Questions about health reform? Check out www.healthcare.gov

For those of you who've followed the Affordable Care Act since it's passage, you've probably spent considerable time at the federal government site: www.healthcare.gov. Well, it just got a whole new look. They've streamlined the information and given it more of a consumer focus. We like it - a lot. Check it out for yourself. There's even specific information for people who already have health insurance. And even a live chat option 24/7 if you want your question answered right away.

St. Augustine Lighthouse (1871) by Paul J. Pelz, Chief Archtiect for Library of Congress

Paul Pelz designed St. Augustine Lighthouse - among others - when he was in his early 30's.

I presume there are no new lighthouse commissions, our stock almost all pre-modern. The Sullivan's Island Lighthouse from 1962, is among the last.

 
The St. Augustine Light is 165 feet tall and pretty close the Anastasia Boulevard but you still might miss it. Look east as you near the Alligator Farm. (See Map below)

Luckily it's one the most accessible lighthouses on the east coast. It's open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's not free, I paid $9.75 which let me go everywhere for the day.

It's on Facebook and Twitter @firstlighthouse. It's still an official aid to navigation, a fixed light with a 30 second flash.

It's beautiful and it performs.


In social media, you should do 1/3 business, 1/3 inspiration, and 1/3 puppies. Lighthouses must be the puppies of architecture blogging, they are irresistible.


Check out those chimneys. You enter here to make the climb. The guy under the umbrella sells water and answers questions; he probably has 911 on speed-dial. He thought I could make it.


Here's the bottom. It's a democratic meritocracy on the stair. There's a quiet comradery among the climbers. Children's chatter echos. Families make memories. Older folks wonder if they'll be able to do it next year.


There are half turns and landings.


You spiral past the west facing windows which are open. On my climb it was quite cool inside.


The landing windows face east toward the keeper's house and the ocean.


Near the top you can see how they put it together. "Constructed of Alabama brick and Philadelphia iron."


Whoa, you go from enclosed to wide open. I'm looking north toward Vilano Beach. Estimating that my camera is about 145 feet off the ground, the horizon is 14.8 miles away.


It was windy and wonderful and I held on really tight.


You could see the light and the lens above...


...and the Keeper's House below.

There's much more to see but the eye takes it in better than the camera.

  Folks coming down aren't in a hurry, slow to give up hard-won "ground," regretting not staying up a little longer.


The Keepers' House is big and beautiful, three floors of interesting things. Folks lived here until they automated the light in 1955.


A model of the 1824 St. Augustine Light.


A last look at the chimneys, acroteria, brackets, blind arches, balustrades, board & batten, and Flemish bond.

I'll be back and I'll be back to the Ponce de Leon Inlet lighthouse too.



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Empties #3

Boy, I�ve been a busy bee lately� just look how many beauty products I�ve used up!  I know I have a problem with hoarding products, along with the inability to throw things away, so I made it my mission to stick to a product and use it until it�s empty!
Here are the products I�ve finished� read below for what I think about them and if I�d repurchase!

Beauty Products Used up!

Bioderma � This is possibly my favourite makeup remover as it does a wonderful job of removing even the heaviest of eye makeup.  I soak a cotton pad in this, place it on my eye for up to 15 seconds and wipe away.  The skin around my eyes can be quite sensitive, however this doesn�t irritate them at all.

VO5 Dry Shampoo x 3- Can�t quite believe that I�ve been through three bottles of this dry shampoo since my last empties video!  I�ve mentioned before that I use dry shampoo daily and that this is my favourite type as they smell gorgeous and leave my hair revitalised without looking powdery.

Garnier Fructis Hair Spray � I really like this hairspray purely because it sells really good.  I would probably repurchase, although the lid kinda broke after a few uses.

L�Oreal Elnett Satin Hair Spray � This is a fantastic hairspray if you want your style to stay in place, however I really dislike the musky scent of it.

TRESemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment � I love using hair masks as a little extra treat for my hair whilst I shave/exfoliate etc in the bath and this is the one that I�ve been reaching for the most and used up!  It smells good and leaves my hair feeling soft.

Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor Mask � I do love Joico products, despite being a little pricey.  This one smelt like bananas and added some moisture back into my locks.

