Is Santa Fe Botox Right For You?

Admin

February, 2014 byadmin

Unless you were blessed with exceptional genes, chances are good you have lines and wrinkles on your face. Skin loses its elasticity as it ages, resulting in fine lines around the eyes and mouth, a wrinkled forehead and other signs of aging. If you are looking for a simple and easy way to attain smooth skin, getting Santa Fe Botox is a good option.

Botox is medication that is injected underneath the skin in the places where you want to eliminate wrinkles and lines. The medication blocks the signals that cause the muscles to move, preventing them from contracting. This, in turn, relaxes the skin and erases the signs of aging. The injections are administered to individual areas using a thin needle that minimizes pain and bruising. It can take up to seven days for the medication to take full effect. However, the results last for four to six months.

There are many options available for dealing with the signs of aging. The primary benefit to getting Santa Fe Botox is that the effect is temporary. You can discontinue the injections at any time and the Botox will simply wear off. Surgery, on the other hand, is permanent. Once you go under the knife, there’s no reversing that decision. Additionally, more surgery may be required after a period of time to maintain the effect.

Botox can also be used with other cosmetic procedures to create the look you want. For example, many women also use dermal filler to add fullness to the lips and cheeks for a more youthful appearance. Skin experts like Western Dermatology Consultants can advise you on the types of improvements you can make using temporary methods.

The cost of Botox injections vary. Some dermatologists charge by the shot and others charge by the area. The average price is between $10 and $16 per shot. If the doctor charges by the area, ask how many shots are required to achieve the outcome you want, so you know how much you’re being charged for the treatment. The last thing you want is to be surprised by the bill at the end of your session.

How Does Your Marketing Measure Up To The Top Advisor’s?

Admin

By Michael P Kaselnak

I get the question over and over. “What is the most important thing to do to build a successful practice?” I’ve been saying the same thing over and over, great marketing. But most people go, “Oh.”

They want a more exciting answer. So I went out to the proverbial studies to see if they backed me up, and here is what I found.

Most advisors became advisors due to their love of finances, not due to their love of marketing.

Unfortunately, as in many things in life, there is a catch-22. You won’t be an advisor for long if you don’t know how to market. The road to a successful financial planning practice is littered with very bright financial planners that never figured out how to market.

What do I mean by “how to market?” There have been several studies by Financial Advisor Magazine, Tiburon of Strategic Advisors, CEG Worldwide, Moss Adams and many others in the last few years looking at successful advisor practices and what makes them successful.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U56N10J7p9Y[/youtube]

It ends up (big surprise) that marketing spending and growth of assets under management go hand in hand, regardless of the size of the practice. Small firms that spent 30% of their revenues on marketing grew their assets at a whopping 50% on average. Was there a difference for large firms managing $100 to $500 million? Nope, same thing. More marketing means more money.

It appears more and more advisors get this as a recent S&P Corp. study found that advisors spent more in 2006 than in 2005 on marketing.

OK, marketing is good we get it, right? So where is the best place to spend your marketing dollar? On branding? On radio? On seminars? Nope, it ends up all studies point at just one thing. And the good news is it’s the cheapest kind of marketing!

Contact. What? Contact! What like a phone call, email, newsletter or handwritten note?

Yep, and often! It turns out that the really successful advisors contact their clients or their prospects between 24.1 and 28 times a year (depending on which study you look at.)

They also found that while any type of contact is good, there is a type of contact that works better than all the rest. Many advisors I talk to guess it is email. When I ask why they tell me because it is fast, easy, cheap and convenient.

Hmmmm. That stuff all sounds good doesn’t it?……for the advisor. Advisors love fast, easy cheap and convenient contact because they can email their whole client and prospect data base in 1 second. That is the very reason that while email is an excellent way to communicate information to your clients, it is the weakest link in either building loyalty in your current client data base or wooing new clients.

Your clients and prospects know that it takes you very little time and effort to email them. Yes they appreciate your prompt delivery of information to them but they view your effort as minimal.

So what is the best ways to contact them? Phone call, personal meeting or handwritten note.

Hmmm. What do all of these have in common? They require time and effort. Interesting, the things that require time and effort are the very things that are linked to the most successful practices. They are willing to do the things other advisors are not willing to do.

Want to be successful in any type of business? Do the things your competitors refuse to do.

