Dark Under Eye Circles & You - Three Easy Tips on Avoiding Them!

Submitted by Michael Jon Lazar on 12/11/08 12:37am

Have you ever woken up in the morning and saw those dreaded dark under eye circles staring back at you from the mirror? We all have had those days, and they really suck. They make it take longer to apply makeup. The dark under eye circles peer through, no matter how hard we try to cover them up. The good news is that you can easily avoid this common skin issue by following some simple tips!

Proper Facial Cleansers are Key

You need to cleanse your face at least two times per day. Avoid cleansers that use alcohol or laurel sulfate (a popular foaming ingredient that can dry out your skin). Also make sure that you buy a cleanser that is unscented (scents can dry out your skin as well). Finally, make sure that you use warm water and an exfoliating face cloth when cleansing.

Protect Yourself from the Sun

The sun can really wreak havoc on your skin. And the skin around your eyes is some of the thinnest skin on your body. Always make sure that you apply at least an SPF 30 rated sunscreen before going out. Even during the cold months, the sun rays can still damage your skin.

Use the Best Eye Creams

The best eye creams currently on the market use powerful antioxidants and moisturizers to combat aging, dark under eye circles, and much more. They use clinically proven ingredients to normalize drainage and resuscitate broken capillaries that contribute to dark under eye circles. And through micro circulation technology, they are able to revive the skin around you eyes in about a month.

A.C. Loves Records.

Submitted by cobwebsandstrange on 12/11/08 12:34am

A few major record labels have begun issuing and reissuing their releases as vinyl. It could be a manner in which corporate behemoths aim to combat piracy, but in my mind it means that people still just like records.

Some folks that like ‘em started bands. Animal Collective is clearly a group of record collecting geeks which is why the announcement that they made isn’t really all that surprising. Their upcoming album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, a follow up to the ridiculously danceable Strawberry Jam, is slated to be released in the US on January 20th (the UK release date is on the 12th). However, for fans that have turntables, Merriweather will be available on 180 gram vinyl on January 6th.

What's 180 gram mean, you ask? Well, friend, the thicker the platter, the deeper and wider the grooves are. So, still say? Well the wider the grooves are, the better the sound will be. Presumably, Animal Collective is well aware of that and is working to ingratiate themselves to the large segment of their fan base who love records. It seems like it'll work. Oddly enough though, on the day that the vinyl is to be released, digital downloads will be available. It's a bizarre confluence of mediums, but still a little amusing seeing as the cd release seems to be for stragglers.

At least the band knows how to play both sides against the middle.

 

If you simply can't wait that long though, take a listen to an appearance the group did on NPR recently. Good? Good.

Tour Dates: 01.12.08 - London, England - Koko 01.13.08 - Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow School of Arts 01.14.08 - Manchester, England - Club Academy 01.15.08 - Brighton, England - Concorde 2 01.16.08 - Paris, France - Bataclan 01.17.08 - Leuven, Belgium - Stuk Kunstencentrum 01.18.08 - Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof 01.20.08 - New York, NY - Grand Ballroom 01.21.08 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 01.22.08 - Chicago, IL - Metro 01.23.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda 01.24.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour 09.12.08 - Monticello, NY - ATP New York

New Eye Creams Using Clinically Proven Ingredients to Combat Aging

Submitted by Michael Jon Lazar on 12/11/08 12:31am

The word is officially out: you don’t have to get costly and intrusive, painful and often side effect-ridden facial injections or dermal filler injections to just have great skin and amazingly sexy eyes! Rather, many advancements have been recently made over the past decade in the cosmeceutical industry that have yielded some fantastic eye creams that are certainly changing the way that we view skin care forever. And the best part about these newer eye creams is that they are using clinically proven and quite often patented ingredients that work wonders to revitalize your eyes.

