Coast Guard: Most Texas tar balls not from spill
The Texas-based band Los Lonely Boys return to Beaumont for a concert inside Whiskey River on Friday night. Events abound from South County to Ford Park. Dylan’s welcomes Todd Howard and Tightrope on stage Friday night and area cover variety act, JAG, on Saturday.
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Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett | Book review
Christopher Tayler finds a social novel on American capitalism well worthy of the tradition During the 1990s, ambitious young American novelists spent a lot of time worrying about how to adapt the literary models they’d absorbed in graduate school to the society around them. There was a widespread feeling that post-60s postmodernism needed injections of both warmth and historical consciousness …
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David Prosser: Situation vacant: Adviser with large fig leaf to mask Osborne’s spending cuts
Outlook The coalition is not having much luck with those it had hoped would do the heavy lifting work as it battles to cut the deficit. First, David Laws, the Liberal Democrat “born for the job of Chief Secretary to the Treasury” was forced to quit within weeks of taking office. And now, Sir Alan Budd, the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent forecaster that George …
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Fall Skin Care – 3 Things You Should Have

The fall season is especially critical for your skin. This is because the low humidity levels and chilly winds pull out moisture from the skin and leave it dry and parched. Therefore, it is important to use quality skin care products and take very good care of your skin.

Here are some essential skin care products that will help you beat the drying effects of the fall season and make sure that your skin remains healthy and flawless.

Facial Scrub

Exfoliation is absolutely essential during the fall season to scrub off the dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface and reveal the new, healthy skin cells from underneath. Regular exfoliation keeps the cell regeneration process in check and accelerates the cell turnover. Also, the active ingredients of other skin care products are able to penetrate better. Eventually, it refines the skin tone and makes the skin smooth and supple. Try Skin Care Heaven Anti-Aging Exfoliating Scrub. This scrub releases energy in the form of heat to rejuvenate while exfoliating the skin. This scrub contains green and white tea to produce powerful antioxidants into the skin while helping to correct sun damage. This is an all-in-one cleanser and scrub that helps to improve mature and dehydrated skin.

You can use Obagi Nu Derm Exfoderm Forte, an amazing exfoliating lotion that contains alpha-hydroxy acids in a special base that smoothes and tones damaged skin. It is ideal for normal to oily skin. People with dry skin can use Obagi Nu-Derm Exfoderm that uses phytic acid.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are great skin care ingredients that neutralize the damage caused by free radicals. In addition, they also prevent against UV rays of the sun and pollution. Green tea is a great source of antioxidants. Use Kinerase Gentle Daily Cleanser. It is great for all skin types, even very sensitive Skin! It a gentle foaming cleanser with green tea extract to soothe the skin. Kinerase Gentle Daily Cleanser cleans the skin without ripping away essential nutrients. Also try Skin Care Heaven Green Tea Soothing Serum. It reduces the signs of fine lines, wrinkles and pore size. This Product contains green tea and caffeine which are both high in antioxidants. The caffeine enhances the antioxidant properties of the green tea making this product anti-aging and anti-inflammatory.

Anti-Aging Skin Care Products

In order to prevent and delay the signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines, sagging skin and age spots, you need to start using anti aging products. With age, the collagen and elastin fibers within the skin cells deplete as a result of which the skin starts to sag. Anti aging skin care products contain powerful ingredients that help to stimulate collagen production within skin cells. Try Kinerase Brightening Anti-Aging System. It helps with reducing wrinkles, evening skin tone removing age spots and reducing acne scarring leaving your skin luminous and refreshed.

In order to compensate for the lack of moisture, it is important to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. Follow a diligent skin care regimen and make sure your skin remains healthy and flawless throughout the fall season.

About the Author

Naomi Andrews is an eminent esthetician and skin care professional. She ran a medical spa in Maui for almost 3 years before she shifted to San Diego. She has developed valuable knowledge about skin care including dry skin care and cosmetics skincare products.

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What is the best bronzer? What is the difference between a bronzer and a sunless tanner?

I recently attended a training done by a professional makeup artist and she said you want to look for a bronzer with little shimmer and no orange tone. The bronzer is applied all over the face for a sun-kissed tan look with a makeup brush. The sunless tanner is in liquid or spray form applied to make your skin look tan. Let me know if you would like more information about the bronzer brand that the makeup artist recommended. I use it and it works great!

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I have thick peeling paint in my upstairs bathroom–it’s about 1/24th inch thick.?

Instead of removing all the paint (there are cracks, too.) I would like to remove the loose pieces and then make some kind of blotchy texture-type formula to sponge all over the walls and THEN paint (after it’s dried in little splotches and peaks–)
Does anybody know how to make some kind of formula to texturize the walls…. my mother did it in our home when I was young. Any ideas/advice/websites would be helpful. thanks alot!

