Dark circles under the eyes are many times very distressing for people because it makes them appear tired, sad or hung over. Usually these circles worsen with age and lack of sleep. For any “Medspa agency ” inquiries, contact “Medspa agency”

Possible causes include excessive pigmentation, thin lower eyelid skin overlying the eye muscle, patients with allergies, and patients with very little eyelid fat thus showing the vascular plexus (blood vessels) in the underlying muscle creating dark circles.

What are the treatments available to remove dark circles under the eyes?

Treatment options for correcting dark circles abound in the over the counter genera including topical creams, gels and ointments. However, there is little evidence to support their effectiveness. The most important point before trying to correct dark circles under the eyes is ascertaining the underlying cause. There are many treatment options available ranging from topical creams, chemical peels, lasers and fat transplantation.

Chemical peeling agents include trichloroacetic acid at various percentages, and alpha-hydroxy acids such as Glycolic acid. These acids work by destruction of the epidermis and dermis thereby helping to reduce pigmentation. It is important to be very cautious when using chemical peeling because if the peel used is too strong it may cause darker circles or even very light circles.

Lasers have been successful to help reduce dark eye circles. These lasers include the Q-switched alexandrite and the Nd:YAG.  Although laser treatments have shown positive results on some patients, the treatments do not always completely remove the dark circles. It is recommended to consider this modality only in the hands of a skilled dermatologist.

Fat Transplantation can be helpful for patients who have thinning and translucent lower eyelid skin. Many times very thin skin will reveal the underlying vascularity of the vascular pexus within the underlying eye muscle resulting in dark circles. One study showed an average of 78% improvement after fat transplantation.

Another option besides fat transplantation is using soft-tissue fillers hyaluronic acid gel such as Restylane® and JUVÉDERM® . These fillers yield great results improving dark eye circles and last up to a year. It is advised to choose a dermatologist who has many years’ experience with soft-tissue fillers and is an expert on advanced injection techniques especially under the eyes to avoid the filler to be placed in the incorrect area thus causing a blue discoloration.

In conclusion dark eye circles are a common problem that affects many people and can be quite cosmetically bothersome. The most important part in treating this problem is finding out and identifying the underlying problem. Only then can one approach the many different treatment modalities in a sensible and logical manner. There are many treatment options available with benefits and side effects so choose your treating physician wisely.…

And you gotta take a peek at all of 8g88 and Iggy’s Vegas write ups. Here’s some of the best of the best of HDouble:

We call Iggy’s hotel room, but he’s nowhere to be found, so M and I stumble hazily into a cab, steeling ourselves for the insanity we’ll shortly face at the Horseshoe. The first day of the big one, and we arrive at Binion’s at around 2:00 PM to battle our way through a huge crowd of observers. ESPN cameras and boom mikes hover around Hellmuth, Doyle sits calmly, and a crowd has gathered behind the window in back of Johnny Chan’s seat.

I’d never thought much of the WSOP. There’s just too much luck involved in winning one big tournament, and I never really understood all the hype. But sitting there, looking at the best of the best at the beginning of a 7 day shootout for all the money, I finally got it. It’s the experience. Nobody in this thing really expects to win, but the rush of playing the best in the world, and just having a chance… that’s what the WSOP is all about.

And a snippet of Iggy:

Long story short – we ended up at a casino called Terrible’s playing craps. Damn, we had fun. The table was rocking and rolling all night as we sunk further and further into savage drunkeness. I’m not sure what did it, but we ended up tilting out the craps boss. I had some help from M, who nicknamed the guy Don Rickles, which the entire table quickly picked up on. It was too damn funny because this guy was openly rooting against us. I suspected he was just bitter about us winning because he was, in reality, the casino owner just slumming it at the craps table.

The Poker Nerd had somethings to say about the future winners of Celebrity Poker Letdown. Don’t miss it:

3rd Place — Star Jones — Could be better than I think, but my guess is her ego, matched only by her size, gets the best of her. I bet Barbara Walters takes all the money in The View’s home game…

Lastly, some Penguin Droppings from the man from New Zealand himself:

Like the Hammer, this may prove to be nothing more than an amusing piece of stupidity. Which brings me back to the question that started it all. What do I feel Sully should do with the Hammer in the BB in an unraised family pot. Well, I think he should check. But I always check my big blinds in limit poker unless there’s only one other person in the pot and I think he’s cheeky. In this case, it’s not yet a value bet, and there are too many players to try and Vegas out of the pot.