About the Author: Mike Kaselnak is considered one of the top marketing and sales experts in the financial services industry. He has personally mentored over 300 financial advisors in the past 10 years. These financial advisors saw their average production increase by 62%. Many saw increases of over 300 percent. He writes articles that have appeared in many mainstream magazines and has written the popular report 300 Financial Headlines that sell.

MikeKaselnak.com

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=583203&ca=Marketing

Spinal Bone Spur Surgery

Admin

See More About:

By Patrick Foote

Spinal bone spur surgery is almost always recommended as a last resort treatment option. Patients suffering from neck or back pain associated with bone spurs usually can manage their symptoms using non-surgical, conservative treatments. Only if pain medication, physical therapy, hot/cold compresses, corticosteroid injections, or other conservative treatment methods fail to provide relief will surgery become an option in most cases.

Rewards and Risks

There are two main objectives for any spinal bone spur surgery:

— To alleviate pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and other symptoms caused by the nerve compression that is usually associated with the presence of excess bony matter (bone spurs, or osteophytes).

— To provide or improve spinal stability that has been reduced, either because of deteriorated anatomical components or through excision during surgery.

Those are the potential rewards. However, no one should undergo an open back or neck surgery without understanding the potential risks. The main risk is failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), which can be caused by:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnkzrcOlcnc[/youtube]

— An error in diagnosis before the operation

— Surgery performed incorrectly, either by location or procedure

— Bone graft rejection

— Fusion hardware failure

— Secondary symptoms generated in previously healthy vertebral segments

— Nerve root impingement caused by the growth of scar tissue

— Inadequate decompression of affected nerves

Minimally Invasive Option

Many thousands of patients have opted for laser-assisted procedures to alleviate back and neck pain caused by bone spurs. This form of surgery has a much shorter recuperation period and requires no insertion of fusion hardware. In contrast, open back or neck bone spur surgery is performed under general anesthesia, requires a hospital stay, restricts movement for several weeks or months, and carries the risks inherent to any major operation, including infection.

Is Emergency Surgery Ever Necessary?

The existence of bone spurs, bulging discs, herniated discs, and other spinal abnormalities is usually not considered a serious or life-threatening condition, so it is rare for these spinal issues to require emergency surgery. However, if a spinal irregularity causes the impingement of a nerve bundle called the cauda equina, then immediate surgical treatment could be required to prevent permanent paralysis in the lower body and urinary/bowel incontinence.

The cauda equina nerve bundle extends off the lower termination of the spinal cord. Any tissue or legion that presses on the cauda equina can disable these nerves, affecting one’s ability to walk and go to the bathroom. Impingement of the cauda equina also can cause severe low back pain and numbness in the ‘saddle’ area – or the part of the body that would touch a saddle.

If the impingement of the cauda equina is allowed to continue for too long, it can cause permanent damage. That’s why anyone who experiences lower back pain coupled with groin numbness, incontinence, and difficulty walking should go to the emergency room as soon as possible. If cauda equina syndrome is diagnosed there, emergency surgery may be necessary to remove the herniated disc, bone spur, or any other tissue that’s placing pressure on the cauda equina.

About the Author: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for spinal

bone spurs

and several other spinal conditions.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=740349&ca=Medical+Business

4 Ways Of How Outsourcing Data Based Companies Use Big Data

Admin

Big data has key to know customers

Big data is an information repository. It’s vast; it’s broad and is turning a cash cow. A data analyst thoroughly studies its architecture. His keen observation traces patterns, trends and associations perfectly. Even, human behaviour and interactions are unearthed effortlessly. One needs not come one-on-one with the customers and ask what they prefer. Consequently, one can save money and effort conveniently. Big data stockpiles its formula.

But its sifting is not a cake walk. Most of the companies are nave in digging it. Valuable data-chunks are the present need. So, how they should fulfill the need of the hour? Who has it will win the jackpot. This is the fact.

Big-data is echoing everywhere. Commercial world has heard its echo. But only a few corporate companies are using it efficiently. And its outcome reflects in their escalating success. The foremost position of Amazon, Snapdeal and Flipkart among other ecommerce companies epitomizes it.

So, how other companies can be this trend’s part? Emergence of outsourcing data extraction companies has doused this dilemma. Commercial entities have started moving to outsource data extraction services. By ad-hoc analysis, they gain miraculous creative ideas. Check below the best four out of them:

Treat customers as ‘blue eyed boy’: Customer is whom a brand serves. All strategies fall flat when the sale declines. Customers are regarded as creator of the sales. So, focus on them. It should be primary aim.