Why Clinically Proven Ingredients Matter

These are the keywords here: clinically proven ingredients matter most. Why purchase a product that only claims to do work when you can easily buy a product that provides clinical proof that it indeed works as the maker so claims that it does. The best eye creams currently on the market offer such proof. And most work quickly, within the first three to four weeks of daily application to minimize the appearances of dark eye circles (raccoon eyes) and crow’s feet.

Eye Cream Versus Spa Facial: Cost Comparison

Here is the true breakdown. If you were to get spa facials to rejuvenate the skin around your eyes you would spend around eighty bucks per facial. You would need to get at least one per week to really see any results in the first month: that’s a whopping $320 per month, not counting gratuity. With the best eye creams, a month supply costs around $80 per bottle, and you see the same results, but for a fraction of the cost! 

Summer Camp For Muscular Dystrophy

Submitted by hellenwyeth on 12/10/08 11:57pm
James Lacerenza diagnosed with cerebral palsy has taken an astounding stand for not his own condition but for those with muscular dystrophy. Lacerenza is a student at University of Connecticut and volunteer for the Westchester County, NY/Fairfield County, CT chapter of MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) since 1999. Since then he has become the district supervisor for the organization. He currently holds the title of founder for the MDA ConnectiKids Summer Camp Fund that has been operating since 2005.
 
Every year you can find James Lacerenza voluntering for his local Jerry Lewis Telethon Pledge Center answering phones to take donations to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association cause. He is also responsible for starting the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy Campaign in his area resulting in the MDA ConnectiKids Summer Camp Fund.
 
In early stages, the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy Campaign was only limited to private sponsers of friends and family. Wanting to make his cause more public, James Lacerenza started to approach larger companies to help out. Turned down by most, James did not give up and managed to get XEROX and other local businesses to join in his efforts last year.
 
The MDA ConnectiKids Summer Camp is for children diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Summer camp lasts for one full week in New York. Campers get to enjoy horseback riding, swimming, sports, arts and crafts, cook outs and talent shows. The camp is run by a full staff and completely off of donations making the one week camp out completely free for the campers and their parents to send their children. All their meals and activities are paid for giving these kids an opportunity to make new friends and have some fun.
 
Since the MDA ConnectiKids Summer Camp is to keep it's goal at being free for it's campers there are only a very small limited number of campers that are allowed to make the roster. For each camper it costs around $800 to supply them with all the food and activities as well as the cost of the facilities that they use. Looking at the bigger picture, it really isn't all that much for each child to have a great week of fun where they can connect with other kids that are going through the same challenges while still being able to let loose and have fun.
 
Muscular dystrophy is a serious ailment for anyone. It is a progressive disease that slowly takes away a persons basic abilities like walking, speech and play. This genetic disease often resluts in death for these children making it all the more important to let these kids have the best that they can while we still have them with us.
 
The goal for the upcoming 2009 year is to raise a minimum of $56,000.00. This total would allow 70 kids diagnosed with muscular dystrophy to the MDA ConnectiKids Summer Camp. Over the previous years only a small group of about 48 kids has been the highest amount of kids that were able to attend. For those of you that would kindly like to make a donation to the summer camp to help these kids out you can visit the MDA site to do so. For parents with children diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and are interested in more information about the camp and the possibility of sending your child your for a fun filled week you can find it here as well.

HST: The Gonzo Tapes

Submitted by cobwebsandstrange on 12/10/08 10:30pm

Hunter Thompson released two enormous volumes of his collected letters during his life, each concentrating on a different portion of his life. There were letters from his time in the Army as well as much latter in his career after he’d achieved relative fame.

The simple idea to collect all of you correspondence from the time one is about twenty five years old seems odd at best. So, what kind of self absorbed man does that? HST does.

Since his death a few years ago, there have been a number of film related projects that have surfaced and now a cd set of his notes and ramblings.

The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson can be looked in a few ways. First, it can help lend valuable insight into the manic workings of a man who clearly had issues with substance abuse and personal relationships. Or it can be seen as a crass commercialization of a unique American life. But, a family’s gotta eat.

