Friday, September 25, 2009
Reasons to feel good about your life
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Cure for H1N1

Star anise
Star anise fruits (Illicium verum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Austrobaileyales
Family: Illiciaceae
Genus: Illicium
Species: I. verum
Binomial name
Illicium verum
Hook.f.
Star anise, star aniseed, badiane or Chinese star anise, (Chinese: __, pinyin: bājiǎo, lit. "eighthorn";
Malayalam: _______) is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from
the star‐shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine, in Indian cuisine where it is a major component of garam masala, and in Malay–Indonesian cuisine. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditional five‐spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major ingredient in the making of ph, a Vietnamese noodle soup. It is used as a spice in preparation of Biryani in Andhra Pradesh, a state of southern India. In Marathi, it is called BarDan which literally means "spice with twelve seeds".
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Austrobaileyales
Family: Illiciaceae
Genus: Illicium
Species: I. verum
Binomial name
Illicium verum
Hook.f.
Star anise, star aniseed, badiane or Chinese star anise, (Chinese: __, pinyin: bājiǎo, lit. "eighthorn";
Malayalam: _______) is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from
the star‐shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine, in Indian cuisine where it is a major component of garam masala, and in Malay–Indonesian cuisine. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditional five‐spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major ingredient in the making of ph, a Vietnamese noodle soup. It is used as a spice in preparation of Biryani in Andhra Pradesh, a state of southern India. In Marathi, it is called BarDan which literally means "spice with twelve seeds".
Usages
Star anise contains anethole, the same ingredient which gives the unrelated anise its flavor. Recently, star anise has come into use in the West as a less expensive substitute for anise in baking as well as in liquor production, most distinctively in the production of the liquor Galliano. It is also used in the production of Sambuca, pastis, and many types of absinthe.
Medicinal uses
Star anise has been used in a tea as a remedy for rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion. As a warm and moving herb, Ba Jiao is used to assist in relieving cold‐stagnation in the middle jiao, according to TCM. Shikimic acid, a primary feedstock used to create the anti‐flu drug Tamiflu, is produced by most autotrophic organisms, but star anise is the industrial source. In 2005, there was a temporary shortage of star anise due to its use in making Tamiflu. Late in that year, a way was found of making shikimic acid artificially. Roche now derives some of the raw material it needs from fermenting E. coli bacteria. The 2009 swine flu (H1N1) outbreak led to another series of shortages as stocks of Tamiflu were built up around the world, sending prices soaring.[1]
Star anise is grown in four provinces in China and harvested between March and May. Its also found in the south of New South Wales. The shikimic acid is extracted from the seeds in a tenstage manufacturing process which takes a year. Reports say 90% of the harvest is already used by the Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche in making Tamiflu, but other reports say there is an abundance of the spice in the main regions ‐ Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and
Yunnan.
Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is highly toxic (due to containing sikimitoxin); instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan. Cases of illness, including "serious neurological effects, such as seizures", reported after using star anise tea may be a result of using this species. Japanese star anise contains anisatin, which causes severe inflammation of the kidneys, urinary tract and digestive organs.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Basic guide to body language

However, it is best to be careful in doing and interpreting body language. Not everyone is comfortable with intimate body movements like being too close or touching his arm. For instance, if you lean too close to a guy, he might think your are overly aggressive or invading his space. In case he becomes queasy about it, apologize and put an ample distance between the two of you. At least that would give him a signal that you are sincere and caring.
He has good eye contact – Looking at another guy's eyes is one of the easiest ways to check if he is interested in you. If his eyes look friendly and show sincerity to you, then getting along with him won't be much of a problem.
His legs are slightly apart – Like straight men, gay men tend to make themselves attractive to other guys through their body positions. Putting their legs slightly apart make them appear taller, hotter, and more attractive. If he does this to you, then he is probably trying to catch your attention. You could probably even take a little peek downward if he's trying to show off his package. He twirls his hair – You may think it's a girl thing, but combing his hair (especially above the ear) using his fingers is a sign of attraction. If he tries to twirl your hair gently, then let him do so.
His smile is wide open – You cannot fake a good smile. If the guy smiles widely, even showing the laugh lines or crow's feet if the guy's a bit more mature, then he has genuine fascination or attraction for you. Some guys would even smile to show their dimples.
Guys often resort to cheesy pick up lines or conventional dating strategies to get them through meeting women. They are often unsuccessful since they have missed on acquiring the most efficient ways on how to read their body language. The solution lies on how well you can read her reaction to the things you've said while engaging in a conversation.Women consciously try to conceal their responses and resorts to backing off when confronted with men who appear to be too aggressive or too weird, but on the other hand extend their flirting signals to men they find appealing.
Hair patting - A woman somehow feels unsure of herself when faced with a man she's interested in and would try to touch or fix her hair in a casual manner to see if it's still neatly in place and it doesn't get in your view of her face.
Her posture - When she suddenly mantains an upright posture and tries to check you underhandedly, this means you got her attention. She pushes her hair on the back or sides and has her toes pointing your way when she crosses her legs. It's your cue to approach her.Both raised eyebrows - A woman's eyebrows can disclose much of what she feels. Both her eyebrows raised when looking towards you spells her curiosity. When only one eyebrow is arched, it may mean that she's examining you still but the attraction has yet to exist.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The challenge of the Qur'an


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