Take an account of Amazon. It’s a brand now; the outshining ecommerce giant. It attends customers as the cash cow. Its website, an e-Shop, sets an example by popping popular departments and the recommendations. The recommendations are not vague. It tracks the old purchase orders and browsing of the users. And then, it flashes products based on them.

It is forerunner in providing personalized customer experience. It’s efficient Customer Relationship Management (CRM) works progressively delivering message of new products. So, it beats the clock winning leads through zero expenditure on ad campaigns.

In marketing world, success follows on provided that the company focuses on customers primarily. Shopping seduces the customers. But the need is to convince them. And once they get satisfaction, they will become loyal.

Consistency in Focus: Eye on target, success will follow up. Strife pays off for sure. But what if one has set many goals to achieve simultaneously? The attention diverges. So, accomplishing many goals becomes an uphill combat.

Online retailing kings are ideals. They bag success, huge revenue and popularity through consistent focus. Their CRM system collects millions records every day from across the world. The frequent sale-based messages on existing customers’ mobile phone can tell how quick and excellent they are. They follow up customers every time. And the backend support of customer care converts inquiry into sale. It also helps in improving.

Ad campaigns have potential to create leads. But if one fails in converting them, it’s waste. Thus, big-data is a gold mine. But the need is to focus perpetually.

Extract from Big Data: Big-data carries unprecedented information. Data based on science, games, entertainment, medicine, history and technology etc. constitute it. Digging any information on search engine pages shows evidences of its depth.

This is why, web scrapingis breeding. This process of extracting static data from it is a proven hit. Google, the gigantic search engine, does it also. And it’s blooming leaps and bounds. According to Alexa, it ranks 1st. It is a global network linked to 3, 814, 549 websites and receives 40,000 queries per second on an average. And it process more than 3.5 billion searches per day.

Market research companies sell success ideas through it. All in all, big-data has success mantra. But only expertise can dig it out.

Utilize it perfectly: Data can produce information. But creative mind develops business intelligence. The data, itself, does not create but the analysts can do so. And timely execution lies in the hands of the entrepreneurs.

Let’s follow an example. A market research company delivered operation and function-based report to its client, a cosmetic brand. The analysis in the report recommended variations in cosmetic according to weather. The research was delivered on time but the recommended strategies were implemented one year later. Consequently, the company failed in harvesting estimated profit.

Thus, big-data actually works wonder but the need is to utilize it wisely.

Beware Of Job Fraud Scams!

Admin

Submitted by: Marty R. Milette

Searching for a job can be difficult enough, but when you finally spot the ‘job of a lifetime’ just consider that if the job sounds too good to be true quite likely, it is!

Imagine the job of “Designer – Developer/Applications/IT” with a tax-free salary of $120K for 6 months work.

Perks including Paid Overtime at $300 per hour, paid first-class accommodation, $3,000.00 flat rate travel/entertainment allowance for every intercontinental trip, free comprehensive healthcare, two weeks of paid vacation, a free laptop computer and free transportation/vehicle.

WOW!!! Where do I sign up???

This is just one of the many recent postings on Monster.com other jobs with the same salary and benefits are also available including:

* Project Manager – Project/Infrastructure/IT

* Analyst – Systems/Support/IT

* Technical Advisor – Computer/Security/IT

* Analyst – Data Manager/IT/

Sometimes the scams are easy to spot other times it can be more difficult. Quite often the job titles and job descriptions are often stolen from other legitimate employment sites.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtOF9Y7i0o[/youtube]

You may be able to enter a snippet of the job description in double-quotes and find the original source through your favorite search engine.

For example, the position I mentioned earlier contained the text “(C++, Java, HTML, PHP, Visual Basic)” in the job description.

Search for this in Google (including the double-quotes) and you ll quickly see how often this exact string has been used in scam-related job postings.

These companies (more likely individuals) have absolutely no intention of hiring you they are simply after the “Administration Fee” you need to send in advance.

