A writer's Random ramblings
Humans have so many types of pain and so few ways to relieve it, or so we think. Does a pain reliever exist that can help the whole family? Which won’t cause addiction? What if the person in pain already took over the counter pills but needs more relief while they begin to work? What will be both strong and safe?
In many of the cases above, a doctor might recommend a topical analgesic. However, some of these still contain aspirin, which children should not use, or other allergens. Certain medications may not present as strong enough for some people or injuries. What then? Since Aleve and other naproxen sodium tablets tend to work best for me, I tried Aleve X Pain Relief Gel when I happened upon it. This lotion, as the tube calls it, does have a faint scent of camphor and menthol. However, these do not overpower as some brands can. The combination gently warms the area to which one applies it to help relieve muscle and joint soreness. My family has found it works wonders when we don’t feel like digging through the cabinet for pain relievers or waiting for tablets to be digested and get to work. Aleve X relieves pain quickly and works for a few hours at a time, plenty of opportunity to go get the oral painkillers if they are still needed. Many times, a small squirt of this lotion, rubbed in well, can knock out pain well on its own. We have used it on everything from tennis elbow to cramped muscles, with wonderful results from a proc=duct the package recommends for arthritis and general soreness. Thus, Aleve X Pain Relief Gel comes highly recommended. Multigenerational households in particular would do well to add it to first kits since everyone can use it. One can use it alone or in combination with other pain therapies. The size of the tube makes it great for on the go in case of muscle or joint injury as well. This economical gel deserves a place in every first aid arsenal.
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Oh, no! The long-hidden box of film negatives or slides spilled everywhere. There are too many to bring to a professional all at once, or the price is not right for the service. What can a person do?
Recently, I found myself in this space. I had finally dug up the slides from my honeymoon, alongside a plethora that I had inherited from my artistic grandfather. I hopped over on Amazon.com and picked up a DigitNow 22 MP All In One Digital Film and Slide Scanner. After all, the description claimed this would affordably allow me to digitize any 35 mm, 110, Super 8, or 135 mm images for more modern storage. Thus, I could also preserve the history of how my family does art and records memories of trips without them taking up too much space, a grand idea since my family lives in a small house. The machine itself also fulfils this need, as even storing the device in its original box keeps it small and compact. DigitNow presents two ways the user can view images scanned. One can connect the scanner to either a television or computer via a USB cable provided in the box. The device itself also features a viewscreen the size of that on a digital camera for viewing during scanning. The DigitNow does not require a computer connection, as it can store images straight to SD cards. The user does not need to format the card in any way first, only plug and play. The images stored on the card can then be viewed on any device that reads SD cards. I found the device simple to use right from the box once the device is on. I load the slide or film into the appropriately marked tray from right to left. Then, I click the tray into place in the device. From there, simply press Capture and OK. The only issue I faced in the process was that I was not able to rotate photos on the device, although I could flip them. Whenever a subject appeared sideways, I manually took the slide out and rotated it manually before scanning. Once I got the hang of the device, I found myself able to average transferring about 100 slides in an hour’s time onto an SD card. Thus, those who need a simple, affordable way to get slides and films into digital format would do well to get the DIgitNOw 22 MP All In One Digital Film Scanner. It will allow more people to store more memories in less apace. Artists and family historians alike will enjoy this handy device for making life simpler. Have you been wondering about beverages for July Fourth? Bored with “the usual”? Or are you looking to support smaller businesses and craft beers as we emerge from the pandemic? Beer fans in Maryland have some fun choices to pair with the cookouts, from appetizer time through dessert, and to drink while taking in fireworks or baseball on television as we stay safe.