What I did in my bathroom was to scrape all the loose paint and then did a skim coat over all the patchy places with spackle. That way there were no lines showing through the paint and the surface was even. I actually used Kilz paint because it is often water and steam that cause this cracking. Then I just went and bought textured paint. You can have the store mix it to any thinkness that you want or you can put it up with a sponge in any pattern that you want. When that is throughly dry, you can decide if you want to paint the whole ceiling or just leave it the way it is.

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Gift ideas for Men

What you need to know about ladies is that they love to be on top their beauty, look and feel world.  This means that they would want to be accurate with the kinds of outfit, make up, adornments that suit their stature, texture, complexion and various other aspects of your build. One of the key areas to manipulate in getting perfect gifts for her is the aspect of make up. Many ladies love light make up whilst another significant lot admire rough make up. Now it goes without say that whether your lady would prefer long or short make up, what you choose for her must suit her build, her physical aspects, the context her need to style the face for and of course her personal preferences. Some of the best of the gift ideas for men entail making the most of the make-up aspect that most women covet so much.

Getting your woman the trendy L’Oreal Make up and some tips on how to make the most of these in your look and feel beautiful endeavor will be one perfect  gift for a woman. These kinds can be great gift ideas for women and the most cherished ones. One good thing about soft make up is that these normally work quite well with any hair type it can be the curly or the wavy hair but long hair styles would work well. One of the best ways of doing the soft make up is to stick with medium textured or rather thick locks. Rough L’Oreal make up would suit you when you the kind with a not so long but a bold and stern face. One of the recommendable long hair styles is the type such the multiple ponytails style which will require limited preparation time. This one consists of basically three base ponytails although it may be possible to place more styles if that is what you would prefer.

Regardless of how good the gift you want for your woman is if you can not afford that is just that. Wise purchasing entails trying to get the best out of the amount you can afford to fork out without squeezing yourself financially. This it is even why it is even more important to make use of the internet and visit many online shops in seconds and minutes and compare prices. The handy merits of online shopping are that you have the entire market at your disposal and comparing prices is just a click on that mouse away. This gives you the time and leeway to consider as many options as possible for your gift ideas for men or what ever it is that you have settled for. When you set out to buy you need to purchase especially any accessories you really have to shop around and be sure that before you part with your hard earned money you are satisfied with your choice. You can only be satisfied with your choice if you have considered as many options as there are in the market and this is the key point in wise purchasing.  In searching for products that you need to purchase look for that which will suit your unique and custom needs.

About the Author

The other decisive factor when purchasing especially purchasing any valuables and unique gifts for men is the factor of price. This is another factor that you have to consider prior to settling for something as your last choice.

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How come MMA fighters are such nice people?

These guys make their living at the most violent, brutal sport on earth, yet I’ve found that in general, MMA fighters are some of the coolest and humblest of people. Fedor, Couture, Wanderlei, Rampage, Griffin, Evans, GSP, Anderson Silva, Nogueira, Guida, Henderson, the list is endless of absolutely cool, humble people. Even women MMA fighters like Carano are absolute sweethearts. Is it the nature of the sport that allows them to leave their aggression and anger inside the ring? Or are they just naturally fearless people to start with?

99.9 percent of people are insecure. For a lot of men their insecurities and mean behavior are because they feel like they’re somehow weak; or have something to prove. Hence the term ‘short guy syndrome’ Most guys suffer from some level of this.

That’s why really big people are usually pretty laid back, they have less to prove. And its also why the smallest guy is usually the one picking the fight. He’s usually the most insecure and has the most to prove.

I think MMA fighters, especially successful ones are so laid back because they show the world they’re strong on a regular basis. As far as toughness goes MMA fighters have LESS to prove than anyone.

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Microdermabrasion- The Most Convincing Acne Scar Treatment

Acne is probably the most common skin disorder for teenagers. In this modern age of medicine, topical ointments, vitamins and even oral medications overflow the market shelves. For small and most recent acne scars, topical ointments prove to help mend scars, unfortunately, the treatment for older and bigger scars prove to be more challenging.

Some resort to laser treatment such as diode laser or blue light therapy. Laser and light-based therapies reach the deeper layers of skin, helping improve the skin’s texture and lessening the appearance of scars. However, some laser therapies are thought to damage the skin’s sebaceous glands, causing them to produce less oil, which ultimately leave the skin more susceptible to wrinkles. Moreover, laser therapy can be very costly and is thus unattainable for many acne sufferers.

