The American Analog Set…Through the 90s: singles and unreleased. One of the indie luminaries of Austin, Texas, American Analog Set has released a number of stellar albums through the latter half of the 90s. This collection distills their lo-fi sound, replete with wandering keyboards, into a pop aesthetic. The music press applies terms like drone-pop and shoegazing to AmAnSet. Bullshit. This is a collection of clean pop songs that are funny, intelligent, and introspective by turns.

Barbara Manning…Under One Roof-Singles and Oddities. This album of material from Barbara Manning’s solo work, as well as with the SF Seals, cements her position as the preeminent singer/strummer/songwriter of her generation. Like Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh/Heavenly), Barbara Manning has steadfastly recorded a stunning pile of pop gems. She does not go in for screeching, excessive femme posturing, or the vaunted singer-songwriter appellation. She rocks and she’s talented as hell.

Tullycraft…the singles. Perhaps it is illuminating that Tullycraft chose to cover Jonathan Richman, Stephin Merritt, the Ninjas, and New Order, among others. It is far more illuminating that song #3 deserves accolades as the 90s most anthemic song: Pop Songs Your Boyfriend’s Too Stupid to Know About. Seattle’s Tullycraft record infectious pop songs with a boyish charm to them. They are featured in the recent film Songs for Cassavetes.

I thought I would share a bit about my week. Wednesday was mine to enjoy it was my day off. I am lucky enough to belong to an MS Society chapter that offers a program called Day Away.

I love the chance to be pampered. The program runs from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. It involves people getting services done by a hairstylist, manicurist, pedicurist, reflexologist, or masseurs depending on the month. We sign in for the services we would like to have done.

There are volunteers that prepare lunch for us and it is always scrumptious. This day we had a crustless quiche and a fruit salad and cookies for dessert. They also have a table for playing cards and others just for talking.

I asked the manicurist “Karen” what she liked most about being at Day Away and she said it was the fact that she got to talk with people who have so much courage. I had never really thought of myself as having courage. There are people in the room that I do really admire, ones that live on their own and cope with all kinds of barriers.

The best thing for myself is the fellowship and what we share with good days and bad. For some just getting there is a challenge and for others that they have to leave and go home.

I did get some valuable insight about the difficulty younger people have with dating. Should they tell or not tell about their disease? That is a hard question to answer when making new friends now matter how old you are because you are a person not just a disease.

Dean Wareham has made a career of coupling unhurried guitar solos with reasonably intelligent, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. After three albums and Kramer’s invaluable assistance in creating the Galaxie 500 sound, Damon & Naomi released sporadically and Mr. Wareham formed Luna. Since 1992’s debut LP Lunapark, Luna has released a number of albums and EP’s, as well as contributing songs to a few prominent compilations. From the divergent trajectories their songwriting has since assumed, I infer that the tongue-in-cheek lyrical tone was set by Mr. Wareham, the guitar solos were his contribution, and the occasional foray into the sentimental and the pretty may be ascribed to Ms. Naomi Yang and Mr. Damon Krukowski.

With the release of the 4-cd Galaxie 500 box set (Rykodisc) and the live album Copenhagen (Rykodisc), it became possible to consider the selection of material Mr. Wareham has covered over the last dozen years. Galaxie 500 recordings include covers of Yoko Ono, the Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman, and New Order. On 1995’s Penthouse, Luna covered Serge Gainsbourg in a duet with Mr. Wareham and Ms. Sadier of Stereolab. Interestingly, Bonnie and Clyde was not credited in the liner notes. On the 1993 Slide EP, they covered the Beat Happening song Indian Summer (from the Beat Happening LP Jamboree). On their most recent LP Days of our Nights, they covered the Guns ‘n Roses epic Sweet Child ‘O Mine. If anything, Mr. Wareham seems to like those artists whose work epitomizes a cultural or political excess of a sort.

