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It’s still summertime so if you haven’t stocked up on your warm weather essentials there’s still time. Better late than never to take advantage of beach season and unbutton your look.  Tees and polos are a no brainer this time of year and the more simple the better.  Armani Exchange’s Pima V-Neck Tee fits the bill with it’s basic but uber stylish design and choice of eight colors.

Some people eat cottage cheese.  Some people enjoy it.  Others don’t like it or pass it off as, well, just “regular” cheese.  Whether you like cottage cheese or have even tried it before, the truth is, this superfood is anything but “regular.”  Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just tone up, cottage cheese can be one of your best friends and should be stocked in the fridge without fail.  Here are five things you should know about this cheesy food:

1. One cup of low fat (1%) cottage cheese contains 163 calories, 28 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat.

2. Lots of people top cottage cheese with fruit, but few think about spicing things up.  You can top it with salsa, or any types of herbs and chow it with healthy whole-grain chips or use it in place of mayo on a sandwhich.

3. Cottage cheese really is cheese.  The difference with cottage cheese is that the mik is curdled and drained instead of being processed or aged.  The end result is a “cheese” that’s high in protein – casein to be exact – because most of the whey is drained out.

4. There are tons of different ways to consume the cheese that, well, might be otherwise considered “boring.”  One idea is to use it in place of creamy, fatty condiments to add the same level of texture but with more protein and less fat.  Another approach is to blend it with a hardboiled egg or mix it with tuna to make a higher protein snack.  It can also be mixed in an avocado when making guac or added to a pasta sauce on days where you’re taking in more carbs (and should also try to take in more protein)

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5.  Since cottage cheese is high in casein protein it is the perfect food to consume before bed.  Casein digests more slowly than other types of protein and hence can supply the muscles with a steady stream of amino acids while the body is alseep.  What’s more, use cottage cheese packed in a container as a portable snack to bring with you on days when you know you’ll have to go a long time between meals.

Check out the benefits of coffee here

If you’re like most people you get tired of reaching for your collection of hats only to find that every last one is sporting your favorite team’s logo.  While there’s a little sports lover in all of us, sometimes you need to wear a hat that doesn’t scream “sports” fanatic.  Simple is good, stylish is better, and black looks good on everybody.  Penguin fits the bill with their “Harry” hat.  While there is a Penguin logo on it, he is of no relation to these guys.

Stuff blows up.  Guys get shot.  Men smoke cigars while throwing out monosyllabic one liners.  Not your typical day at the office.  Then again, the action described above takes place in a movie that is anything but typical.  “The Expendables”, set to be released in August may just be the biggest action movie of summer.  Or ever…

Whether the movie will be a huge blockbuster is yet to be seen though.  But one thing is certain: the cast packs a punch.  The film, which stars Sylvester Stallone (and was also directed by him), also stars a few other guys who people might recognize.  The cast list reads like a who’s who of action movie veterans.  It includes: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Also, in the flick are martial arts star Jet Li, wrestling icons Randy Couture and Steve Austin as well as NFL veteran Terry Crews.  Jason Statham, one of the latest shoot ‘em up film stars rounds out the list.   

The idea behind the flick was to include all of the top action movie stars of, well, all time.  The only big name from the 80s and 90s that is missing is Jean-Claude Van Damme.  Lundgren took the role shortly after Van Damme declined.  Losing Van Damme didn’t stop Stallone from seeing his vision through to the completion.  The idea was to make an old-fashioned action movie about soldiers of fortune, “back when ‘mercenary’ wasn’t such a dirty word” like it is now with the thoughts of the Iraq conflict that the word brings about today. 

The film, which was original set to be developed by Warner Brothers, was snagged by Lionsgate in a bit of last minute deal making. 

Back in the 80s and early ‘90s Warner was a veritable action factory, pumping out a long list of heavy duty action hits like the “Lethal Weapon” series, as well some of Stallone’s hits like “Assassins”, “The Specialist”, and “Demolition Man.” 

Since then Warner has moved onto other types of projects, shifting their focus toward less gritty more fantasy-based films like “Harry Potter”.  Stallone was fine with letting “The Expendables” go to Nu Image and Millenium since his idea from the start was to make a throwback action flick. 

Regarding the types of films he is known for he said, “I would sure like to bring the genre back a little bit, so some young guys could pick up the banner.”

He went on to note in the same interview that it was actors being able to “Velcro their muscles on” which killed the hard action genre, which included films like “Rambo and “Rocky” – which have actually eked out decent performances with retro styled sequels over the last several years. 

But maybe “The Expendables” will change all of that…

Rated R last week for “strong action and bloody violence throughout” the film used a crew of 75 stunt men and a budget of $80 million to shoot the movie in Brazil and Louisiana.  The action stars in the film play the type of guys who drop in on villains from a plane whose machine guns are hidden and which has a “Global Wildlife Conservancy” logo on the side. 

In looking forward to the future Stallone says that he sees the genre coming back a bit as young energetic actors get tired of doing all of their acting in front of a green screen. 

“Taylor Lautner, all of these guys want to step up,” he said. 

 “Given the opportunity to return to Vietnam, down and dirty, they’d be way up for it.”

While “Crocs” might have outlived their popularity, the company who makes them (also known by the same name) actually makes other shoes that aren’t so bad.  The stylishness of these Santa Cruz shoes might be up for debate among some people, but one thing they’re not is uncomfortable.  With a suede upper and their signature “crosslite” footbed this take on their old classic is built for comfort – day or night.  Nor does it hurt that they’re slip-ons.  Grab them here.