Microdermabrasion is now becoming a very popular and effective method of treating acne scars. It is alot less expensive than laser treatments and delivers successful non-invasive treatment for scars due to acne. Microdermabrasion, with the use of a wand which blows microscopic crystals or even diamonds to exfoliate the outer layer of the skin and evens the skin surface. After the gentle abrasion, all the dead skin cells and dirt which clogged the pores and one of the major causes of acne will be vacuumed with the use of a suction. With the use of other vitamin enriched emulsions, the skin will feel more supple, smoother and rejuvenated. Microdermabrasion will also lighten the skin as dark pigmentation is dimished as well.

Depending on the microdermabrasion machine used by the dermatologist or licensed aesthetician, the process and combination of treatment can vary. Most acne scars are treated 3-4 sessions for optimal results. Although there are home microdermabrasion machines in the market today, a commercial duty microdermabrasion machine used in clinics will deliver more powerful dermabrasion and suction. Some of clinical microdermabrasion machines are equipped with multi-function uses like ultrasound and skin scrubber.

The Diamond Microdermabrasion machine has become the more popular of the two technologies. The crystal type leaves a crystal residue that can become irritating, and can even get in the clients eyes, nose and mouth. Used as a main treatment for facials which results to a much younger, smoother and healthier look, microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion not only alleviates wrinkles and scars, it also removes dirt, dark pigmentation, dead skin cells and it also improves circulation of the blood and strengthens skin tissue metabolism.

About the Author

Microdermabrasion has become a very popular treatment for treating acne scars and a variety of skin problems. Diamond microdermabrasion seems to be superior in many ways to other microdermabrasion systems.

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Did you know May is National Strawberry Month?

Did you know May is National Strawberry Month?
How to Pave, Put, and Plan  all your Strawberry Recipes into Your Healthy Eating lifestyle

