The Smooth Away kit comes with a small applicator (for the face), a large applicator (for most of the body) and flex-crystal hair-removal pads.

After sticking a pad onto the applicator, follow the step of putting pressure onto the skin and buff in circular motions (three times, both clockwise and counterclockwise). There will be no results.

Maybe try it another three times? Still nothing. Another three? Hey, maybe one strand of hair will be removed!

Smooth Away does not do the wonders it claims to do. It does not remove hair instantly. In fact, if anything, it damages your hair with the friction put onto it.

Nor should it be considered as a painless task. It causes skin irritations. It’s as if you are rubbing sand paper all over your body.

Sure, Smooth Away may look like a more “glamorous,” way of removing hair, but unless you don’t mind having a dysfunctional system of hair removal, one that leaves your skin with a tarp-like scent, girls (and yes, guys too) should stick to removing hair with their razor.

Does it work? No.

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“I feel like it [sex on TV] makes teens think it’s okay to have sex as a teenager in high school,” junior Sierra Moran said. “But some shows do educate teens and tell them why not to have sex, like the pregnancy possibility.”

Shows such as “Gossip Girl,” “Californication,” and “Cougar Town” can get graphic, and they are available to the majority of the public on cable TV. Also, a wide variety of reality TV shows such as “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” and “Flavor of Love” sends a message that promiscuity is acceptable in today’s society.

“I think it definitely affects teens,” senior Sarah Hsu said. “But I don’t think there is any way it would be able to be completely censored.”

According to the Washington Post, the first study conducted to link TV sex to teen pregnancies found that 12 to 17 year olds who watched the most sexual content on TV were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy than those who saw the least. The journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published this study on Nov. 3, 2008.

Junior Bernardo Raymundo offers more of a compromise when dealing with the censoring of sex on cable TV.

“I think that it should be censored in case any smaller kids are watching,” he said. “But, I don’t think that teenagers would get the wrong idea, because they already know enough about it through health classes and general conversation.”

The general consensus seems to be that sexual suggestions, references, and actions can’t and won’t be censored from TV, but some shows do go over that line in the way the show portrays its characters’ sexual relationships.

“Some TV shows make sex seem like all fun and nothing serious or not that big of a deal,” Hsu said. “They don’t show the possible consequences or the necessary steps to be safe.”

In the end, the facts do not lie in the study, but it is necessary to not put all of the blame on TV. Other factors are obviously involved.

As Raymundo said, “I don’t think TV is such a huge factor, but kids might get ideas from shows.”

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The first thing you notice at Ultrastar is the cheap prices, and fairly un-crowded theatres. Prices for students start at $6.50, for showings earlier than 5 p.m.

Ultrastar’s theatres are very rarely crowded, so you don’t need to arrive extra early. They are clean and well kept, but there are occasional problems with the movie itself or the sound. The problems are usually quickly resolved, but are still a bother.

Beyond the appearance, Ultrastar does, however, have a limited movie selection. For example, while every other nearby theatre offered the movies “G.I. Joe,” and “500 Days of Summer,” Ultrastar was not showing these popular movies.

Overall, Ultrastar offers everything you would want in a theatre, for a cheap price, which fits great into the teenage budget.

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The movie tells of Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart), a self help writer who visits Seattle to give motivational speeches on his book “A Okay!” While in the city, he meets florist Eloise Chandler (Aniston).

The plotline itself had the potential for great interest and dissection of human emotion and grieving. However, the film falls completely short on nearly all accounts.

Both characters are extremely one-dimensional to the point where it feels as though every move and word is scripted. There is also clearly very little chemistry between the actors and even just watching it made me feel awkward.

The bottom line is that a potentially good idea crashed and burned due to lack of chemistry and the predictable course the movie took.

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The Magic Bullet comes in a set of 21 pieces, including two blades for different jobs: the crossblade and the whipping blade.

The crossblade is used for a majority of the tasks. For chopping garlic or onions, just add into the included blending cup and pulse. Repeat if you want finer onions and garlic.

Blending smoothies and shakes was as easy as they claim. Just simply add any ingredients you like and then blend. The Power Base locks the cup onto it, so there are no buttons to press.

Also included in the Magic bullet set is the whipping blade. To whip cream, just add one-fourth cup of heavy cream and whip until the sound of the Power Base dies down.

And the amazing thing about the Magic Bullet is that it really does do basically any job in 10 seconds or less! Whether you’re pulsing, whipping, blending, chopping, every task is hands-free and simple.

For those tasks that exceed 10 seconds, use the “shake technique.” This technique can be used to unclog food, allowing the Magic Bullet to do its job much easier.

The Magic Bullet is definitely a handy appliance that will make your job in the kitchen more convenient.

Does it work? Yes.

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At night, the blue overtones emphasize the relaxing mood of the club/restaurant, while the high quality sound system, coupled with professional musicians, makes every tone sound sweeter than the last.

Host to a variety of genres, whether it be jazz, rock, or R&B, Anthology has something for everybody.

But if one has a desire to see a specific band perform such as the Stanley Jordan Trio, one must pay an additional fee which can make a trip to Anthology a bit pricy.

People who aren’t big fans of any type of music will still appreciate Anthology for the quality of its food.

The menu might seem a bit threatening, with the majority of entrées $20 or more, but after the first bite, it becomes obvious that the price is worth it.

Even pommes frites (European term for french fries) have been improved and are served with mayonnaise, which might sound weird, but tastes delicious.

So if you have a decent amount of money and a zeal for music or food, Anthology is definitely worth the price.