Hop Valley Bubble Stash hails from Oregon. It can be hard to find in some areas but is worth the look for those who enjoy IPA. This brew presents a very hop forward taste at first and finishes with a grapefruit essential oil flavor. Bubble Stash would pair well with greasy or grilled food like burgers and fries or sausage and chips. Flying Dog Zen Blaster Active Ale clocks in at 90 calories and 1.5 carbs. These statistics make it Flying Dog’s answer to light beer without the light beer taste. Zen Blaster contains actual ale flavors without feeling watered down. It would be great for watching the game (or other TV) or having something to drink while cooking as well as for those who prefer to drink a lighter beverage with any food item. In Flying Dog Tropical Bitch IPA, Ragin’ Bitch meets the fruit bowl. Tropical Bitch presents as very citrusy, with overtones of grapefruit essential oils. It refreshes both the palate and the mind. Pair this one with tuna sandwiches, grilled foods, or drink it on its own any time. Flying Dog calls its Saltwater Taffy IPA a “childhood taste for the grown up” on Instagram. In spite of the billing, it does not taste massively sweet like the treat it is named for, Dolle’s saltwater taffy. The original candy by this name hails from the beaches of the Mid-Atlantic region, but the beer shows more of a citrusy, barely-there taffy flavor while evoking the memory of chewing taffy. This beer is great for unwinding at night’s end or drinking with anything from pretzels and grilled foods to cheesecake, but not overly sweet or chocolate desserts. Thus, no matter what one’s motivation may be, new beers abound. Small craft brewers provide the best options for the curious and the bored alike. Hops keep it beer while other flavors join the party to bring the fun of new tastes. Even those who prefer lighter beer but seek flavor an find their happy places in small batch brews. Whether we choose to cook out, watch fireworks or baseball, or simply hang out with like-minded folks, the beer world offers something for everyone. Over the first half of 2021, my husband and I have found several new drinks. We’d like to share the recommendations with readers this week as many prepare to celebrate. Whether your gathering is large, small, or in-between, for dad, grad, or a wedding, many flavors await the drinker’s discovery. The flavors cover everything from appetizers or a televised ballgame to dessert. We travel from fruity to milky and chocolatey stout, with several in between. I have arranged them here in order of brewery and lightness of the style, not by any preference.
Flying Dog Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita Gose represents a style I had not encountered before. This contains mostly strawberry flavor but does not come across the palate as too sweet. Subtle hints of jalapeno pepper keep the sweetness to a nice level and remind consumers of Cinco de mayo parties. One can drink this by itself or with Mexican-inspired foods. Flying Dog Tropical Bitch comes labelled as Belgian IPA. It remains true to its stylistic roots in flavor. However, it also integrates undertones of mango and other fruit, making it wonderful with pastry or light foods. Flying Dog Kulture King Imperial Hazy IPA sounds like a lot to digest from one bottle. In spite of the long wording, it presents as a great hybrid of the styles mentioned on the label. Kulture King sticks to the roots of a hazy IPA very well by not using fruit undertones not. This brew would do well on its own as liquid accompaniment to sports or with sandwiches and salads for lunch. Troeg’s Field Study calls itself an IPA. It comes with fruit overtones, reminding me of a shandy style. The fruit factor [resents as citrus forward. It would be refreshing for a hot day or with light foods, perhaps fruit-forward desserts. Troegs Grand Cacao tastes like dessert in a bottle. It brings in coffee and chocolate undertones, without becoming as overpowering as chocolate beers can be. One could use this as drinkable dessert after a heavy meal or as accompaniment to chocolate or espresso flavored desserts. Others might prefer it alongside a bowl of berries in spring. Fordham Dominion Oak Barrel Stout reminded me of several concepts. It has a slight milk stout flavor, which presents as thick and rich. This beer appears to have likely resided in the barrel before Jameson Stout aged whiskey in terms of flavor for those familiar with the whiskey. This could balance out either chocolate or overly fruity flavors in a dish or stand in for dessert on its own. Southern Tier 2X Stout gives quite the combination of flavors. It feels thick and rich. The creamy undertones present a slight cream soda flavor for those seeking some nostalgia. With the small vanilla flavor, this beer would pair well with cream pies or ice cream-based dessert, or on its own as a wind-down drink at night’s end. Thus, taking a visit to the beer section of a local store can yield more than meets the eye. New flavors and combinations can be consumed alone or with food, including dessert. Whether one is thirsty or needs a clever gift, beer can fill the bill. 4 medium bell peppers, any color will do