Blanx Extra White Toothpaste � This is supposed to be a toothpaste treatment that you use for a few weeks at a time, which makes your teeth super white.  I can�t say I�ve really noticed a difference though so I�m not sure that I�d repurchase.

Sleek Lipstick in Barely There � My favourite lipstick EVER and the first lipstick I�ve EVER used up and finished!   This is a very big deal!

Sleek Lash Out Mascara � You can read a review of this here � http://www.katiesbeautyblog.com/2012/02/sleek-lash-out-mascara-review.html  really liked it and would probably repurchase!

Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara x2 � This is one of my all time favourite mascaras.  It is really affordable, has a lovely fat plastic brush and just makes my eyelashes look incredible without making them clumpy.  I�ve finished two of these recently.

MAC False Lash Extreme Black Mascara � I loved this mascara also but it�s a little bit pricey for constant use, in my opinion.

The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara � This was my go to mascara for a very long time throughout school and university.  It�s a goodun.

The Body Shop Liquid Eyeliner � Another one of my go-to products and the one that got me into liquid eyeliners.  This liner is super easy to use and lasts really well on the skin.  I�d recommend it if your a liquid liner virgin and want an easy one to practise with.

MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon � This must be the fourth pot of this eyeshadow that I�ve gone through.  I wear MAC�s Nylon every single day as it�s the most gorgeous shimmery cream, gold.  I use this underneath my brow bone and on the inner corner or my eye and sometimes also as an eyeshadow base too.  I�ve already got a backup waiting. I love it.

MAC Paintpot in Bare Study � Bare Study is a shimmery champagne gold paint pot which has finally dried up.  I really like this although wouldn�t repurchase as I�d want to try other shades!

There we have it!  All of the products I�ve recently finished!  Be sure to check out the video above as well for an extra giggle.

What beauty products have you used up recently?

xxxx

My week in photographs!

I�ve decided that I�d like to start doing a few more �lifestyle� type posts on my blog, if that�s okay with you guys?  For the past three years of running this blog I�ve stuck to product reviews, tutorials and swatches, but it may be nice to see a little more about the gal who actually sits behind the screen!

I�ll start with an �instagram� style post of what I�ve been up to the past couple of weeks!

1) For work one day I had to help escort the lovely Tanya Burr to her meet up with subscribers in Covent Garden. Needless to say by the picture, you can tell things got a little out of hand!
2) I love tea and Morrissey
3) Me and my fav girlies Zoe and Lily on a night out
4) For work I also went along with Joe to the World War Z premier.  Here we are above on the black �red� carpet.


1) Brad and I are such a dedicated couple we have matching highlights
2) Ice Bar on a Monday night!
3) Wagamama with my Mum!
4) Editing a YouTube video. You can watch here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUnyNyLgF9A&feature=share&list=UUlkuBUXxkXkZVhL76r5ed8Q


1) Emma and I met FoneJacker at a gallery opening
2) Gourmet Burger Kitchen with Tanya and Jim
3) Father�s Day!
4) I went behind the scenes at Daily Mix for work and took lots of snaps!  This is Sam from Pixiwoo getting her makeup done.


1) At Google/YouTube HQ to watch a panel
2) With Maddie and Louise at the YouTube summer party
3) IMATS panel with Ruth, Louise, Anna and Caroline.
4) My outfit of the day at IMATS yesterday!

There we have it!  Life has been so busy recently but I�ve loved every second of it.  Writing this post has made me realise just how much I love my job and how lucky I am to get some fantastic opportunities which I�m really grateful for.  I also have made some the best friends ever through blogging.  Hard work pays off!

Let me know if you would like this to be a regular feature � it�s always nice to get a taste for the things someone else gets up to (and my life is ridiculously crazy and busy) so you might enjoy it!

My Instagram name is @KateSnooks if you want to keep updated with what I�m up to!

What have you been up to recently?  Would you like to see more �lifestyle� posts from me?

xxxxx

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Spokane man's own smartphone is a witness against him in insurance-fraud case

Last summer, a Spokane man named Bryan Gilbert Robb filed an insurance claim, saying that his home had been burglarized. The police report listed an $800 loss.

Robb's claim, however, totaled $26,569, most of it from computers, games and DVDs. He included several photographs of the items that he said had been stolen.

Digital cameras and smartphones typically record the date and time that an image is taken, with what device, etc. This information, which is embedded in the photo file, is called metadata.