If you love strawberries, then you know that nothing compares in texture or flavor to a red, ripe succulent strawberry!
Some Strawberry Facts:
* Strawberries were originally called “Strewberries”. They were called this due to the way the berries seem to be just strewn about the leaves of the plant.
* Eight strawberries provide 140 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
* Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
* One cup of strawberries has just 55 calories.
* The strawberry is the only fruit with the seeds (on average, 200) on the outside of the fruit.
* Strawberries are grown in every state in the United States and every province of Canada.
~*~
Strawberry Blossoms
12 large, fresh strawberries, rinsed
1 – 3 oz pkg light cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp light sour cream
Remove stems from strawberries to form a flat base. Place berries on cutting surface, pointed end facing up. With a sharp knife, carefully slice each berry in half vertically to within a 1/4 inch of base. Cut each half into three wedges to form 6 petals. (Don’t slice through the base.) Pull petals apart slightly.
In a small bowl, combine light cream cheese, powdered sugar and light sour cream; beat until light and fluffy. With a pastry bag and star tip or small spoon, fill strawberries with light cream cheese mixture.
Note: A zipper sandwich bag can be used instead of a pastry bag by filling with light cream cheese mixture and squeezing out excess air before sealing. Carefully cut one corner off of the bottom of the bag.
Variation: Use strawberry flavored light cream cheese for added sweetness.
~*~
Strawberry Leather
3 cups fresh strawberries *
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
Place strawberries in a blender and process until smooth. Measure 2 cups of strawberry puree. Stir in lemon juice and light corn syrup. Line a 15×10 inch jellyroll pan with heavy-duty plastic wrap and tape plastic wrap to the pan at the corners. Pour strawberry mixture in prepared pan and spread thin, leaving 1 inch on all sides. You can adjust this to fit your dehydrator or another pan, be sure it is spread thin on the pan. Dry in an oven at 150 or a dehydrator for 7-8 hours or until surface is no longer sticky. Remove leather from pan while still warm and roll up jellyroll fashion. Cut into logs and wrap in plastic wrap. Make five 2 inch logs
* Any other fruit may be used in place of the strawberries.
Recipe courtesy of Tawra Kellam of Not Just Beans http://www.notjustbeans.com
~*~
Layered Strawberry Cake
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup I can’t believe it’s not butter or light margarine
1 1/2 cups stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1 whole egg and three egg whites
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
dash salt
2-8 oz pkgs light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 pint light whipping cream
red food coloring (if desired)
1 pint of fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
Heat skim milk in a saucepan until boiling, add I can’t believe it’s not butter and set aside. In a bowl blend stevia, vanilla and egg whites and whole egg, beat at high speed until mixture is very light and fluffy. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and sea salt, add egg mixture, then add skim milk mixture, mixing well after each addition. Pour batter into a well greased and floured springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Let cool completely then cut cake into three even layers. Brush away any loose crumbs. Whip the cream cheese until very smooth, beat in the powdered sugar and whipping cream, until mixture is creamy and fluffy. You may add a few drops of food coloring if desired to tint frosting. Spread frosting between each layer, place sliced strawberries on each layer. Then spread remaining frosting on top and sides of assembled cake. Garnish with strawberries on top and on sides.
~*~
Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Pizza
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup I can’t believe it’s not butter or margarine, cold and sliced
1 cup chopped pecans
3 chocolate sugar free toffee candy bars
1 8-oz. package light  cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 qt. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
Frozen light whipped cream topping, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, I can’t believe it’s not butter, and nuts; mix until blended. Press mixture on bottom of 12-inch pizza pan. Bake 10 minutes. Immediately sprinkle hot crust with sugar free toffee, distributing evenly over crust. Set aside to cool. Combine light cream cheese and powdered sugar; beat until blended and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust to within 1/2-inch of crust edge. Arrange strawberries, cut-side down, in circular rows over cheese mixture. Decorate top of pizza with light whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed pecans if desired. Makes 8-12 servings.
~*~
Strawberry Squares
1 cup flour
1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar or stevia
1/2 cup I can’t believe it’s not butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups light whipping cream
2 cups sliced, hulled fresh strawberries
1 cup stevia
2 tablespoons lemon juice
For crust, in a bowl combine flour, nuts and brown sugar or stevia. Add melted I can’t believe it’s not butter. Toss to combine. Spread in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Spread 2/3 of the crust mixture in a 13x9x2 pan. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the light whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the strawberries, sugar or stevia and lemon juice. Beat mixture well. In another bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup light whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the strawberry mixture.
Transfer to prepared pan. Top with remaining crust mixture. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 9-12 servings.
Garnish with additional berries if you wish.
~*~
Strawberry Salad <P
>4 cups torn salad greens
1 cup watercress
1 cup sliced, hulled strawberries
1/2 half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
Poppy seed Dressing (homemade or bought)
Edible flowers such as nasturtiums or chive blossoms
In a salad bowl, place greens, watercress, strawberries onion. Top with dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with edible flowers. Chive blossoms and nasturtiums are peppery in taste. If they are not available to you, fresh mint can be used for garnish.
Caution: Be sure that all herbs and blossoms are free of pesticides.
~*~
Strawberry Salsa
2 tablespoons virgin oliveoil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
Combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, mint, cilantro, jalapeno, pepper and salt in medium bowl. Toss in strawberries, pineapple and onion. Serve over grilled chicken or pork.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
~*~
Strawberry Muffins
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar or stevia
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup skim milk, *see note
1/3 cup margarine or I can’t believe it’s not butter, melted
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg white, lightly beaten
canola oil cooking spray
1 1/2 tbsp stevia
*note: add 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to the milk, let sit for 5 minutes. Or substitute nonfat buttermilk.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Add fresh strawberries; stir well, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk and next 4 ingredients; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 1-1/2 tbsp sugar evenly over muffins. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on a wire rack.
18 servings.

Enjoy your Healthy version of Strawberry treats!

By, Natalie Pyles
Fitness & Weight loss Expert, Author, NSA Speaker

About the Author

Who I Am

Hello, my name is Natalie Pyles. I am a Local Fitness & Nutritional Expert. I have over 16 years of experience in both the Health and Fitness Industry. I’d like to share my Personal story of overcoming my battles with weight loss that began as an early adolescent. I struggled from the ages of 13-18, I realized that I had a severe problem and decided then and there to take action.

I Conquered Weight Loss

I hired a Personal Trainer and Licensed Nutritionist, like myself, and the rest is history. Basically, I learned at an early age, there is no quick fix… only hard work, perseverance, and committment to a healthier lifestyle will guarantee results. I quit looking for the magic solution and got educated.

How Can I Help You

I am now the owner of Fitness Elements & Associates. I want to help You realize your true Fitness Potential and levels of Optimal Health. I have committed my life to to helping others achieve the success that I have found through Fitness and Nutrition. If you have the desire and the will… together we can make your dreams a reality. You deserve to know the truth; what you are capable of and really can achieve.

I look forward to hearing your story, so in the years to come you can pay it forward. Call me today for your Free Fitness and Nutritional Consultation!

Sincerely Your Friend in Fitness,

Natalie Pyles
Owner, Fitness Elements & Associates LLC.

Phone: 1-800-681-9894 or Fax 623-399-4199
www.Myfitnesselements.com
FitnessElementsAssociates@yahoo.com

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