For the soundtrack I Shot Andy Warhol, Luna covered Donovan’s Season of the Witch. For the French pop benchmark compilation Pop Romantique, they covered (unsurprisingly) Serge Gainsbourg. And (presumably) at Mr. Merritt’s request, they recorded Falling Out of Love (With You) for the debut 6ths album Wasp’s Nest. What should one say about this litany of covers? Certain things are clear: Mr. Wareham will cover material from both sides of the Atlantic; Mr. Wareham does not seem to choose on the basis of critical or popular success; and Mr. Wareham does not choose material only from one time period.

Recording others’ material is a public show of deference; but it is also an act of appropriation. And that is why Mr. Wareham is exceptional in his covers. The same roguish spirit that moved Luna to cover Sweet Child ‘O Mine is the one animating Superchunk to cover the delicate Magnetic Fields song 100,000 Fireflies: it is severe interpretation and an acknowledgement that the song transcends genre. Any jackass singer/songwriter can record Highway 61 Revisited material plus the odd Nick Drake or Woody Guthrie number. But it takes vision for Devo to construe the Stones staple Satisfaction; and it is to Sonic Youth’s everlasting credit that they knew (instinctively) that Madonna wed to a grinding Goth sound would be magic (Into the Groove(y)). Luna’s faster, hypnotic treatment of Serge Gainsbourg lends a surreal edge to his pop vocabulary. Their version of Indian Summer fleshes out the Spartan instrumentation of the original. In appropriating this material, Mr. Wareham changes the stresses and intonation of the songs, sometimes changing our reactions. His talent for reinventing songs and forcing us to reconsider the songs in this new (reinvented) light, is perhaps his most lasting contribution.

The opportunity to reinterpret, reinvent, or reassemble another artist’s work is singular. A cover allows this to be done in an unprecedentedly straightforward way. It is hard to imagine a painting or a story permitting the same exercise. Like paintings, stories, and films, songs contribute to some body of fictional stuff we treat as real. The characters and feelings and outlook of songs occupy a place alongside history and personal experience. In a way, a cover nods to the place a song has assumed in our popular consciousness and gives us another version, another way of reading the material. This plasticity that emerges with a good cover, this second way to approach a fiction we’ve adopted in personal ways, is what is so remarkable. It shows us the real fabric of music and the way it clings.

Read more: Upstream Health Solutions

First of all, relax. There are many aspects of RA that we can control but waking up to a five-alarm flare is not one of them. Despite our best efforts, it will happen from time to time. Feeling guilty or angry will lead to further stress, which suppresses your immune system and tightens your muscles. More importantly, it doesn’t solve anything: you’ll still have the flare and possibly cause greater pain for yourself.

The Tao philosophy of illness is that you should move with the illness instead of against it. One of the best ways to move with the illness is to—temporarily—accommodate it. Instead of viewing the flare as the major obstacle that has ruined your day, tell yourself that you’re taking the day off. Indulge yourself. Spend quality time with your kids. Try—for a change—to think and focus on only one thing at a time. Most importantly, remember that a flare is not forever.

20 Ways to Amuse Yourself During a Flare

Making your own entertainment can be challenging when your functions and mobility are limited. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Read.
Read anything: books, magazines, newspapers; poetry, literature, the Bible, the National Enquirer, you name it. It doesn’t have to be highbrow reading as long as you enjoy it. A corollary to this would be:

2. Listen to an audio book.
There’s something soothing about audio books; it evokes childhood memories of when our mother read to us. Check out your library for their selection.

3. Take a long, hot bubble bath.
Soothing and indulgent. While you’re in there:

4. Make it a day of beauty.
Slather on a facemask. Deep-condition your hair. Add bath oils. And then, sit in your bubble bath for a good half-hour and allow everything to permeate.

5. Organize something…anything.
Clean out a drawer (ask someone to actually bring the drawer to you). Go through those piles of photos and organize them in a photo album. Accomplishing even small chores helps your self-esteem and fights depression.

6. Call someone.
Call someone you haven’t seen since high school. Call someone you see everyday. Staying and keeping in touch with people has a proven positive effect on health and prevents you from feeling isolated. If the person you want to speak to lives far away and you can’t afford the long-distance bills:

7. Send an audio-letter.
Dictate your letter into a tape recorder and send it when you’re feeling better.

8. Bond with the kids.
Play a board game, play dolls, read them a story. Kids—especially little ones—will appreciate the attention…you’ll appreciate the affection.