The problem: The metadata for 7 of the 9 photos submitted by Robb showed that the images were taken after the burglary date.

Robb's company, Assurant, denied the claim and turned it over to our Special Investigations Unit, which found a very similar 2004 burglary claim at Mr. Robb's previous address. That claim reported the loss of almost identical computers, a game console and DVDs.

Robb was charged June 14 in Spokane County Superior Court with one count of felony insurance fraud and one count of second-degree attempted theft. Arraignment is set for July 1.

To report insurance fraud or insurance scams here in Washington state, here's how to reach us.

Allianz Life Insurance fined $150,000

Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has fined an insurance company $150,000 after its agents sold unapproved annuities.
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has agreed to pay the fine.
Several Allianz Life agents have been fined, suspended or have lost their insurance licenses in recent years for selling unapproved annuities to Washingtonians. In some cases, the customers were flown to Idaho; in others, the agents falsely claimed that the forms had been signed in Idaho or Florida. Kreidler�s office had been raising concerns with the company about these problems since at least 2007.
As required by law, Allianz Life reported the agents to Kreidler�s office and offered refunds to the affected customers. In April 2012, the company implemented procedures designed to prevent illegal cross-state insurance sales.
�I�m glad to see that the company�s taking efforts to rein in this ongoing problem,� said Kreidler. �I understand the pressure to make sales, but agents and companies selling to Washingtonians have to use products that are approved here.�

For more, please see the press release.

It Feels Wrong: My Unfavorite Places on the Modern Atlanta '13 Tour

Short answer: Some of the stair hand rails. They should fell so safe and so comfortable that we don't even notice them.

It makes me wonder: is everything is up for grabs every time?

 
Of course not as Cara Cummins said at a MA13 panel, "We're not designing white elephants."

Designers/architects would never violate the "stair ratio." We'd know something was wrong; our bodies would know something was wrong. Granny would fall, we'd fall. Dangerous stairs can ruin a house or a garden.


MA13 Panel: Linda O�Keeffe �Whats Modern Now� with Cara Cummins, principal at TaC Studios, design consultant Smith Hanes, founder at Flags of Origin, and architect/interior designer Shawn Alshut of studio A2.


We might not notice a bad kitchen triangle with our eye. But once we started cooking when we'd know something was wrong. We'd feel it even if we didn't know how to fix it.


Out on the tour, I expect proper kitchen triangles, proper stair ratios, and proper handrails though they might look out of the ordinary.

It went like this for me. I think to myself, "Cool Stairs" and start the climb.

Then I'd feel the handrail and, "Ugh."

I'd find my hand on an uncomfortable edge, on a rail that was too big or small, on a rail that forced me to look. The first one didn't bug me too much. The second, third, and fourth ones did.

I'd guess stairs are one of the few places in a modern that beg for detailing. The diagonals, the turns, the height can make the drama and the delight.

I'm all for designing drama and delight if you don't screw up the hand rail.

Favourite Products for Eczema & Dry Skin

I have suffered from eczema for as long as I can remember (I even re-call being made to wear gloves in bed so I didn�t itch and ruin my legs whilst I slept).  For the most part, I have just accepted it as an annoyance that makes my skin really unattractive but I�m still always on the look out for products that ease the itching and soothe my skin.

I mostly get eczema on my shoulders, tops of my arms and legs and I find that it flares up when I�m stressed, sad or when the weather changes (I have it quite badly at the moment because the sun has come out and I have lots of work on).  It�s a constant battle as sometimes I hardly even notice myself itching and the dry patches it leaves on my skin aren�t pretty and do make me a little self conscious!

I decided to put together a little collection of creams that I find work really well for my eczema for all those out there that are also suffering!

Kiehls Creme de Corps � This stuff is pricey but with regular use it is perfect for eczema.  This is the body lotion I use when I get out of the bath/shower daily � I give myself a full body moisturize using this and I feel fabulous afterwards.  This can be known to stain white clothes and bedsheets (and tints them a hint of yellow) but I haven�t experienced this.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baum � My workmate Lucy gave this to me as she knows I suffer with eczema and I adore it.  This is a super thick and creamy lotion which does leave you greasy but has ingredients known to soothe and repair the skin.  I do find that I need to let this sink in properly before I get dressed because it is super greasy at first, but it�s an absolute treat to use.