Oh wait, the main question was “how is the hammer properly played?”. I don’t have a clue, I don’t play properly. I mean I’m advocating calling as an aggressive play.

As always quality Penguin.…

In Ayurvedic medicine for acne, it is believed that acne is caused by disturbed systems of the body. Deposits of excess fats and toxins in the body are the major causes of acne. You can also learn about “expert filler injector“, click here.

The oldest known form of medicine native to the Indian subcontinent, Ayurvedic medicine uses detoxification, diet, Ayurvedic herbs for acne and exercise to improve health, mental and emotional well-being as well as acne.

In Ayurveda, each person has a distinct pattern of energy – a specific combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics. It is also believed that there are three basic energy types, called doshas, present in every person, and these determine the basic body type:

vata – energy that regulates body functions associated with blood circulation;

pitta – energy that governs the body’s metabolic systems, including digestion and body temperature;

kapha – energy that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all parts of the body, moisturizes the skin and maintains the immune system.

Many factors, including stress, lack of sleep, diet, lifestyle, the environment and hormones, are thought to disturb the dosha balance, and these disturbances are expressed as disease in the body, acne being a skin disease. Ayurvedic remedies for acne usually include Ayurvedic diet for acne and herbs, yoga and medication to rebalance the doshas.

Your Diet As An Ayurvedic Cure For Acne

Besides applying Ayurvedic herbs for acne to the affected areas, a good Ayurvedic cure for acne is watching your diet. Some recommended dietary measures include

Eating only when earlier food is digested

Eliminating saturated fats from your diet

Avoiding oily, spicy and pungent food

Eating plenty of fresh, leafy vegetables which have been properly washed to prevent constipation

Drinking plenty of water with added fresh lemon juice

Drinking fresh fruit juices such as grape juice

Eating only compatible food in a single meal

Eating slowly and chewing your food well

Eliminating fast food and processed food from your diet

More Herbal Remedies For Acne

Herbal remedies for acne are gaining popularity as there are many herbs that have both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Calendula, witch hazel, tea tree oil, German chamomile, liquorice root, flaxseed and flaxseed oil work on reducing the amount of P.acnes bacteria, and reducing secondary infection. Some herbs also have diuretic, hormone normalizing and antimicrobial properties, and can be used to support the endocrine system both topically and internally.

Herbalists take an individual approach, assessing, treating and reviewing any prescription regularly. Following assessment, a herbalist will be able to furnish you with information concerning the expected outcome and typical timescales. Herbal acne treatments will vary depending upon how long and what type of acne someone has.

For example, a woman with menstrual-related acne will receive a prescription which includes herbs with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and immune-enhancing properties, together with a regulatory effect on the endocrine system.

Herbal cures for acne are gentle but effective, and may be used to influence the lymphatic system. By adopting the recommended lifestyle changes and using herbal cures for pimples, you can achieve a sustained improvement in your acne condition.

Herbal remedies for acne are safe, with are side-effects, and are well tolerated. They can be used to treat chronic skin complaints safely under qualified guidance by all age groups. This is unlike many of the over-the-counter acne treatment products and prescription drugs which often tend to have unpleasant or harmful side effects.

There is a growing concern over the use of harmful chemicals in acne treatments. Since herbal cures for acne are usually free of harmful chemicals, they are rapidly becoming popular. These herbal acne treatments can be in the form of lotions, creams, herbal teas or home-made formulations.

The Best Herbal Remedies For Acne

1) Echinacea, Tea Tree Oil and Oregon Grape

These herbal cures for acne help boost the immune system to combat acne. Tea tree oil has antiseptic properties and helps in fighting fungal infections.

2) Apricot And Citrus Juices

These juices are natural skin exfoliators, clearing away dead skin cells which may clog your pores and cause acne. These juices also help to remove cysts from the system.

3) Chamoise And Oatmeal

Both chamoise and oatmeal have significant anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Apply them to the affected parts to relieve pain and irritation.

4) Licorice

Licorice stimulates the adrenal glands and increases your body’s ability to fight the bacteria which causes acne and pus.

5) Nutmeg And Red Sandalwood

Ground the nutmeg and mix it with red sandalwood. Apply the paste on the affected areas and wash it after 15 minutes.

6) Chickpea Flour And Tumeric Powder

Combine one teaspoonful of chickpea flour, pinch of turmeric powder, along with curd. Mix them well and apply on the whole face. Wash it off with warm water.

