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10-11-2007 03:53 AM
The man who invented The Book of Stone has passed, a few days before his 41st birthday.
He was once one of my closest friends, and although time and geography have seperated us in recent years, his loss is still acute.
Mutante Reese, born Scott Thorne, you left us too soon. If the Valkaries have not already carried you to Valhalla, they will have to answer to me. And Woden knows there is no braver warrior than one fueled by alcohol and grief.
The man who invented The Book of Stone has passed, a few days before his 41st birthday.
He was once one of my closest friends, and although time and geography have seperated us in recent years, his loss is still acute.
Mutante Reese, born Scott Thorne, you left us too soon. If the Valkaries have not already carried you to Valhalla, they will have to answer to me. And Woden knows there is no braver warrior than one fueled by alcohol and grief.
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08-26-2007 04:32 AM
This dream may have been triggered by last night's post, or it may have been my body signaling that the herbs are finally making a significant effect, but last night I saw myself filling dozens of small clay jars with Seratonin. The jars were becoming full.
This dream may have been triggered by last night's post, or it may have been my body signaling that the herbs are finally making a significant effect, but last night I saw myself filling dozens of small clay jars with Seratonin. The jars were becoming full.
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08-24-2007 06:07 AM
Please note: I am not a doctor. I am a bartender. Any advice I give
regarding anything but mixing a cocktail should be taken as hearsay,
and the advice of a bartender who is not a doctor.
I have various sleep issues, and find that I benefit from three herbal supplements.
Melatonin helps me to fall asleep more quickly. I take about 6mg
nightly, but half that dose can be effective. I take it about half an
hour before I want to lay down, and it seems to help me nod off much
more rapidly by causing extreme drowsiness. It is good for resetting
your circadian clock if you move across time zones (jet lag) or if you
simply have trouble entering deep sleep. You shouldn't use Melatonin
nightly for more than a month without taking a one week break. It also
doesn't mix well with alcohol, so if you are a drinker, either curtail
your intake while on Melatonin, or don't take the supplement at all.
Valerian root and Kava Kava are the other two supplements which I take
nightly for insomnia. They have complementary effects, and seem to
potentiate each other, but each can cause side effects, so I suggest
introducing them one at a time before attempting to combine them.
Valerian root is an herbal sedative which not only calms anxiety, but
also seems to intensify dreams and dream retention. Its effect is less
a drowsy sedation, and more a soothing calm. It is available in very
low doses in herbal teas, such as Celestial Seasons SleepyTime Plus,
and this can be a pleasant way to relax at any time of day. I keep
some Valarian tea with me at work for stressful situations.
Valerian can also be purchased in capsules, or as a powder in herbalist
shoppes. I take 1500 mg nightly, and sometimes will take a similar
dose if anxiety becomes a problem during the day. Valerian has fewer
side effects than Kava Kava, so if you want to add it to your rotation,
try it first. It also seems to have fewer deleterious cross-reactions
with alcohol than other sedatives do, though mixing sedatives with
alcohol is never a good idea.
Kava Kava is one of the first "dream supplements" I ever tried. Like
Valerian, it seems to intensify dreams and dream retention. It is
available as a tea, capsule, or powder, just as is Valerian. It seems
to act more a stimulant physically, and side-effects are more
pronounced and akin to stimulant side-effects...sweating, nervousness,
and increased heart-rate/blood-pressure can be common, though
side-effects can diminish and reverse with consistent use.
Please note: I am not a doctor. I am a bartender. Any advice I give
regarding anything but mixing a cocktail should be taken as hearsay,
and the advice of a bartender who is not a doctor.
I have various sleep issues, and find that I benefit from three herbal supplements.
Melatonin helps me to fall asleep more quickly. I take about 6mg
nightly, but half that dose can be effective. I take it about half an
hour before I want to lay down, and it seems to help me nod off much
more rapidly by causing extreme drowsiness. It is good for resetting
your circadian clock if you move across time zones (jet lag) or if you
simply have trouble entering deep sleep. You shouldn't use Melatonin
nightly for more than a month without taking a one week break. It also
doesn't mix well with alcohol, so if you are a drinker, either curtail
your intake while on Melatonin, or don't take the supplement at all.
Valerian root and Kava Kava are the other two supplements which I take
nightly for insomnia. They have complementary effects, and seem to
potentiate each other, but each can cause side effects, so I suggest
introducing them one at a time before attempting to combine them.
Valerian root is an herbal sedative which not only calms anxiety, but
also seems to intensify dreams and dream retention. Its effect is less
a drowsy sedation, and more a soothing calm. It is available in very
low doses in herbal teas, such as Celestial Seasons SleepyTime Plus,
and this can be a pleasant way to relax at any time of day. I keep
some Valarian tea with me at work for stressful situations.