Here is an example of some terms on a recent posting on monster.com:

You are liable to make charges of about USD$950.00 for the procurement of your working and residential permit documents which covers:

1, Administrative charges:

2, Diplomatic Courier Charges:

3, Working Permit charges:

4, Residential Permit charges:

5, Hard copies of the terms:

They promise reimbursement of fees and travel expenses to attend the interview, but only AFTER you ve shown up for the job and discovered they never existed!

In addition to money sent to the fraudsters in advance — you could be suckered in for airfare, hotel and thousands of dollars in other expenses.

Some obvious clues that should send up bright red warning flags:

* The job is in Nigeria, or posted on behalf of a Nigerian company. Quite often the jobs are IT-related in companies involved with oil, banking or mining.

* The contact is using @hotmail.com or some other free email service. Legitimate offers generally come from legitimate companies with real email addresses.

* The telephone number is a fake. Don t even try to call. Most often, if the number even works at all, it leads to a mobile phone in Nigeria or a similar country. Check the country code before calling and see if it matches the company s address (if they even provide one).

* Beware of requests for detailed personal information, such as a copy of your passport, birth certificate, SSN card and so forth. This trick is used to make the application more real but if they can’t sucker you on the application fee they may just sell or use your identity instead.

* Quite often, there will be many errors in the references, spelling and/or grammar. Here is another example:

“You are to receive the hard copies of the contract terms and agreement and also your working and residential permit altogether, it will be delivered through Diplomatic Courier Services(DHL) to your various designated addresses respectively.”

Do a Google search for “Diplomatic Courier Services(DHL)” and you will again see dozens of listings discussing or exposing the scam.

There are many variations to this new type of scam. Currently, IT professionals seem to be the major target. Monster.com and Monster’s country-specific sites have become the hot target for these scamsters.

Although Monster does remove bogus job postings fairly quickly, the process to complain about them is difficult and time-consuming.

In many online job boards, there is no ‘filtering’ or human review process for job postings — otherwise such fraudulent listings would be need to be much more difficult. Many job boards also allow free postings for advertisers — making them even more attractive for scammers.

The important thing to remember is that few legitimate employers will ask for fees of any kind up-front in fact, many employers will pay for your travel expenses in advance.

Don t let the job of your dreams become a financial nightmare be cautious when dealing with any business you can not easily identify or verify. Best of luck on your job search!

About the Author: Marty R. Milette is a Canadian citizen and International Management Consultant who lives with his wife and son in beautiful St. Petersburg Russia — now seeking work in the UK and battling to expose scams as described here. With over 20 years of IT experience, his first web sites appeared in 1994. Learn more at:

marty-milette.com

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=18876&ca=Jobs

Rc Helicopter Facts And Content At Glance

Admin

Many Remote controlled Rc helicopter fans spend hours and a lot of money for the pleasure of it! There are many photos that illustrate each Helicopter Introduction. You can get a better idea of the models of an RC helicopter that led to the extreme realism of this flying machine. Some professionals dont stop until they get to provide users with a small RC heli with four missiles; the possibility to shoot through the radio when the driver wishes is totally available.

The realism is impressive. Of course, other rc helicopter modelers clubs do not take away an eye on, now, at any time, because a missile from the helicopter could knock them down. Most model airplane enthusiasts began building and flying a small jet trainer. When you consider that you dominate the art of flying radio controlled aircraft you can probably begin to build increasingly your skills.

Everything will be much more realistic and be ready because it can be difficult to fly. Do not rush onto a purchase; look for quality and durable rc helicopter models.

Truth is, when it comes to remote-controlled helicopters, this trend has grown considerably in recent years, with electric models even fit in the palm of the hand. In our shop you choose help to make the decision when purchasing one as simple as possible.

Whether you want to start or if you want to progress with an rc helicopter, you must remain patient. Buying a radio control helicopter keep in mind several things, the two main issues that we must answer are:

– Where will I fly my rc helicopter?

– What level do I have?

The first question will give us an idea of size rc helicopter that we buy. This size is usually measured by reference to the main rotor diameter, in millimeters (mm). Regarding the second question, level, the answer we give will influence the performance of the helicopter to choose, the number of channels and to some extent in size. In this sense, our store is now selling a selection of helicopters on the market to suit all locations and levels.

In short, you can get what you need; this is a practice of radio control that allows small-scale pilot helicopters by remote control. It is a growing market that is dedicated to developing these rc helicopter prototypes, and a hobby is fairly widespread in certain areas such as USA (with brands such as Excel), Japan (Hirobo) or Germany (Kyosho).