These herbal cures for acne can be used as a topical application on affected areas. Alternatively, you can simply make a herbal tea for acne by boiling herbs in water and leaving it to cool. Herbal teas for acne can be made from aloe, chickweed, valerian, red clover, dandelion, ginseng and echinacea.…

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), an association speaking for some of the largest British and European internet gambling operators, today blasted US authorities in light of the $300M settlement reached yesterday with togel online largest shareholder Anurag Dikshit.  Dikshit pleaded guilty to charges under the Wire Act stemming from PartyGaming’s operations in the US prior to passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).  The RGA urged the European Commission to protect EU interests from what it calls, “WTO-violating retroactive and discriminatory enforcement by US authorities.”

“These events show that the outgoing US administration and the Department of Justice have shown a total disrespect for the legal rights of European online gaming companies and those associated with them and a complete disregard for US international commitments under GATS,” said Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive of the RGA.

EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson wrote to the Bush Administration’s United States Trade Representative (USTR) in June 2008 requesting a freeze on all enforcement actions by the US authorities against European online gaming companies on the grounds that they violated international trade rules set by the World Trade Organization. Mandelson suggested that the prosecutions stop until a proper dialog could take place so as to avoid unnecessary escalation of the dispute at a time when the EU had already launched an inquiry into US actions following an RGA complaint made under EU Trade Barrier Regulations.

“Not only has that request remained unanswered, but now the US authorities, it seems, have succeeded in pressuring a major shareholder into making a deal. A major line has been crossed and it could set a very worrying precedent,” said Hawkswood.

“It’s amazing really that a company which has just been voted by the leading industry publication as ‘responsible operator of the year’ is the one that has been most targeted for this sort of enforcement activity,” Hawkswood continued. PartyGaming Plc never offered sports-betting to avoid violating US law and ceased accepting US customers for its poker and casino games when the still-controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 was passed. “Other businesses that are still active in the US market, including notably US operators, do not appear to be targeted in the same way. That this happens while the US Internet gambling market, the biggest in the world, continues to grow and while US companies are free to develop their businesses in Europe, is quite astonishing. In the circumstances it is not unreasonable for us once again to seek the support and protection of the European Commission. We hope and believe that these continuing breaches of international law by the US will serve to strengthen the Commission’s resolve.”

The EU Commission started an investigation of the RGA’s complaint in March 2008. “The US has been given ample opportunity to respond to the legal and factual arguments presented in our complaint,” said Lode Van Den Hende of Herbert Smith, the RGA’s law firm in Brussels. “However, we understand the US’ defense has been flimsy and that the Commission will, therefore, have to confirm the RGA’s assessment of WTO unlawful, retroactive and discriminatory enforcement. The next question is what will be done about it, given the acceleration of events causing this dispute.”

Commenting on Dikshit’s guilty plea, Lode Van Den Hende explained, “What people need to understand here is that pleading guilty does not necessarily mean guilty. It is more than possible for the plea-bargaining system to act as an asymmetrical weapon in the hands of the prosecutors and one has to question whether that is happening here. If one looks at the fact that no court has yet applied the Wire Act to Internet gambling beyond sports-betting and that the activity ceased when UIGEA was passed, one has to wonder whether this is the right way for the US to go about making law – that will have wide repercussions, with regard to EU interests. According to opinion surveys among European companies from all sectors, one of the principal risks of doing business in the US is that politically motivated prosecutors can use criminal investigations as a form of regulation. These events demonstrate that this risk may be a very real one.”

Professor Joseph Weiler, who directs the Jean Monnet Centre for International and European Economic Law and Justice at NYU School of Law, also commented, “In this area, the US has lost all its cases and appeals before the WTO’s highest judicial authorities. And yet in what can only be described as puzzling and haughty contempt for the rule of law, it is acting as if it won those cases. The US is pursuing European nationals and corporations and threatening them with lengthy jail time and punitive fines based on US laws which have already been unequivocally held to be in violation of American WTO obligations. This is without precedent. It deals a blow to the multilateral trade system at the worst possible moment for the world economy and to Western economies which rely increasingly on services for our prosperity. It serves no discernible American national interest. This is a bad day for the reputation of the US in the area of international law.”

