I crawl out from my hiding place to note that Digable Planets are touring, widely this time, and will be in Austin in June. I feel younger already.
First in a series of German things I miss: my A-number-one cure for coughy chest colds is these little capsules. They're full of homeopathic herbal goodness and they work like the dickens to clear out your breathing. And they have the wonderful byproduct of a very very faint but pleasant pineyminty flavor that seems to come right from your breath. Not superficial like a breathmint, but something deeper. I love it. Wish I could get them here; I have to horde them.
[This isn't meant to be an ad or anything, but if you want, here's the manufacturer's page.]