Column

One of the joys of my work is the opportunity to read new articles each month about a variety of topics. I look forward to learning new things and the fact that all of our writers are passionate about their particular area of interest ensures that I always enjoy what they have to say.

It doesn’t matter whether I am reading the latest automotive review in Passing Lane by Charles Donaldson, a stock market forecast by Damien Couture in Market Watch, or about the history of Jazz in Dr. Anderson’s Notes on Key music column, I always find much to appreciate.

Apart from the subject matter, the quality of the writing makes all of our columnists’ work a pleasure to read—something equally valid whether it is Paul Hirsch writing about the Giants in Off the Bench or Peggy Fallon offering up a new recipe for apricot pie in Market Fresh.

From time to time, all our writers inject a bit of humor into their articles but over the past five-plus years it has been the responsibility of Michael Copeland to poke our readers in the ribs every month. If you follow Mike’s column, you know that feeling of anticipation as you wonder what smile-evoking spin Michael has placed on some otherwise common-place topic.

While many of our writers, including Peggy Fallon, Bob Fish, Trina Swerdlow and Anita Venezia are accomplished authors, we are excited to announce the addition this month of yet another ALIVE columnist to that list — our own Michael Copeland — with the publishing of his book, ALIVE & Kickin’: Sideways Views from an Upright Guy.

As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s issue of ALIVE — and if you yearn for more rib pokin’, be sure to order a copy of ALIVE & Kickin’, too!

Crossing a street can be a simple act of meandering from one curb to the next, or it can become a dangerous game of defiance. Now we who live here in the somewhat civilized United States expect a certain measure of courtesy from our compatriots who travel on the highways and byways in various-shaped vehicles. Whether the road traveler is on a bicycle or in a huge overblown SUV, we assume the driver is aware and will not run us down. There are certain rules – actually laws – which we expect others to abide by. The pedestrian has the right of way in a crosswalk. When the traffic light is red, the cars are to stop. Bumpers over the limit line are in violation. These are a few of the standards we hope everyone will follow. Mostly true here in the United States. But, alas, not always the case when we take our expectations abroad.

One of the variations which continues to put me in harms way occurs in the most civilized nation in Europe – England.

You see, when we ceded from English rule, or at least some years thereafter, we in the United States decided to drive on the right side of the road as opposed to the English style of driving on the left. We grew up looking left as we ventured out into a traffic lane. This error could land you on a bumper in London. Thank heavens for all those red painted warnings at most crosswalks that say “Look Right.” The life you save may be your own.

Another area which can be classified as the high risk area for pedestrians is India. This country has never fully accepted the precept that roads are for cars and trucks. I have no knowledge of what the actual laws consist of there, but by observation I have concluded that there are none. Here one is likely to find three cars traveling abreast in the same direction on a two lane road. Elephants and dancing bears can be seen intermixed with buses and trucks – all happily avoiding one another. The sight of a family of three – dad driving, mom behind, and baby in backpack – all helmetless on a motor bike is not an unusual scene. Trucks are painted in garish colors, presumably to frighten others. I often wonder how many pedestrian fatalities occur each busy weekend.

I have long suspected that the ignition key and the horn are directly connected in a number of countries. I will use Nepal as my example. As soon as a vehicle begins to move, the horn commences to toot. I doubt if it serves a purpose, because it has become so commonplace that it is totally ignored. Taxis race toward an intersection each warning the approaching target of their preemptive rights to the crossroad. Although slight scrapes on front fenders are commonplace, there is almost always a chicken and always a winner. But, pedestrians beware – the horn blows, and it blows for you.

Italian drivers have an interesting courtesy. If you dart out on a busy street without giving the “arm in the air signal” they will bowl you over. But if you abide by this rule, they will probably stop or at least politely avoid you as you cross a boulevard. Now what is especially strange about this is that no one, as far as I know, pays any attention to the red, yellow, and green traffic lights. Drivers totally ignore these mechanical signals. But let a pedestrian raise an arm and step off a curb, and the busy flow comes to a halt and respects this lone, vulnerable soul.

I could go on and on philosophizing on these “foreign to us” customs. We could discuss the policy of round-abouts, unusual traffic signs, and the speed limit on the autobahn. But, alas, my dead line approaches and I must leave these other topics for some later issue. Until then, I urge you to be cautious on the highways of the world. Your trip to the airport may be more hazardous than your flight.

