and improve care. How about making this a mandatory part of appraisals and revalidation - reflection on what you've seen, what you've challenged and what you've changed in the past year?
What else could be done to make health safer? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #NTSOS. You never know, Mr Hunt might even use your ideas - we think he may keep an eye on our hashtag.
And for the many organisations not yet signed up to SOS, show your commitment to safer care by signing up today. Go to nursingtimes.net/sos
Jenni Middleton, editor
jenni.middleton@emap.com. Follow me on Twitter @nursingtimesed
'Can nurses' frustrations be better used to improve the profession?'
14 August, 2014Jenni Middleton
This week I was in a meeting where people were discussing the importance of emphasising the breadth of nursing practice to both the profession and the public.
Nurses urged to consider industrial action to get safe staffing laws
9 April 2019Megan Ford
The nursing profession must stand together and be prepared to take industrial action to "win safe staffing levels" across the UK, a nurse and union member has warned a conference today.
Focus: Divided Britain – Legislation on safe nurse staffing levels
7 June 2019Megan Ford, Gemma Mitchell
What is the current situation regarding safe nurse staffing laws What lessons can be learnt from the experiences of Wales and Scotland Is legislation the only answer to ensuring protection from understaffing
Focus: A brief history of learning disability nursing
5 April 2019Jo Stephenson
The story of learning disability nursing is one of survival against the odds. The profession, which celebrates its 100 th anniversary this year, has continued despite attempts to do away with the role altogether and a debate that has rumbled on over the decades as to whether or not it is "proper" nursing.
Sexualisation of nurses gives way to harassment, congress told
24 May 2019Gemma Mitchell
The enduring sexualisation of nurses must end to keep them safe from harassment in the workplace, union members have warned.
Readers' comments (12)
michael stone16 July, 2014 11:18 am
Hi Jenny, the NHS has still got major problems re:
'At the core of this is listening to patients, carers and staff, learning from what they say when things go wrong and taking action to improve patient safety.'
'The NHS' isn't good at 'listening to laymen', nor at having conversations with laymen - the NHS is much happier with consultations as opposed to conversations, and to genuinely [systemically] learn from the 'lay experience' you need a further step (I'm not sure how to achieve this - it is easy to see the less-than-satisfactory consequences of not achieving it, but it isn't easy to see how to do it): that further step is to incorporate laymen WITHIN decision-making NHS Groups, instead of having only professionals inside decision-making groups. Listening to the laymen, and 'indirectly applying their perspective' simply isn't the same, as putting pateints, etc, inside the actual groups which come up with new protocols, plans, behavioural guidance, etc.
Things somehow need to move from 'Tell us [professionals] your opinions, and then we [professionals] will go away and use your views when we make decisions', to 'Everyone - professionals and laymen - needs to be making decisions together'.
PS I realise (belatedly) that I'm not just talking about 'safety' in that earlier post.
Elaine Fernandez16 July, 2014 4:18 pm
The court case was concerned with what happened to me rather than what happened to the patient, or what might be learned to protect patients in future. If anyone would be willing to listen, to help me relate my concerns, including those about the actions of the registered nurses who were responsible for mistreating the patient and her husband, HCA training and delegation processes, and inspection and governance, I would be grateful.
michael stone17 July, 2014 2:33 pm
Elaine Fernandez | 16-Jul-2014 4:18 pm
Hi Elaine,
When you say 'If anyone would be willing to listen' do you actually mean 'anyone who could [directly] change behaviour' ?
If you mean 'any old idiot' then I'm happy for you to relate your concerns to me, which you can do if you go to my piece at:
http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f4085/rr/654490
and go to its end.
But I'm not in a position to directly improve the bad behaviour you drew attention to,
Best wishes, Mike
Anonymous17 July, 2014 8:52 pm
I m having a horrible time at the moment as my elderly mother is in hospital and I have queried things the Dr said to me like her her blood pressure readings and the taking of vitamin D with Atrial Fibrilation after stopping her calcium channel blockers, the registrar agreed that it could cause calcification and he told me to "GO AND GOOGLE IT" I asked for referral to cariologist and he shouted and shook his arms at me, refused and then went to my mother after I left and said he would not speak with me unless I made an appointment to see him in private and then arranged with her to do a colonoscopy after he told me her ct scan was clear and no colonoscopy was required. My mother is so scared that she needs this treatment and he wont give her it unless I go away that I have been ostracised.
Anonymous19 July, 2014 11:03 am
I have spoken out twice in last 7 years and in both cases it was me that was investigated and eventually left my job to move on, due to work place pressure mainly for sernior staff/management, the last time was only 1yr ago. I do not think anything has changed, the trust's are just getting better at hidding it. I believe there should be a way to report outside the trust, ie direct to CQC or other body.
Anonymous19 July, 2014 12:49 pm
You can raise issues with the CQC directly, easily. As an individual or group, professional or lay. Request an unannounced inspection though.
To Anonymous | 19-Jul-2014 11:03 am
I share your experiences. But I'm glad not that I did speak out, even at the cost of my career.
We need more nurses with courage.
Anonymous21 July, 2014 0:24 am
"It looks like the tide is turning on attitudes to people who speak up about poor healthcare practice."
Not in my experience, as I pick up the pieces of yet another nurse sacked on suspicious grounds last week, after a 4 month bullying campaign of slander and smear because she reported the failure of a ward in her Hospital, to be able to provide adequate quality of care to an ill patient over 3 successive shifts.
The Hospital says in its Policy documents that it "Listens to, value and supports its Staff"... well this is a funny way of doing it.
mobo195822 July, 2014 2:41 pm
There is an opportunity for staff to provide feedback to the current review of whistle blowing by Robert Francis
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/raising-concerns-at-work-whistleblowing/sir-robert-francis-review-of-whistleblowing-processes
Also public concern at work is a charity which aims to support whistle blowers,
http://www.pcaw.org.uk/
I agree with other post - whistle blowing takes a lot of courage
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