SimplyMaggies

I have finally gotten an evening to put on a movie and enjoy a cup of popcorn. My husband and I were really in a mood for something easy and entertaining so we decided to rent “Witless Protection”, starring Larry the Cable Guy and Jenny McCarthy (among other names).

The storyline of the film is your typical good guys versus bad guys with the good, of course, winning over the bad in the end. Nothing too complicated for an exhausted and perhaps even overworked brain. However, the jokes in this one were flying! I have never thought of myself as a fan of blue collar comedy (that is redneck humor); heck, I never thought I would actually find it amusing! Ever! But I must admit Larry the Cable Guy delivers yet again. Granted, he’s funny just to look at…

Even though some of the jokes took a few more seconds for me to get and sometimes I had to listen very hard to understand what was said in this deep redneck (read ‘southern’) dialect, in the end I laughed a lot. And isn’t that the purpose of a good comedy? To make audience double up? “Witless Protection” will definitely make you laugh so hard your sides will hurt.

So if you want an hour and a half of easy entertainment with jokes that at times were actually quite intelligent, get a copy of the film and prepare yourself for a lot of laughter and amusement.

Wilbur Smith has written a number of books and is regarded a very well-known writer, however I have never read any of his books before. I have always passed by a whole shelf of his books (or so it seemed) in the library, many of which having historical themes, but for some reason I never really picked one up. Until recently when I came across “The Seventh Scroll”, which ancient Egyptian theme spiked my interest enough to take it home with me.

This book is an adventure book in the style of “Indiana Jones” movies. It is written in a very good English, which is dramatically different from its American equivalents (Wilbur Smith is British, by he way). The quality of language was a nice refreshment for me and I’ve come to realize that simplifying language for the sake of keeping the pace going (like many American writers do) is really unnecessary. While “The Seventh Scroll” contains a high-quality language, it is still fast-paced with twists and turns on nearly every page. The characters are very well developed (which you would expect from a master, I suppose), and the descriptions are so vivid, you basically see everything happening right in front of your eyes (just like watching a movie). In fact, there were a few scenes I simply had to skip because I couldn’t quite finish reading them for they were making me nauseous.

The main characters are on the hunt to discover an ancient Egyptian tomb of the Pharaoh Mamose that has been lost for four thousand years. To achieve that, they have to follow the clues left by an ancient scholar, who was also a master at puzzles and games. Taita, for that was his name, left his clues in encoded hieroglyphics that only a very experienced Egyptologist is able to decipher. While trying to find the tomb, this beautiful woman is also running away from the adversaries who want the treasures for themselves and will stop at nothing (including murder) to get their hands on it…

So if you enjoy a god adventure with a quality language, pick up Wilbur Smith’s “The Seventh Scroll” and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Summer is in full bloom now and many people spend increasingly more time at the beach or simply outside, therefore increasing the chances of getting sunburn. Of course, we all know by now about the UV protection lotions and such and I am sure many of us use it regularly. However, if, in spite all these precautions, you still manage to get burnt, here are some tips for reducing the inflammation and burn:

• Use cool (not too cold) milk compresses. The proteins in milk protect the skin from water evaporation. It will ease your skin and take the sting away as well as provide moisture for the healing enzymes to start working.
• For a few first days, use a topical product (lotion or gel) with aloe. Its anti-inflammatory properties help heal and soothe the burnt skin.
• Take anti-inflammatory drug (e.g. ibuprofen) as it reduces the inflammation of a burnt skin.
• Drink plenty of green tea or pomegranate juice. They contain anti-oxidants (help lessen some of the UV damage) as well as calming anti-inflammatory effects.
• Pack on anti-oxidants, especially in natural form, such as fruit and vegetables (e.g. berries; they are in season now so take advantage even if you didn’t get the sunburn!)
• Remember about topical anti-oxidants, such as facial moisturizers and body lotions. An increasing number of manufacturers add powerful anti-oxidants to their products so take advantage and include them in your daily regiment. And for your burnt skin, they will definitely speed up the healing process.
• When your skin begins to peel, use plenty of moisturizers (at least three times a day). And do not peel the skin off since it can aggravate the peeling! Let it come off naturally.
• Do not use retinoids, glycolic acids, salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acids) or exfoliating products until your skin heals completely (that is all the peeling has stopped).

And after you have healed, make sure to take necessary precautions in order to avoid another burn by using a broad-spectrum sun block (one that blocks both UVA and UVB sun rays) and reapplying it often. You can still enjoy the sun and not get serious skin damage but you must be smart about it. So go ahead, have fun in the sun and keep your skin healthy and beautiful!