 

Summer is here and so is the desire to get rid of my winter-infused white skin tone. It’s time to cut loose and get fancy-free with the wind in my hair, and the sun’s warmth on my skin as I cruise from meeting to meeting. At the same time, having the confidence of knowing you are driving a vehicle from a manufacturer with a reputation for providing the highest levels of safety, just helps make the ride much more enjoyable. Where can you find this combination of characteristics? Try the 2012 Volvo C70.

The 2012 Volvo C70 is a beautiful luxury hardtop convertible with flowing lines. With the push of a button, in just 30-seconds, the C70 transforms from the safety of a hardtop coupe to an open-air convertible. The C70 seats four in luxury and comfort.

What’s new for 2012 includes Bluetooth with audio streaming capability, a new smartphone application featuring concierge, and available LED daytime running lights. The 2012 C70 comes in one model, T5 ($40,450), and five major packages: Climate Package ($1,000), Dynamic Package ($1,000), Inscription Package ($3,900), Platinum Package ($3,600) and Premier Plus Package ($1,000).

The three-piece C70 coupe roofline was developed in Italy by Pininfarina. The profile of the C70 reflects the aggressive styling of a coupe. Sweeping A-pillars, flowing lines, and enlarged wheel-wells create a strong presence. With the top down, the silhouette morphs into a stylish up-scale roadster. The rear shoulders cascade into the tail lights and raise up to meet the truck lid, adding an up-scale image.

The interior is handsome and dressed in high-quality fabrics. The cabin features ergonomically designed front bucket seats that are extremely comfortable. They slide forward with the touch of a button to ease the entry and exiting of occupants to the rear seats, which accommodate two passengers.

The dash and instrument panel are clean and simple to use. A navigation screen rises up from the center of the dash. The C70 has Volvo’s flat-panel center stack that is extremely thin and has a small storage area behind it. The C70 has lockable storage compartments in the cabin area, which are quite beneficial when the top is down.

The 2012 Volvo C70 is made for highway cruising verses high performance. My guess is that the C70 is catering to the more conservative driver looking for style, luxury, and safety. It doesn’t accelerate as quickly as say, a BMW 3-series convertible; however, at freeway speeds it purrs just fine. Handling is light and confident with precise electric power steering.

The 2012 C70 is front-wheel drive and is powered by the proven 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine that delivers 227 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque on the T5 model. The Inscription trim package boosts the horsepower to 250 and torque to 273 lb-ft. Both versions of the 2.5-liter engine are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. (It surprises me that the C70 hasn’t upgraded to at least a six-speed automatic transmission which would help increase its fuel mileage).
Room for improvement:

• The performance could be somewhat enhanced

Cool Features:

• Smart Key feature
• Rollover Protection System with pop-up roll bar
• Side mirrors automatically fold in when car is turned off

The standard safety equipment for the 2012 Volvo C70 includes: front airbags, side airbags in front, and head-protection air curtains that activate upward from the doors even with the windows rolled down. Electronic stability control with traction control, antilock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake Assistance, and a tire-pressure monitoring system, rounds out these features. Volvo offers an optional blind-spot information warning system and rear park assist.

In Summary – The 2012 Volvo C70 is a beautifully crafted car delivering the duel convenience of being a hardtop coupe and a luxury convertible. There may be other vehicles faster off the line, but if that isn’t a concern for you, then I suspect you will be happy with the acceleration of the C70. The C70 is quiet, comfortable, and very sophisticated. Inside and out the C70 is built with high-quality materials including aluminum trim and sculpted wood. You won’t find another convertible in its class that can compete with the variety of safety features equipped in the C70.

Specifications
2012 Volvo C70 Inscription

Base price: $40,450 as driven: $51,570 (including destination and optional packages)
Engine: 2.5-Liter 5 cylinder turbocharged
Horsepower: 250 @ 5000
Torque: 273 foot pounds @ 1500-4800
Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic
Drive: Front-Wheel Drive
Seating: 4-passenger
Turning circle: 38.7 feet
Cargo space: 12.8 cubic feet
Curb weight: 3,627 pounds
Fuel capacity: 16.4 gallons
EPA mileage: City 18 / Highway 28
Wheel Base: 103.9 inches
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper
Also consider: Acura TT, BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS, and Volkswagen Eos

The fireplace is the heart of the home and should be designed as such. It brings warmth to the room and everyone is drawn to the fire for intimate, comfortable conversation. The TV is mounted above it in the Family Room; the family portrait is hung above it in the Living Room; the furniture is placed in front of it. A well designed fireplace surround is important to the look and feel of the room. A dated brick surround can be updated by mudding over the brick to create a smooth texture, or the brick can be torn out to create a completely different look. For a more contemporary look, use large horizontal rectangular tiles on the face of the fireplace to add drama and interest. Raise the hearth for a more comfortable sitting height or for the rustic cabin look, throw some pillows on the ledge for a welcoming additional seating area in a Family or Living Room. Lowering the hearth so it is flush with the floor can open up a small room and leave more space for chairs and ottomans.