Reasons To Take Up Dentistry

Admin

Reasons to Take Up Dentistry

by

Tiffany Wilson

Choosing what course to pursue after graduation is such a migraine. If you are currently contemplating about this problem just now, I am guessing that, like many of your peers, you have not thought about what you want to do with your life after high school. Don t worry, kid. I am here to offer you a feasible option. I am sure you have heard about dentistry. Before you complain about how you hate medicine, perhaps you can breeze through the following perks.

You will never be out of a job

Come now. Imagine yourself finishing dentistry, becoming a legit dentist with your own dental clinic. Do you see? Is that not a sight? And take this. You will never run out of patients. Your neighborhood is full of children with temporary sets of teeth. Not only that. What about those pitiful bleeding gums? What about the rotting teeth caused by the intentional neglect of their owners. You will have more clientele than you can imagine.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiOfQ8dRKbE[/youtube]

You can earn your community\’s respect

If your community is a small one and you are the only dentist there, you will probably be popular among the kids as the doctor who makes teeth healthier. The people in your community, both young and old, will respect you not only as a professional but also as a helpful assistant to the community.

You can give back to the community in return

There are various ways a dentist can give back to the community that he or she is in. Number one, of course, is by doing the job in the best way you can do. Next thing is to participate in health fairs organized by you community. You can give your services for free, only for a day of course or depending on how long these fairs last.

You can tell little children that you\’re the tooth fairy

The tooth fairy is always in children s stories. We know that they are dubbed as fantasy now. but there are still children who want to believe. You can do those children some favor and tell them that they can call you the tooth fairy since, you know, you deal with people s teeth as a profession. You can even turn your clinic into a tooth fairy-themed clinic. That will surely bring delight not only to the children but to older patients with young hearts too.

Now, can you imagine what you can do if you choose to be a dentist? What I enumerated are just the top of the list. You can even make your own list of fun stuff to do besides treating rotting teeth and bleeding gums. You can t have many customers every day. So it might do you good to have side activities such as giving lectures and talks to elementary schools and high schools. I know that this may not be the best profession in the world. But at least you will have a useful trade to offer the community you are in. This is just an option of course. But you can always make it as one of your references. Here s a wink from me. Good luck.

Tiffany Wilson is an assistant to a dentist in a local clinic in Washington DC. Know more about

dental clinic in Washington DC

here.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

The Most Common Plastic Surgery Myths

Admin

See More About:

The Most Common Plastic Surgery Myths

by

Alex Smith Denver

It\’s fair to say that plastic surgery is a topic that sometimes breeds wild, unbelievable \”facts.\” These \”facts\” are nothing more than myths that are often spread by those without much in-depth knowledge of the field. The reality of plastic surgery often is a lot less sensational than the occasional news story or anecdote might suggest. Read on to discover some of the most common myths and learn the facts instead.

Cosmetic Surgery Isn\’t Safe

Out of all the plastic surgery myths out there, this is one of the most common. It\’s also plain wrong. While there are risks involved with any type of medical procedure, be it simple mole removal to more complicated procedures like heart transplants, cosmetic surgery procedures performed by board-certified plastic surgeons have an excellent track record.

The nightmare plastic surgery stories that crop up now and again mostly stem from so-called doctors performing procedures without a license or from medical doctors who lack the skills and training to perform cosmetic surgery safely. Board-certified plastic surgeons follow strict guidelines and must adhere to a rigorous standard of professional protocols to maintain their certification and their hospital affiliations. In addition, technological advances in medical equipment have contributed to a higher standard of safety in the operating room.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp1DijKc7EA[/youtube]

Dr. Frank Campanile, a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs cosmetic surgery in Denver, completely disagrees with this myth as well.

To say \’cosmetic surgery isn\’t safe\’ is like saying all surgery isn\’t safe. When choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon for their procedure, patients can take comfort in knowing they are in good hands, Dr. Campanile says.

All Surgeons Will Deliver the Same Results

Another mythbuster moment: the quality of surgical results is highly dependent on the skill and experience of the surgeon performing the procedure. When you choose a cosmetic surgery procedure, you\’re putting your well-being in the hands of the surgeon. That level of trust requires more than just a passing glance at the doctor s diploma. According to Dr. Campanile, you need to do your own research to make sure the surgeon you choose is a capable, knowledgeable professional.