9. Bond with your partner.
As long as you’re couch-bound, scoot over and share the blanket. Extra affection can go a long way in making a partner feel like more than just a caregiver.

10. Learn something.
Ever wanted to learn French but you didn’t have time? Now’s your time! It doesn’t have to be as complex as a foreign language, but learning new things keeps us fresh and more adaptable to sudden changes (like unforeseen flares).

11. Read your journal.
If you keep a daily journal, read past entries. The good days will remind you of what you’ve accomplished and the bad days will remind you that this flare—like the others—will pass.

12. Practice relaxation.
Just because you’re on the couch doesn’t mean that you’re relaxed. Lay in a quiet place and tell yourself, “My feet are relaxing, my feet are relaxing, my feet are relaxed.” Continue with all the muscles in your body until you reach your scalp. Repeat several times throughout the day.

13. Surf the internet.
As long as you have a comfortable chair, the Web can help you feel as if you’re still in touch with the world. Keep a list of things that you’d like to look up and when a flare strikes, you’ll have plenty to keep you entertained.

#  Shop in your bathrobe.
If there isn’t too much tread on your credit cards, pull out the catalogs and get your Christmas shopping over with…or buy something for yourself.

# Watch a video.
Or cable. Try to find a comedy…a good laugh truly does reduce stress and pain. Or, if you’re a woman, watch a chick flick, like Imitation of Life; if you’re a guy, watch one of your favorite grunt-action films.

# Look at maps…and daydream.
Dream up a fantasy vacation or plan an actual vacation…but try to make the fantasy as elaborate as possible.

# Pet your pet.
After you’ve bonded with your partner and the kids, remember Bowser, too. While there is no evidence that petting your furry one will improve your arthritis, there is clinical evidence that petting your pet can reduce your blood pressure and stress.

# Meditate.
You’ve been meaning to try it; now’s your chance. Meditation doesn’t have to be an elaborate set-up—all you need is a quiet place to yourself for as little time as five minutes. Clear your mind…you’ll be surprised at how calm you feel afterwards.

# Do a crossword.
Crosswords, Cryptograms, Crostics or any other word game is ideal for “flare days”. One lady I know saves up the Extra section from her newspapers just for that purpose.

# Sit outside…weather permitting.
Sometimes just getting out of the house can make you feel better. Fresh air and sunlight may not be physically healing, but it can definitely improve your outlook on things.

When you have RA, flares are an unfortunate fact of life, sometimes requiring us to take unwanted breaks. Even so, with a little imagination we can make these “breaks” productive and fun. Stay in touch with your friends. Keep involved with your family. In your own way, be productive. It will make a difference in how you—and those around you—feel…and possibly even speed your recovery time.

He’s currently a consultant to a few hush-hush aerospace engineering outfits in the US, but we coaxed him out of his normally-quiet demeanour to talk to us about food and nutrition in his bachelor, jet-setting hectic lifestyle.

* Falling from grace and heavenly brews in Oregon.
* Return from Istanbul Part One and Two

“I don’t read much outside of trade journals and technical papers,” he said, “But I try to keep up on guy health stuff. I want to be healthy and be banging [have sex] when I’m 90 instead of dying slowly of something or another.”

At 26, he’s had some interesting experiences and insights on the meaning of life. [Remind us to ask him about the 'Lighthouse Incident' sometime.]

A full-blooded Australian, this aircraft design engineer isn’t completely domesticated.

“I enjoy a Guiness followed by some concentrated Vegemite,” Cliff said. “That’s my nutritional shortcoming.”

That’s not too bad, Cliff. His hobbies are cooking, fishing, making kites and plane models, and watching sports on tv.

“Basketball, mountain bike racing and swimming are my favourites,” he said.

Why is he an electrical engineer geek? “Well, I thought of being a fighter pilot, but I chose EE because I reckon I just like pretending to be one in videogames, not becoming an actual one.”