E45 Intense Recovery Lotion � I have tried countless body creams from the highstreet in my years, many from E45, non of which have ever worked.  This is one of their new lotions however which is specifically aimed at extremely dry skin.  This is perfume free and helps to lock in moisture.  It this leaves my skin feeling moisturized but not overly sticky.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Cream � Yu-Be is a hidden gem in the beauty world.  It�s a bright yellow cream (kind of vaseline consistency but without the mineral oils so it doesn�t block pores) which smells like camphor which I quite like.  Once applied to the skin the smell and colour fade and you are left perfectly moisturized.  This is a fab multiuse product, I have used it on lips, elbows, eczema patches as well as to help heal a new tattoo.  I really like this!

Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter -  This is pretty much identical to Creme de Corps above except it has a delicious smell (the other is un-fragranced) and is almost a thick version of a body butter.  As this is �whipped�, it has a gorgeous fluffy texture which sinks beautifully into the skin, leaving you feeling soft and smelling great.  Normally products with fragrance tend to irritate my eczema more but this hasn�t so it�s a thumbs up from me.

Coconut Oil (not pictured) � Pure coconut oil is one of the greatest multi-purpose products out there (it can even be used to cook with) but I�ve been using it a lot on my dry patches recently and it does a sublime job.  This oil is hard but melts in your hand so you are left with the most gorgeous smelling silky oil which sinks in perfectly.  I will write a full blog post on this and all of its uses very soon (once I purchase some more � I�m running low)!

Bepanthen (not pictured) � I recently started getting eczema an really terribly dry skin on my face for the first time and it freaked me out! I had to go eye makeup-less for a few days until it calmed down, but I found the only thing that helped my face was Bepanthen.  Originally a nappy rash cream, this thick cream can be used for many purposes.  All the other face creams I tried on the flare-up around my eyes stung incredibly, but this didn�t!  It�s affordable and a beauty of a product!

There we have it � my top picks to help conquer eczema!  I really hope that this post has helped at least one person suffering!  I do find that when it is particularly difficult to get rid off when I�m stressed, regardless of the creams I�m using, but they definitely help to lessen the problem.

What�s your favourite cream for dry skin?

xxxx

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Spokane man sentenced for insurance fraud and attempted theft

Four years after filing a bogus insurance insurance claim that tried to turn $4,000 in storm damage into a $200,000 payment, a Spokane man has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service, 15 days of electronic home monitoring and more than $7,000 in fines.

Keith R. Scribner, seen in the surveillance photo above, was sentenced Friday in Spokane County Superior Court on felony charges of insurance fraud and attempted theft.

The case stemmed from a claim filed in late July 2009 by Scribner's mother, Marilyn Warsinske. She said a patio roof at a home she'd purchased had collapsed due to the weight of snow some 6 months earlier. The policy covered "like kind and quality" replacement. Her son, she told the company, would handle the claim.

Scribner told the insurance company that patio cover was an extensive structure, spanning the entire length of the patio and wrapping around the home's chimney. Claims officials, inspecting the site, wondered why was there no flashing or holes in the masonry. Scribner said that house painters must have made repairs.

He sent the insurance company three bids to replace the cover based on his description. The bids ranged from $195,586 to $213,815.

Claims officials asked Scribner for any photos of the roof prior to the damage or after it collapsed. Perhaps some were taken during a home appraisal prior to the purchase, they suggested. Scribner said there were no photos and was no appraisal.

But a claims handler discovered an aerial photo of the home on a real estate website. It showed a much smaller patio cover than Scribner claimed.

The company launched a fraud investigation and notified Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's anti-fraud Special Investigations Unit.

As it turned out, there had been a home appraisal, the investigators discovered. In fact, Keith Scribner met with the appraiser. And the appraisal included photos of the patio cover. A real estate agent interviewed by investigators described the cover as being "small and nothing special or significant."

The home's previous owner also provided photographs of the structure. It was originally canvas. When that because troublesome to remove each year, the homeowner bought a polycarbonate cover. Cost: About $300.

An architect told a state fraud investigator that he'd met with Scribner in 2008 -- months before the snow collapse -- to discuss plans to replace the deck cover with new, larger one.

A local company, provided with measurements and photographs of the original structure, drew up replacement bids at the request of a state fraud investigator. The bids: $3,913 and $4,782.