Firebox doors can be changed to create a larger opening with more glass, which will let the beautiful glow of a fire into the room. There are many options for the finish, oil rubbed bronze, antique gold, or nickel to name a few. Decorative mantels are created to draw the eye to the focal point of the room and can be made from cast stone, carved wood, or metal. Creating a new mantel gives you a chance to get more depth and space to showcase candlesticks or family heirlooms.

Stone, tile, granite, faux finished materials are all great options for the face of a fireplace wall. Nothing draws attention to a grand fireplace wall better than a floor to ceiling decorative faux treatment. A designer will coordinate the flooring material with the mantel and fireplace surround material to fit in with your home and look as though it has been there for years.

According to numerous research studies the question – can music help relieve pain? is answered by an emphatic, yes! Experts have shown that music has great benefits for those with various kinds of pain.

Background
For hundreds of years professionals involved in health care have used music in some form to treat illness in both mind and body. These reports were basically of a nonscientific nature. However, scientific studies done in recent years have measured the benefits of treatments involving music.

Music Therapy
Because music can influence us both physiologically and psychologically it is receptive to treatment by trained music therapists. Music is an important area of therapy for stress management. Also biofeedback, guided imagery and other techniques play an important role in the treatment of people with stress-related disorders, according to Researcher, Jane Collingwood.

Recent Findings
“Listening to music can have a tremendous relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music,” wrote Collingwood in an article, The Power of Music to Reduce Stress. “This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure and decreasing the level of stress hormones.”

“In our hand therapy clinic at Webster Orthopedics in San Ramon, we select and play music that enhances the patient’s rehab experience and fosters a healing environment,” said Certified Hand Therapist, Deborah Vanderbilt-Anderson.* “Studies have substantiated the positive effects of music on chronic pain, pre and post-operative pain, as well as anxiety related to injury or illness,” said Vanderbilt-Anderson. “Some of our goals in working with pain management are to teach techniques to reduce muscle tension, reduce anxiety and stress, increase muscle control and improve breathing,” she explained. Techniques such as progressive neuromuscular relaxation (PNR), diaphragmatic breathing, visualization and biofeedback are all enhanced when playing light, soft music.

“Half an hour of music produced the same effects as 10 mgs. of Valium,” said Dr. Raymond Bahr of St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.

Dr. Sandra Siedlecki, of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, discovered that people in two music groups had a statistically significant effect over the control group that had no music exposure. The music groups had reduced pain, depression and disability and increasing feelings of power over their pain. The control group had no exposure to music thus did not experience the benefits of the two music groups.

Listening to music helps reduce pain by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain pathways thereby stimulating emotional response. Music, therefore, provides meaningful, intellectual and emotional engagement to help reduce pain.

“Music may have the most benefits for the anxiety-prone,” said Researcher, Denise Mann in a study, Music Can Ease Pain. “Engaging activities, like listening to music may be most effective for reducing pain for anxiety in persons who easily become absorbed in activities.” Researchers measured participant’s responses to pain via electrical activity in the brain, dilation of their pupils and other methods. These methods are considered more objective than self-reports about pain.

Listening to music is an excellent means of reducing stress and physical pain,” said Dr. Harris Mcllwain, in The Journal of Pain. Anahad O’Connor reports music exposure reduces pain responses. People who are anxious may find listening to music especially effective in helping to relieve pain.

There is almost universal agreement among researchers and pain management professionals that music can indeed help reduce pain in people who suffer from both mental and physical pain. Most professionals advocate that pain management treatment be under the guidance of trained professionals that are recognized experts in their field. This is not an area where amateurs should dabble.

There is a caveat however, not all people with varying kinds and degrees of pain will find relief listening to music. The positive side of the question is a significant percentage will find some real relief.

For people with chronic pain and distress – there is hope. There are many avenues for pain reduction or elimination. Music can be a source of non-drug intervention, the research says it can work – it may work for you – why not give it a try.

*The idea for this article was contributed by Deborah Vanderbilt-Anderson (MOTR/L, CHT) Certified Hand Therapist for Webster Orthopedics in San Ramon, CA.

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