Tom

After an unfortunate absence, I come to the blog tonight to talk about my favorite author, Tom Robbins.

My college creative writing teacher told us once, "Words are cheap. Spend them." Tom's words are of a different currency than other writers, so the exchange rate is a bit higher. One of his is worth two of another writer's. I read a lot. A typical 200 page book takes me about two hours to read and comprehend. A book of comparable size written by Tom Robbins takes me about five hours. Every word is important; every metaphor, no matter how nonsensical it may seem on first blush, has its own truth at the core. I'm always struck by something truly profound that he has to say, that makes sense, no matter what context you put it in or from whose mouth it may issue.

Amusingly enough, Robbins is the only fiction writer whose work I am truly familiar with. Most of the time, I read fantasy and science fiction novels. Tom Robbins makes this world sound fantastic enough for me.

see below

* also I was playing around with my new wacom tablet. this is the best I can do in 15 minutes. That includes installation time.

I'm going back to bed now.

Acne.org

Okay, I know it's Wednesday. Not Monday. I forgot. So here's another blog post on the fly.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have had an acne problem for most of my life. And when I was younger, I really did try everything. I spent so much time at the dermatologist's that his nurses all knew me personally. And after a few years of dry, itchy skin, meds that made me feel sick and gave me sun freckles, and many days of school missed for appointments, I pretty much gave up on my skin.

So back in August of 2005, I was trolling the Internet and happened upon this website, Acne.org. I poked around. It's got a forum where people get together and talk about what's worked for them. It is also the home of the "Clear Skin Regimen," which, believe it or not, is a non-commercial anti-acne system that actually works. They do sell a product on the site, but they also tell you how to get everything you need at your own drugstore. The product is a benzoyl peroxide gel that works much better and is decidedly cheaper (per ounce) than anything you could get in a store. It's a 2.5% solution, which is just as effective as a 10%, but won't dry out the skin as much.

Don't get me wrong, there is still a significant time commitment involved - about an hour a day total. But it actually works and the whole system will only set you back about $30.00 a month.

So, here's what I do. 12 hours apart, every day.

Wash with Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser wash (in the shower in the morning, in the sink at night).
Wait 15 minutes.
Apply 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel. Massage very gently into skin for about 2 minutes.
Wait 10 minutes.
Apply ***Alpha Hydroxy lotion with sunscreen included(morning only).


That's it for me. The Alpha Hydroxy is the best moisturizer I've ever used, and using one with a sunscreen added means I don't spend the extra time waiting for it to dry before I can put on a sunscreen. But you have to wait for your skin to get used to the benzoyl peroxide before using it, because it is an acid. A mild one, but still an acid. It can't hurt you, but will sting like the dickens until you're used to it. Yes, there is an adjustment time involved. About 2 months for me, to get my skin accustomed to the benzoyl peroxide. And during those 2 months, my skin was dry, flaky, red, and itchy. But now, it's all gravy. I still get some pimples. This is not a cure for acne. There is NO CURE for acne, just prevention. However, since I started the Regimen in August I have had not a single occurrence of cystic acne, which is what causes scarring.

I will be singing the praises of this site for a long time. And adding it to the links to the right. Because this is a good system, and it works.

By the by, this shouldn't be necessary but I'll say it anyway. I wasn't paid to say this. I'm not getting any free products (although I wouldn't turn them down) for posting this. The Clear Skin Regimen works, and I hope that I am helping to inform other people know about a great system.


*** both benzoyl peroxide and Alpha hydroxy acids increase sun sensitivity. Sunscreen with at least a SPF of 15 is a necessity.