His role models are some pretty outstanding men. “Charles Concordia, Richard Feynman and Les Hiddins top my list of people I admire,” he said. “They still remained humbled and true to themselves even though they got really famous and lots of recognition for their work. I also like their sense of humour, their energy, I mean, Charlie Concordia is 93 years old and he’s still having a good time with life.”

Cliff’s pretty humble himself. He’s accepted the nickname “Soup King” from his friends well-acquainted with his significant culinary talents. When he’s not designing aircraft or pursuing a hobby, he likes to strum away on his guitar or play a few tunes on his harmonica.

He said he’d try to speak up about balancing his uber-geek [anorak] life with proper eating habits and nutrition, so we’re very grateful we’re getting a chance to see his brilliant introverted self.

Cabbage contains vitamin A, C, folic acid, calcium, iron and cancer-fighting, immune system-boosting chemicals called indoles. The best way to conserve its nutrients is to boil them for less than 3 minutes in boiling water or steaming the leaves. As soon as the leaves are cut or torn, they start to lose vitamin C, so try to eat them fresh off the head. We like to use them as wrappers for mixed ingredients, even as a seaweed substitute for sushi. The crunchy, nutty flavors of cabbage go well with cold, sour and juicy flavors such as pineapple, orange segments, kiwi and salsa.

We also like to mix textures, such as spiced and curried rice with nuts and raisins or noodles with raw or steamed cabbage leaves. Fillings of turkey or other meats also suit the versatile cabbage very well. Microwaving stuffed cabbage with 2 tablespoons water, vegetable broth, or chicken stock in the dish is also a great time-saver and delicious snack or lunch. All you need for cabbage leaves stuffed with tuna salad, pasta, thai curry or tabouli takes just five to seven minutes.

We suggest stuffing cabbage leaves ahead of time and refrigerating or freezing them since we don’t recommend eating a whole cabbage head in one day. To prepare leaves for stuffing, cut them at the base, then remove them from the head and blanch until limp (three minutes at most in boiling water). Then shave off the thick part of the central rib from the back of each leaf, to make the leaf easier to roll. Place the filling at the bottom of the leaf’s cuplike hollow, then fold the bottom and the two sides of the leaf over the filling and roll up firmly. Secure the rolls with toothpicks and arrange them in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. When hungry, add stock, tomato sauce, Vegemite or other liquid and bake until the leaves are tender and the filling is heated through.

For an even easier method of stuffing the leaves, place a blanched prepared leaf in a small ladle or dry measuring cup (a 1/2-cup measure works well); let the edges of the leaf hang over. Pack the filling into the leaf and fold the edges over to enclose the filling. Place the rolls, folded-side down, in a baking dish and proceed with the recipe. So try not to use the cabbage head as an ornament on the table, and eat it instead! Did you know cabbage is one of the most economical vegetables a college student or bachelor can purchase? It stores for up to 6 months in cool, dry locations (that’s why people used to grow them so much in pre-refrigeration days gone by). We’re not suggesting you keep a cabbage under your bed over Christmas, but it’s definitely easier to store, wash, cut and cook than some other vegetables.

You can buy this impotency drug at lower prices than similar branded drugs. Vardenafil can be purchased on the Internet. Medications for impotency such as Vardenafil are now available online as pharmacies recognize the high demand for them. On top of offering inexpensive drugs, online stores also list detailed information about the products so that you can use them properly. These medications offer good results, but also often have side effects such as a sustained erection, pain in the back, nausea, and headaches. See your doctor quickly when any side effect happens, and stop using the medication.

Purchase Vardenafil from quickrxonline.com, which sells medications that are generic and brand names that are of a high quality. This is the online pharmacy that is the best one to purchase Vardenafil on the Internet, cheaply.

When I awoke the morning after this dream encounter, I immediately sat up in bed startled. My mind quickly perused my memories of the night’s activities. I had been restless, tossing and turning all night almost as if I hadn’t slept, yet I had distinct memories of talking to my mom. When I closed my eyes, I saw the dreamlike experience reply in my mind.