Dr. Campanile was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery the only board accepted by the American Board of Medical Specialties to certify cosmetic/plastic surgeons.

Every one of my Denver plastic surgery patients learns about my credentials, training and experience, notes Dr. Campanile. The truth is that there is a difference in the quality of results from different doctors. That s why looking at a surgeon s qualifications and viewing before and after photos matters so much.

It\’s Worth Shopping around for the Lowest Price

This myth can prove dangerously false. You should never, ever choose a surgeon if your only reason is because of a low price. Your health and wellbeing are worth far more than the few hundred dollars you may be able to save. When choosing cosmetic surgery, patients pay for skill, high-quality results, and, most importantly, safety.

If price is an important concern for you, schedule consultations with several practices and get quotes on the cosmetic procedures you want. It s OK to ask a practice for more affordable alternatives to the procedure you were originally considering. For instance, if you are thinking about having a facelift, it may be more affordable for you to choose a non-surgical treatment such as a dermal filler, which provides skin smoothing results for a fraction of the price of a surgical facelift.

Of course, you need to pay some attention to the cost of a procedure, says Dr. Campanile. That s only responsible fiscal planning. But if price is driving your decision, take a step back and think about what a procedure really might cost you if something might go wrong. In my experience, it is never worth it to cut corners and possibly compromise your surgical results.

If you are considering cosmetic surgery and are looking for one of the top plastic Surgeons in Denver, you may consult highly trained plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Campanile. Visit campanileplasticsurgery.com for

cosmetic surgery Denver

and

Denver plastic surgery

services.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

How To Seal Coat Your Driveway

Admin

byadmin

Although Driveway Paving In Middletown CT is often contracted, it is a chore than can be done by the DIY enthusiast. It is not an overly difficult job, however, it may be dirty. If you elect to seal your own drive, here are a few pointers that may come in handy:

Choose the right time: You will need to keep your eye on the weather forecast, the temperature should hover from 70 to 90 degrees F and the temperature should stay that way for at least three days; the day before the sealing, the day of the sealing and the day after. Not only should the temperature have ideal temperature, there should be no rain during these three days.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVa4q-YVjD8[/youtube]

Prepare the driveway: The driveway, to look excellent after sealing must start right. Before attempting driveway sealing in Middletown CT, make sure that any and all weeds that may be growing through the drive are completely removed and the drive is power washed clean from any small stones and dirt. Once the drive is clean, you will be able to spot any cracks or holes, these cracks need to be filled. If your drive is concrete, then mix as must cement as required and fill the cracks. If the driveway is asphalt, get a cold patch kit at the hardware and apply it on the cracks. Cold patch is ideal as there is no need for a heat source.

Choose the sealer: This is one place where price really does count. The very high quality sealers will cost more, but in the long run, actually work out to cost less. When doing Driveway Paving In Middletown CT, look for a sealer that promises the longest life, and guarantees it. The pail that the sealer is packed in gives the approximate coverage per coat, once you have determined the area of your drive and any other surface to be coated, determining the amount of sealer to purchase is easy.

Application: There are sealers that say they do not need to be stirred, stir them anyway. Starting at the garage door, pour a puddle of sealant on the drive. Using a squeegee as well as a stiff brush, spread the puddle to the largest area possible. Two coats are superior to one thick coat so spread it as far as possible in anticipation of the second coat.

As you are working, look at what you have done repeatedly. By looking at your work from different angles, you can assure that the coating is the same all over the drive. If there are any spots that you missed, they will show up as you review your work.

When it’s done, keep cars, people and pets off the drive for about 24 hours and then keep your car off it for a week to allow for complete curing.

To eliminate all the work of doing your own driveway sealing in Middletown CT, contact the professionals at Sullivan Paving Co., Inc. They have the skills, the people and the right sealer for a long lasting job.