8 oz leftover shaved beef 8 oz mixed mushrooms – we had gourmet blend from Misfits Market 6 oz red wine 8 oz shredded taco or Mexican blend cheese Saute the mushrooms in 2Tbsp olive oil, add leftover shaved beef to warm it (ours was taco style) and red wine for flavor. Cut the tops off of and seed bell peppers. Add meat mix, do not worry about cooling it first since this will be cooked right after assembly. Place steamer basket in Instant Pot over 1 cup water. Place peppers in steamer basket, which likely will be crowded. Seal and cook using the steam setting. When the Instant Pot beeps, the food is ready. Be careful, as the peppers, when properly cooked, will want to cave in as they are removed with tongs from the Pot. Notes: If you have a favorite color of bell pepper or type of mushroom handy, use that. We prefer orange bell peppers for their sweetness, but in this case, used green ones that were beginning to change colors in the fridge. As noted in the recipe, we used up the Gourmet Blend mushrooms we had, but would have used whatever kind was on sale had we needed to visit the store. Any red wine blend will do. Don’t worry about it being terribly expensive since the fruity background provides the flavor while you cook out the alcohol. Leftovers from dinner the day before or anything on sale will work. I usually look for the wines that would taste good in tomato-based dishes for this dish since the spice level resembles a mild chili. Shaved chicken or pork work nicely here, too, if your family prefers one of those to shaved steak. I would even imagine pulled pork or chicken, or any ground protein would work as well. In my local store, the shaved beef or chicken tends to come in with the most economical price. As on taco night, feel free to leave a toppings bar near where you serve the dish. The peppers work best served in bowls, as they did steam in the Instant Pot. Toppings-wise, some folks may like to add a bit of salsa, hot sauce or peppers, or some sour cream on top. The peppers also work without extra toppings, particularly for a quick meal. Following up on the Month of Women’s History,
Why don’t we All try to learn from the Month of Poetry Some new devices from the world literary Providing us a new dimension And method of Self-expression Which could bring us attention From a new and unexpected direction? After all, finding a state of rhythm and rhyme Can bring the creative person a musically good time Or bring about emotions from rough to truly sublime Whether auditory, visual or a simple near-rhyme One chooses to employ In sharing love, turmoil, or pure joy. Poets can write in the epic form of ancient Greece, Or in stream of consciousness to create inner peace, Take the forma conventions like couplets and iambic pentameter of Shakespeare, Or provide words for friends and lovers to hear. Some modern poets take on performance and slam, While others set theirs to music and jam. In poetry, pretty much anything goes, So for at least April, let’s put down that prose! Before we close the book on the Month of Women’s History,
Let’s take a moment to remember Beverly Cleary, The wonderful author lady Who helped children aplenty Discover their need To grab a short novel to read. Some used the great works as the base of a book report, While others read them just for sport Because teachers and parents all agree That the works of Madam Cleary Can feed a child’s mind When they otherwise would find Less productive things to do with the time Than see how life has its own rhythm and rhyme That even come to the fore in prose, Especially that meant to help children get close With literature during the years in which they grow Into smart folks whose words can truly flow From brain to mouth or page Or even acted out on the stage. Beverly Cleary, master of “Write what you know,” Exemplifies how to show Literature as both craft and art, An excellent linguistic place to start Learning ways to share Words of wisdom, love, and care. Where Ramona, Beezus, Ralph, and Henry teach us to treasure The simple act of reading for pleasure, Including many kids like me, So my hat’s off to Beverly Cleary. Wow, it’s Women’s History Month. How can people join in and celebrate, regardless of how they identify? Honestly, women abound throughout history in ways that each person can celebrate differently. World history, from ancient times to our own, provides many women for us to learn from. Their lessons, whether fictional or rooted in the real world, inform everyone. Where can we begin looking for these ideas?
In these ways, and many more, everyone can join in celebrating women. We can cook recipes from books, on television, and from family history to eat. We can serve these while watching films and television by or about women. Why not start either there or with a good book by or about a favorite woman and expand all our horizons about the world? Women plus math equals what? For most of us, the very people teaching the subject in our formative years. Some may know stories such as Hidden Figures, about women who applied math to their work. But if we never understood the subject, what can we do?