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History of Blackjack Advantage Systems Development, Part II – The Forgotten Man Of Blackjack, by Jerry Patterson

Harvey Dubner And The High-low Point Count System

It is interesting to speculate on what might have transpired if nothing more would have been done in the development of card counting systems following the 1962 publication of Thorp’s book. The game certainly would not have been as popular because of reasons noted in earlier articles and few, if any, additional blackjack books might have been published. Thorp and his cumbersome ten-count system probably would have been forgotten and you may never have heard of Lawrence Revere, Ken Uston, Lance Humble, Richard Canfield, or Jerry Patterson.

But additional work was done and it was performed by a man who has since become “the forgotten man of blackjack.” His name is Harvey Dubner and he invented the Point-count System – the system which led to scores of developmental projects, over 100 published blackjack books with the end not yet in sight, blackjack teams, concealed computers and shuffletracking.

Why isn’t Harvey Dubner recognized for his point-count system – a fantastic contribution to the world of blackjack? What is the impact of this early breakthrough on the current state of the art in blackjack card counting systems?

To find the answer to these two questions, we must start by moving forward one year after the first edition of Thorp’s book was published in 1962 – to the Fall Joint Computer Conference held in Las Vegas in 1963. On a whim, the conference organizers decided to include a Panel Session on “Using Computers in Slot Gacor Games of Chance and Skill.” Ed Thorp, author of the all-time best selling blackjack book, Beat The Dealer, was designated as Chairman of the Panel and experts on the various casino games, including blackjack, roulette and baccarat, were invited to speak, this author among them. You can guess who stole the show – Harvey Dubner with his description of his High/Low Point-count method.

To understand what I’m about to describe below, let me remind you that in Part 2 of the series (AP, March 2000), I described the problems associated with learning and using Thorp’s Ten Count System published in the first edition of his best selling book, Beat The Dealer.

I’ll never forget that session for as long as I live. Not realizing that most “computerniks” (as they were called at that time borrowing the suffix from the Russian Sputnik satellite) were also inveterate blackjack players, they scheduled the Panel Discussion in one of their smaller meeting rooms. The room filled up and overflowed 45 minutes before the session was scheduled to start! Hundreds of conference attendees were pushing and shoving to get into the room.

The crowd, of course, had been drawn by Thorp. They were expecting revelations on the game and anticipated using his imparted wisdom immediately following the session to make a killing at the blackjack tables. Thorp moderated the panel and introduced the speakers one by one.

Allen Wilson, who subsequently wrote The Casino Gamblers Guide, described his approach to finding biased roulette wheels and then presented an interesting graphic on the evolution of blackjack’s basic strategy. Beginning with the original strategy derived by Cantey, McDermott, Maisel and Baldwin, his graphic displayed the advantage the player achieved – beginning with slightly minus and increasing up to around 0.1 slightly positive as new studies were conducted by various groups and individuals between 1958 and 1963.

After one or two more presentations, Tony C. presented our findings resulting from the first blackjack computer simulation model I had programmed for the IBM 709 computer (see AP #2, March 2000 for a description). They were significant mainly because we had validated Thorp’s ten-count system with a totally different method than his mathematical formulation – playing it in over 500,000 simulated hands.

Then Dubner was introduced. After a short background discussion on how he had come to invent the point-count method leading to advantage blackjack, he described the approach. Dubner kept a count of remaining high cards (10,J,Q,K,A) and low cards (2,3,4,5,6) as the cards were played and divided its difference by total cards left to play. He called the result the High-Low Ratio and used this to size his bet.

His presentation was enthusiastically received by the standing room only crowd and he was given a round of applause at its conclusion. At the conclusion of the panel discussion, Dubner was mobbed by the crowd all wanting copies of his handout on the point-count system. Here at last, many were saying, is a system that is practical, that can actually be used in the real world of casino play.

This interesting historical background lays the groundwork for describing the impact of Dubner’s breakthrough on the evolution of the scores of point count system development projects that followed. They start with Thorp and Julian Braun and proceed right up to the new millennium with the publication of the latest blackjack book. Thorp incorporated Dubner’s system into the second edition of Beat the Dealer published in 1966 and offered some ideas for improvement. Did he have Dubner’s permission? He did acknowledge Dubner as its developer but, and this is my opinion, to justify including the system in his second edition and thus putting it in the public domain, he indicated that many of the readers of his book had also invented point-count systems. To prove this point he mentioned the publication of an ad in a Las Vegas newspaper offering a point-count system for $1,000.

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