Grana Cochinilla Fina: Brilliant Natural Red Dye In Oaxaca

Admin

grana cochinilla fina: Brilliant Natural Red Dye in Oaxaca

by

Alvin Starkman

Most tourists have no idea that only a couple of hundred yards off the main highway, a minute or two from the black pottery village, is one the most fascinating destinations that the state of Oaxaca has to offer children and adults alike. And yet the majority of travelers have a least heard or read a snippet about the natural red dye which comes from a tiny insect and is used to color the rugs they buy in Teotitln del Valle, and other products including some of the foods and beverages we eat todaythe grana cochinilla fina, commonly known as simply cochineal.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfmIgHtQnRA[/youtube]

I suspect that from reading their guidebooks or speaking to tour guides and taxi drivers, visitors are not generally made aware of the importance of this little bug on the world stage over centuries; or perhaps they think its enough to buy a tapete and be told its been dyed with cochineal, and see and touch a few dried insectsrather than spend 40 or 50 minutes in amazement. It might be different if they knew that during the conquest era, next to gold and silver cochineal was the most valuable commodity known to mankind, and that in 1758 Oaxaca exported over 1.5 million Spanish pounds of it to Europe, Africa and Asia for a multitude of uses including the dying of fabrics including uniforms worn by British nobility and cavalry. Together known as Tlapanochestli, the quaint research facility, museum, ranch and open-air teaching environment is located at Santa Mara Coyotepec off a dirt road only 15 minutes from downtown Oaxaca. The attraction is designed to hold the interest of travelers of all ages and all backgrounds, from layperson to academic or professional. Upon entering Tlapanochestli youll be greeted by one of the employees who works the ranch, or perhaps one of the two scientists who run the research and teaching programs, Engineers Manual Loera Fernndez and Ignacio del Ro Dueas. Youll learn about the lifecycle of the cochineal, how it attaches itself to and feeds off of a certain variety of nopal cactus, and about its harvesting and preparation for use as a dye. Both kids and grownups will delight and be awe-struck at having either a live or dried bug squished on their palm yielding the scarlet pigment. Youll be taught why not all types of nopal cactus are suitable for production of cochineal, which ones are used to make salads, and about varietals which produce the sweet red edible fruit known as tuna, seasonally sold in marketplaces just as apples and oranges, and just as often encountered as a sorbet flavor or fresh fruit juice. But your tour is not only about the insect and its host, but includes learning about a plethora of other natural products used to dye foods and fabrics, such pecan shells, oyster conch, pomegranate, marigold, moss, onions, and the ail plant which produces our blues and indigos. Combining some of these dyes with the cochineal results in yet a further spectrum of color. Youll also discover how to use cochineal in combination with lime juice or baking soda and with different colored natural wools to produce orange and purple hews. One cannot help but marvel at the diversity of commercial products which utilize the cochineal as a coloring such as lipsticks and makeup for those allergic or sensitive to synthetic red and orange tones, Danone yoghurt, Campari, and even Campbells soup. Often artists have opted to employ cochineal and other natural colors for their work, and accordingly witness walls adorned with examples of fine art created without the use of chemical-based paints. The photos of Prince Charles attendance at Tlapanochestli is a testament to the worlds continued fascination with the historical and contemporary significance of the grana cochinilla fina. In the gift shop theres an opportunity to purchase dried cochineal for your own use, ink in an attractive wax-sealed bottle, paints and pastes, balls of yarn, soaps, clothing, and for the children perhaps a paint set consisting of dried cochineal to crush using the miniature clay pestle and mortar, along with coloring pages with instruction sheet directing how to use the kit and produce your own shades of red, orange and pink. A short video puts the production of cochineal into its proper historical context using facts, anecdotes and mythology, along with colorful imagery, narrated using language easily understood by children. At the same time those with a background or interest in the sciences will have all of their questions answered. The film outlines the pre-hispanic use of the pigment; the development of an internationally regulated industry attracting the attention of worldwide heads of state from The Conquest forward; its importance in the global marketplace as the strongest and most brilliant dye known to humankind; and its decline in the mid 1800s upon the invention of synthetic coloration and the subsequent adverse impact on the Mexican economy. While Oaxacan production and export never did recover from 19th century recessionary factors, the video concludes on a upbeat note documenting the industrys resurgence in recent decades in the face of widespread health concerns regarding the continued reliance on synthetic substances to dye commercial products. After your cinematic journey back into history, and having gained knowledge about how natural dyes are produced and used in a multitude of applications, your perception of not only Oaxaca but also the Western World will have been enhanced foreverwhether youre in Oaxaca shopping for rugs, watching the native vendors in a market or ordering ice cream; or sitting in the comfort of your home and sipping a Campari and soda.

Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. A vist to the cochineal farm is included in one of the village tours Alvin offers.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com