Covering five discs, the set serves to go inside the process that HST worked in while inadvertently helping to create what is now thought of as “New Journalism.” Along with Tom Wolfe, HST brought subcultures and miscreants to the general populace. Portrayed in the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, HST spastically runs through any event he’s set to cover, always startling the subjects that he needs to interact with. These tapes will no doubt end up being rather hilarious, if not greatly insightful.

The amount of work this man produced in his lifetime, including his ESPN columns, is pretty staggering and these recordings will entertain while explicating his canon as well as American history through the last few decades.

Shady Political Dealings

Submitted by michelle o. on 12/10/08 10:14pm

Thursday, December 11th 9:40pm

Dear Diary, Things have been pretty tense around the Obama household lately. After the media came out with all the information about the Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, Barack has been very upset. Of course, I have to wonder how much Barack knew about that to begin with, but a lot of it was out of his control. After all, Blagojevich was involved with some shady dealings before this, evident by the fact that he was already being wiretapped before he tried to sell Barack’s Senate seat. Even still, it certainly doesn’t look good on the Obama Administration to even be remotely connected to this crime, and Barack’s become really upset about this. He keeps talking about how he’s been trying to distance himself from Blagojevich, calling him corrupt even before these dealings. Of course, everyone in Illinois knows that Chicago politics are corrupt. It’s true that 4 out of the past 7 governors have ended up in prison. Barack’s been lucky to have been able to rise above it for so long. Of course, I would not have put up with anything he may have tried. I’d like to think of that as a deterrent. But when it all comes down to it, Barack is a good man, and I can see how frustrated he is to have a scandal connected to his presidency before even assuming office. I guess the best thing that all of us can do is to stay out of trouble. Not that the Obamas will have a hard time with that. We just have to count on the Administration (and the rest of the Democrats) to help us maintain a good reputation. Yours always, Michelle Originally posted in The Secret Diary of Michelle Obama

Renting Designer Accessories

Submitted by artchick on 12/10/08 10:13pm
I’m no handbag queen, as I own only one “purse,” as I prefer to call them (call me old school), in basic black to go with everything. However, a while back I started spotting different fabulous handbags being sported by Nancy, a former coworker. After seeing her sashay past my desk with a different gorgeous bag every week, I started asking her about them. She was only too glad to school me in the ways of designer handbags, and pretty soon I started to develop an appreciation for them too. After a while I could instantly spot a Fendi (such as this gorgeous red number) and could tell a Coach bag from a Louis Vuitton. I appreciated how well-made they were, with quality materials throughout and lots of nice touches. I realized they must be pricy, but I was shocked to learn just how much they cost – starting off in the hundreds of dollars and often reaching into the thousands. How was Nancy affording it, I wondered – was she selling drugs on the side, or what? I decided to ask her how she did it. Turns out she rents them. Yup. She keeps each one for a week or so and then gets a new one. That way she has a constantly changing palette of purses – er, bags – to show off her exquisite taste. And she doesn’t have to go into debt or sell her children to do it. Nancy rents her fabulous handbags from a fabulous site called Bag, Borrow or Steal. And shortly after she told me about this clever new way for women to enjoy designer fashion at a low cost, I watched the Sex and the City movie, and there it was again! Jennifer Hudson’s character, who was Carrie’s assistant in the movie, rented bags from Bag, Borrow or Steal – rather blatant product placement, right? Often referred to as “Netflix for Handbags,” the site recently changed its name to Avelle, since they’ve added other luxury accessories, including designer sunglasses, jewelry, and watches. Members can borrow by the week or by the month, and they have access to more than 3,000 styles of authentic luxury handbags and jewelry, including accessories from renowned designers such as Gucci, Chanel, Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, Prada, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Vera Wang, Stephen Dweck, and lots more. Avelle members simply select the piece that strikes their fancy, enjoy it as long as they like, and then exchange it for another. If they want to keep what they're borrowing, they have the option to “steal,” or purchase it. The site features clear navigation, making it easy to find the designer, color, style, or price range you’re looking for, and as a member you can save 20 percent. There’s a free return shipping package, too, which is nice. Prices start around $15 a week. Now, instead of renting The Devil Wears Prada, you can rent Prada!