Valerian can also be purchased in capsules, or as a powder in herbalist
shoppes. I take 1500 mg nightly, and sometimes will take a similar
dose if anxiety becomes a problem during the day. Valerian has fewer
side effects than Kava Kava, so if you want to add it to your rotation,
try it first. It also seems to have fewer deleterious cross-reactions
with alcohol than other sedatives do, though mixing sedatives with
alcohol is never a good idea.
Kava Kava is one of the first "dream supplements" I ever tried. Like
Valerian, it seems to intensify dreams and dream retention. It is
available as a tea, capsule, or powder, just as is Valerian. It seems
to act more a stimulant physically, and side-effects are more
pronounced and akin to stimulant side-effects...sweating, nervousness,
and increased heart-rate/blood-pressure can be common, though
side-effects can diminish and reverse with consistent use.
0 Comments
08-23-2007 05:50 AM
I like pirates.
I like spiced rums. Okay, truth be told, I like liquor in most every form, but today, I like spiced rums.
I like how they are named. Pick a nautical career. Pick a proper name.
You have yourself a brand of spiced rum. Captain Morgan. Admiral
Nelson. Sailor Jerry. Lighthouse Pete.
I like the historic aura they cast. When I drink spiced rum, I am
a pirate. One of my friends makes a fair living dressing as Captain
Morgan and visiting bars. He was also an extra in one of the Pirates of the Carribean movies. When I drink spiced rum, I look more like him.
I like the names of cocktails made with spiced rum. Although I mention
Captain Morgan's in these recipes, it is mostly for pun value.
Substitute your favorite spiced rum freely in place of the Captain.
Quoting "Gentle's Secret Recipe Book":
I like the vanilla flavour of Captain Morgan. I like that Admiral
Nelson outranks the Captain, but costs less. I like the 22 extra proof
and more complex flavour of Sailor Jerry. I like that spiced rums mix
well with almost anything you have in the 'fridge, but that it also has
more than enough character to stand up neat and salute.
Ahoy! Pirates!
I like pirates.
I like spiced rums. Okay, truth be told, I like liquor in most every form, but today, I like spiced rums.
I like how they are named. Pick a nautical career. Pick a proper name.
You have yourself a brand of spiced rum. Captain Morgan. Admiral
Nelson. Sailor Jerry. Lighthouse Pete.
I like the historic aura they cast. When I drink spiced rum, I am
a pirate. One of my friends makes a fair living dressing as Captain
Morgan and visiting bars. He was also an extra in one of the Pirates of the Carribean movies. When I drink spiced rum, I look more like him.
I like the names of cocktails made with spiced rum. Although I mention
Captain Morgan's in these recipes, it is mostly for pun value.
Substitute your favorite spiced rum freely in place of the Captain.
Quoting "Gentle's Secret Recipe Book":
Captain and Tennille (Captain Morgan's and iced tea)
Happy Skipper (The Captain and Ginger...think about it)
Blackbeard (Captain, root-beer schnapps, and Coke)
Dances with Wenches (Captain and cranberry)
Liquid Marijuana (Captain, blue Curacao, coconut rum, melon liquor, pinapple and sour mix)
Walk the Plank (Captain, coconut rum, white rum, and Sprite)
Titanic (Captain on the rocks)
Happy Skipper (The Captain and Ginger...think about it)
Blackbeard (Captain, root-beer schnapps, and Coke)
Dances with Wenches (Captain and cranberry)
Liquid Marijuana (Captain, blue Curacao, coconut rum, melon liquor, pinapple and sour mix)
Walk the Plank (Captain, coconut rum, white rum, and Sprite)
Titanic (Captain on the rocks)
I like the vanilla flavour of Captain Morgan. I like that Admiral
Nelson outranks the Captain, but costs less. I like the 22 extra proof
and more complex flavour of Sailor Jerry. I like that spiced rums mix
well with almost anything you have in the 'fridge, but that it also has
more than enough character to stand up neat and salute.
Ahoy! Pirates!
08-21-2007 08:41 AM
When we were very young, our yard was the arena of every outdoor game.
Thank you, father, for your dedication to maintaining our soccer-field, our capture-the-flag-field, our freeze-tag-and-red-rover-field.
How we learned these games I do not remember. I remember playing them, and I remember the weighted rollers, the amazingly complex mowers and string trimmers and edgers. I remember the laughter and the mobs of children gathered on grass cut so short it seemed like Astroturf. I remember that it was you who gifted this to us, unflinching when your country-club-greens were torn by size-three-sneakers as we set oh-so-local records, forgotten now by all but a very select few.
When we were very young, our yard was the arena of every outdoor game.
Thank you, father, for your dedication to maintaining our soccer-field, our capture-the-flag-field, our freeze-tag-and-red-rover-field.
How we learned these games I do not remember. I remember playing them, and I remember the weighted rollers, the amazingly complex mowers and string trimmers and edgers. I remember the laughter and the mobs of children gathered on grass cut so short it seemed like Astroturf. I remember that it was you who gifted this to us, unflinching when your country-club-greens were torn by size-three-sneakers as we set oh-so-local records, forgotten now by all but a very select few.
0 Comments
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