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Adult sufferers find acne is hard to face
Age lines and acne? This wasn't supposed to happen. Acne, normally the bane of teenagers, was flaring up on Kim Noble's 50-year-old face, causing the Atlanta businesswoman no small degree of frustration. "I started when I was a teenager with acne problems, and as I got older, it got worse," she says. "I was told it was due to stress and hormones. I've tried everything that was out there, from (rubbing) alcohol to injections to Accutane to Proactiv," says Noble, who has been seeing a dermatologist for years but still has flare-ups. She's not alone. Dr. Jodi Ganz, an Atlanta dermatologist, estimates half her patients are adults with mild to severe acne breakouts. "There are a ton of people with adult acne. For women, flare-ups usually occur the week before their periods; that's what we call hormonally linked acne.
CES: Reactrix, Samsung show off Wii-like game system for TVs
Software developer Reactrix Systems showed off a gaming system made for LCD TVs that mimics the Wii game console in that people punch in the air to hit a boxing opponent or swing their arms to return the ball in a game of volleyball.
The system is actually designed for large advertising displays, to draw in people to become part of the advertisement by playing an interactive game. The Reactrix technology is called WaveScape, and it was demonstrated on Samsung's large-format 570DX display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Above the display was a sensor that kept track of a person's hand and body movements so they could interact with an on-screen game. The sensor can cover five meters.
"Our first application is going to be advertising and interactive signage," said Matt Bell, who is chief scientist at Reactrix and developed the system.
Prayers, Potatoes, and a Twister
"Tornadoes touched down near Dallas," the report said. Hearing this made me grateful to live in the western tip of the state, where the Franklin Mountains act as a buffer against such storms. Then a memory crept in from the back of my mind. I remembered the commotion that brought me outside one day, where I found Abuelita [grandmother] praying and watching a twister twirling in the distance. Abuelita's black hair was touched with silver, plaited in a long braid and wrapped into a bun. Her skin, the color of cinnamon, was wrinkled with time, and her brown eyes were intensely focused on the twister in the sky. I was more interested in Abuelita's behavior than the funnel-shaped cloud in the distance. At eight, I was already accustomed to her ways. "Jesús, María y José!" she'd say at the clap of thunder and "Jesús mil veces!" when lightning followed.
Solidarity rises above a whisker in writers strike
Regular readers of my column might know that I'm a fan of the beard. A beard booster, some might say. To me, a beard carries with it a certain degree of dignity, or a noble grace and confidence. Grow you a beard, and you are telling the world that you don't care about social graces; scruffy is how you are, and scruffy is how you will stay.A man's beard can mean any number of things about him.1. His face easily gets cold, and this bothers him.2. His razor is broken and in the shop.3. He's secretly the Cookie Monster.4. His home looks more like a cave.5. He's a Hollywood writer, on strike.Yes, the Hollywood writers strike is in its third month, and the situation looks grayer and more desolate every day. Most television shows are using up their last episodes taped before the strike shut down production.
Support groups
Obsessive and Compulsive Disorder Support, 7-8:30 p.m., St. Monica-St. George Church, 328 W. McMillan Ave., University Heights. Community Center. 513-271-7723. Overeaters, 10 a.m., Covenant Church, 2860 Mack Road, Fairfield. 513-921-1922. Overeaters, 11:30 a.m., First Baptist Church, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring. 513-921-1922. .
PTL Beauty Editor Lori Geiger
The beginning of the year is a great time to take out the old and bring in the new beauty items you carry with you everyday. Cleaning out your make-up bag is the perfect time to update your make-up and keep germs away. The most used product in your bag is most likely a pressed powder compact. If a crust has developed on top it is oil from your face that has been transfered to the powder when not in use. You can scrape it off with an old tooth brush and replace the puff. To prevent this in the future, keep the cellophane circle the compact comes with as long as you can to separate the puff from the powder. If you buy a new compact, get one that has a separate compartment for the puff, such as L'Oreal true match compact. To help keep make-up fresh and germs at bay keep this in mind: Powdered products, such as powder, eye shadows and blush have a life of about 3 years.
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