A New Robert Wyatt Collaboration

Submitted by cobwebsandstrange on 12/10/08 10:08pm

Since the late ‘60s Robert Wyatt has played in countless groups and collaborated with a great many different musicians.

Working mainly as a percussionist when collaborating with other folks, his earlier project the Soft Machine allowed him to not only drum but sing as well. Being the main focus of that group eventually created tension before Wyatt exited the group in the early ‘70s. But before moving on, Wyatt helped create four albums worth of material the so blurred the line between rock and jazz, that the Soft Machine’s fan base couldn’t always know what to expect from albums or performances. Soft Machine was obviously not the only Canterbury group to experiment – there was of course a band called Pink Floyd who’s done alright for themselves as well.

Wyatt subsequently released a series of his own albums while taking time to work with other groups and even former members of the Soft Machine. However, this latest disc of remixes probably could not have been guessed at.

Hot Chip has made available a few tracks from the upcoming Hot Chip with Robert Wyatt and Geese. The first track to be available as a free download is “Made in the Dark,” the title track to Hot Chip’s album released earlier this year.

In contrast to Wyatt’s more energetic output, the song is languid and slow with a mouth harp adding a bit of abstract curiosity to the proceedings. It’s not a bad preview, but for those of you awaiting the actual release, you have until the 22nd of December.

What Does it Mean for GM Owners if they go Belly-Up?

Submitted by Michael Jon Lazar on 12/10/08 10:01pm
As the senate is currently busy debating whether or not they should offer up a sizable portion of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to bailout the auto industry, some of the largest US automakers are on the verge of ceasing to exist. GM posted its largest losses in the history of the company this year, and without a few billions dollars in accessible cash; they predict that they will be out of business in early 2009. So what does this tragedy mean for those who already own or just purchased a brand new GM vehicle? Your Car Warranty Could be Voided With GM out of business for good, you would no longer have a warranty on your car. This would mean that you pay for any and all repairs out-of-pocket, and that the value of your GM vehicle would be affected because the warranty is voided. Repair Parts Could Triple in Cost and Accessibility With the makers of GM belly up, the accessibility and the cost of repair parts would skyrocket as more consumers demand them and supplies dwindle. Additionally the costs of repairing your now extinct vehicle line would raise enough to make you squint. The Resale Value of your GM Auto Could Drop Finally, the resale value of your GM vehicle would suffer substantially as they no longer make the car and nobody really wants to buy a used car that is made by a company that no longer exists. You may even find it hard to sell your car, and even when selling it at a loss, many would be more inclined to purchase a foreign vehicle instead.

Attention Home Renters: The Importance of Renter’s Insurance

Submitted by Michael Jon Lazar on 12/10/08 9:54pm
Are you currently renting a home and do not have any renter’s insurance? Certainly renting a home can be a far more affordable choice than choosing to purchase your own home. You don’t have to worry about costly repairs or property taxes each year, but you do have to worry about disasters, like fires and floods. Your personal possession are not covered by the home owner insurance policy that the landlord holds – which means that if something bad does occur, you are on your own buddy. Why you Need Renter’s Insurance Renter’s insurance is essentially like home owner insurance for a renter. It covers disasters like fires and floods, etc. It also covers your personal property against disasters, break-ins and theft. Finally, it protects you from personal liability should somebody fall and break their arm while over at your house, and then later decide that they should sue you for all that you have. If you are renting a home without renter’s insurance, you are placing yourself at serious financial risk with every passing day. How Much Does Quality Renter’s Insurance Cost? The good news with regards to renter’s insurance is that it is very affordable and easily acquired. Most rental insurance policies cost about a dollar per day, or around $25-$45 per month, depending on what coverages you opt for. Additionally, your auto insurance company may already offer renter’s insurance, which would garner you a fat discount on the policy because you already have an auto policy through them.

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