Many ignore math after school or use it as a tool as in cooking. Enter Eugenia Cheng, the Scientist I'm Residence at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. She holds a PhD in math, making her perfect to explain the subject for the rest of us. In How to Bake , Professor Cheng uses examples from the kitchen, the arts, and pop culture to explain mathematical concepts for those who learn by relating one idea to another. Each chapter begins with a recipe, which she uses to jump off into the math of how the cookery happens. From there, math facts take shape in many ways. The book begins with basic number theory, and winds its way through algebra, geometry, and the basics of higher math. It goes into how logic applies to math and the supposedly advanced concept of category theory to tie things together. However, How to Bake π covers this in such a way that the category theory becomes the basic logic of math. Using the idea in this way allows artists, cooks, and other non-theoretical math people to grasp the other mathematical concepts. For this reason, the book needs to be added to curricula from pre=algebra classes to college math. After reading this work, I find myself convinced that many school systems, at least in Western society, teach math inside out, which confuses learners at any age. As Professor Cheng notes several times throughout the book, students need to be encouraged to ask not only how math works, but why it does. The theories and equations found in properly taught math help humanity solve problems in a beyond the classroom. After all, the “why” questions help people relate concepts to reality. Often, this helps the ideas stick and become applicable for other life situations, such as engineering a building, writing a symphony, or baking a cake. When humans apply lessons to life, we require less time to internalize them and make sense of the world. Then, we can learn more and become more informed so we can in turn inform others, as parents and teachers do for children. After enough cycles repeating this loop, the world functions more smoothly regardless of whether humans see themselves as “woman,” “man,” or any sort of other descriptive term. Thus, the book How to Bake π, by Eugenia Cheng, gives humanity a great way to synthesize math. The book makes the often-elusive subject apply to everyone. Cooks, artists, and even those who use math in their work, can learn new techniques and applications in this book. Students, parents, and teaches alike can find new hints for learning math despite the density of information the tome contains. I highly recommend this to anyone confused by math and its concepts. Welcome to Women’s History Month! Wait a minute…. that says Socks up there. Where are the women? To kick off the month, I will review women’s socks from the Hidden Comments company. One can find these at http://www.hiddencomments.com. Why buy these instead of other socks?
Firstly, these socks feature cheeky comments, often in bright colors. For example, my first pair says, “Normal people scare me.” After many years of being caller weird, strange, nerdy, and all measure of words for simply being different, I found that comment hilarious. The most recent addition to the collection reads, “I survived 2020” as homage to the pandemic we have all faced. While some socks, such as the ones I own, come in black and white, many feature bold shades of blue and magenta. Bothe the feature color and saying can easily hide under a pants leg for those seeking a measure of modesty but wanting to feel comical. Secondly, those who love the environment would love the socks. Hidden Comments makes them from bamboo, a relatively new fiber to many. As I read on their website, bamboo grows back from the root as it is harvested. This lessens the need to replant the same species on the same land. In turn, the farm requires less land in which to grow the bamboo since it does not require a fallow field between seasons as other plants do. Regrowing from the same root means that as long as the sold receives the proper nutrients by either nature or fertilizer, the plants can stay in the same area. If the farmer acquires more land, more fields can be planted to add onto the supply. On the health front, socks from the resulting fabric provide several key benefits. Bamboo can help regulate a person’s temperature. They wick away moisture to keep the feet dry and fresh in a soft fabric. Both properties assist a woman in menopause. At times of the infamous hot flashes, the temperature regulation and moisture wicking help the woman cool down. In addition, bamboo provides a hypoallergenic and antimicrobial pair of socks to better promote good health for the wearer. These ideas also help people stay comfortable in warmer weather. Thus, as http://www.hiddencomments.com states, bamboo socks provide many benefits for people. Both humanity and the environment win. The socks give cheeky comments and colors their places in any outfit a person makes with them in any weather. This makes the socks worth their prices for anyone seeking a new fashion accessory. |
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