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The film revolves around Jennifer, played by Megan Fox, a teenage girl, possessed by a demon after a satanic ritual from a local rock band in order to gain a record deal.

Jennifer begins to feast on human flesh to satisfy her demonic desires.

Her former best friend, Needy, realizes Jennifer is responsible for the murders of several school boys and tries to stop her at any cost.

The film’s writing relies too heavily on expected plot twists and catty clichés.

Megan Fox’s acting seems to be based in speaking with a slow, sexy tone and wearing as little clothing as possible while still maintaining an R rating.

Needy, played by Mamma Mia actress Amanda Seyfried, is the classic, frumpy foil to sexy Jennifer, but her character never fully develops, and it’s hard to feel any emotion toward her.

This attempted satire fails because of bad acting and a predictable plot line that seems like every other high school flasher film, only with a few bad jokes thrown in.

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Interviewee: Naturi Naughton, 25, actresss

Q: Why did you decide to turn away from your political science major and follow theatre?

A:”Well, it was like a choice to turn away from political science, I just felt like doing Broadway was a once in a lifetime chance…I decided to follow what I thought my initial dream was.”

Q: I hear that the 2009 version of [“Fame”] is only loosely based on the 1980 version. Do you believe that [this film] will live up to the original film’s reputation?

A: “I think it’s going to do that and more. I think that it’s not even about living up to the other film, but bringing something new and fresh to the new generation to relate to it…I believe the original was amazing and it spoke to so many young performers who were striving for a career in the business, and I think that this movie will do the same thing and [define] ‘fame’ is more than what we see in just pictures and videos and the glamorous life.”

Q: How do you fulfill the role of both actress and student?

A: “I didn’t go to online school…I thought about it…I had a tutor with me all the time who traveled with me on the road. And it was really challenging being a student and a performer. I think that the balance is that making sure that you are self-motivated because no one’s going to be behind you every day….”

Q: I know you toured with Destiny’s Child. Did that influence your path in any way?

A: “Well, it was a kind of inspiration to see Destiny’s Child which was huge and to be onstage with them. [It inspired me] to maybe continue my career and maybe I can reach that point…It probably more affected my future.”

Q: What’s new about “Fame” that different from the original movie and TV show?

A: “What I would say is different [from the original] is that it’s just a modern station, new characters, it’s like a whole new style of music, you know, with all the dancing…We’ve added all different styles of music like classical music and pop music of course. We wanted to give people a wide range of styles of music than just 1980s. Things are very different now. We just wanted to modernize it.”

Q: Do you have a piece of advice you would like to give teens who are trying to pursue a dream in the performing arts?

A: “My piece of advice would probably be to stay encouraged. You know, anybody who’s pursuing this career is going to always get a lot of rejection and discouragement. People are going to tell you that you’re not good enough or have the right look. But you, yourself, have to stay really, really encouraged. Focus on your assets as opposed to your flaws and focus on what you can do to make yourself better….”

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Senior Nick Ibanez knows this feeling better than most students.

“I like to go beach camping because it’s a break from everyday life and technology,” Ibanez said. “It’s a much more mellow way of life.”

Many students at MC love the experience of beach camping. It’s not often that people get to wake up in the morning to a great surf session.

“Surfing is an escape from life,” Ibanez said. “There is no better feeling when beach camping than to wake up and grab my surfboard and have a nice morning ‘sesh’.”

Beach campgrounds are not the only places where people can camp.

“When I was younger, my family and a bunch of our friends went to Lake Dixon,” senior Kevin Cardenas said. “We would spend like a week there during summer and do everything you can imagine when it comes to camping,” Cardenas said. “We did everything from biking, to rock climbing.” Like Cardenas, many others love to go camping, but to most people, beach camping is the kind of camping they enjoy most.

“I love beach camping because I get to hang out with all of my friends,” senior Eric Poggioli said. “My friends and I love to surf so it’s very convenient for the surf to be just a few steps away.”

There are many different places to go beach camping. One of the local favorites is Carlsbad.

“Carlsbad is the place to go,” Ibanez said. “It is very close to home so the drive isn’t too far and it’s a great campground.”

Some other places where people enjoy beach camping are San Onofre, San Elijo, and San Clemente.

Many people consider Carlsbad a favorite, but many others love to go to San Clemente, and San Onofre. These two campgrounds are very close to one another, and also very close to Trestles beach, where the surf is as good as it gets.

“One of the main reasons why I love camping at San Clemente is because of Trestles,” Poggioli said. “Many pros surf there so it is kind of cool to know that anytime I surf there, I might see somebody who I look up to.”

Beach camping is a great escape of life to many students.

“Life doesn’t get any better than spending a weekend beach camping,” Ibanez said.

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What she doesn’t mention is the sore shoulders, the red strap lines, and the comments about “that weird thing on your back” that you are almost sure to get with the “Ultimate Bra Strap Solution.”

By clinching the two straps together in the back, Strap Perfect does hide them effectively. That is, until it slides up over the course of the day.

The “concealer” is giant at over two inches, and easily seen through tank tops when you lean over.

And God forbid you take Baldwin’s advice and wear it with the sports bra. It’s painful enough with bras whose straps are adjustable.

The “silhouette boost” is, however, true to its word. Your boobs do look “at least one cup size bigger!” (at the expense of comfort).

Victoria’s Secret has a much more subtle and stable hook attached to many of their bras, for far quicker and less strenuous strap concealment. Unfortunately, they also put a strain on the shoulders.

Does it work? No.

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