I was sitting on my couch in the living room right beside my mom. We were gabbing, just talking and sharing- nothing really profound. Then I consciously recalled that all night long I had been talking to mom, discussing various things on my mind and sharing my feelings with her. What kind of dream is gabbing with your dead mother all night? It had felt as if we were really talking. She talked back too! As I filtered through my memories of the night before that morning, sifting through the snippets of conversation that came to me, I fast-forwarded to the end of the experience.

My mom looked at me in the matter-of-fact way that she always managed so well, staring deeply into my eyes. I actually remember seeing her large, brown eyes with gold flecks staring back at me as she spoke the following words: “Kathi, what the hell am I doing here?” If you knew my mother, you would know that this is exactly how she would say this too.

Suddenly realization washed over me, and tears filled my eyes. I had been grieving for almost two years, trying to wish mom back so hard. I had been clinging to each and every memory so tightly. Perhaps she wants me to let go and move on, allowing her to also move on to another place. I don’t really know what she meant or where she wanted to go, but what I do know is that this sudden insight was not ill founded. I knew what I was feeling was right on the mark.

She had managed to communicate this message to me from beyond the grave. Whether it was simply my mind telling me this from my own subconscious, or it was my mom’s message I will probably never know. What I know is that I “feel” it. She was here that night. We had a wonderful visit. I think that she said good bye to me that night, or maybe I said good bye to her. In either case, the dreamlike visit had a peaceful and calming effect.

The First Aid Kit

Normally, there are certain things that will be present in everyone’s first aid kit, so you can expect that what you include in your kit will most likely not differ substantially from what others include in their kits. You can choose which brands to include and how much of each item you want to include though. Each person will have his/her own opinion as to what the most important items of the kit should be.

Following is a list of items that I believe should be included in every First Aid Kit:

Adhesive Bandages — A number of shapes and sizes should be included, from small ones to cover a paper cut, to large ones to care for a badly scraped knee. Having various kinds available allows you to adjust to any circumstance.

Micro-Shields — It may be necessary to perform CPR on a moment’s notice, so it is wise to have something available to offer protection to the rescuer.

Neosporin — This is the brand I normally use, but you can use another; you just want something to apply to the wound before the bandage is applied. It is always wise to take precautions with any wound, and I think Neosporin does the trick.

Antiseptic Wipes / Alcohol Pads — These come in handy for cleaning wounds if soap and water are not readily available for that purpose. Using alcohol to clean it can be painful, but it does ensure that bacteria are killed.

Adhesive Tape, Gauze, and an Elastic Bandage — These are needed when an injury is too large to be covered by a band-aid. Sometimes a device is needed to secure a bandage on an area such as the knee, and that is where all of these can come in handy.

Thermometer — Naturally, you need this to determine whether or not a person has a fever.

Gloves — You should have either latex or plastic gloves available in case you have to help someone else. You don’t want to risk introducing germs or bacteria into someone’s wound, and you do not want to get someone else’s blood on you, if you can help it.

Scissors and Tweezers — The supplies need to be cut with scissors, and to take care of a wound that might have something in it, you need tweezers. Of course, the obvious use for tweezers is for extraction of splinters.

Medications — You should have some kind of pain reliever, as well as something to provide digestive relief when necessary.

Cold Packs / Hot Packs — Situations may arise in which you must cool or heat a body area quickly, and these items can be invaluable at those times. That is the reason that both should be staples in your kits.

List of Emergency Numbers  — Your list of emergency contacts may be quite long, and most of us do not memorize the numbers for the Poison Control Center or the Doctor’s Office. Therefore, you should have these contacts listed in your kit so that you can call them quickly and easily.

Wildcard — If someone in your family takes essential medications on a regular basis, it is always wise to have some of that medication in the first aid kit. That way, if the worst happens, they have a back up supply in the kit and that could be a lifesaver.

I have only mentioned the most important items that should be in your first aid kit. You may be able to think of other things to include, but these are the ones that I deem to be most vital.

So now you have a good idea of which items should be part of your First-Aid Kit. Of course, that does not mean that you cannot put in other things that you think are important, but all the things I mentioned should be included at the minimum. When disaster strikes, you want to be sure that you have everything necessary for survival for a few days in any emergency situation.