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July 20th, 1969
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the U.S. safely lands a crew of three on the surface of the moon. It was 37 years ago but it is still so thrilling. |
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Star anise
A spice from the fruit of certain Chinese evergreens. It's called star anise because of the fruit's star shape and its similarity in flavor to regular anise, which is the main ingredient in absinthe.
It has some medicinal properties, too. It's one of the main ingredients in Tamilflu, a preferred treatment for curbing the effects of bird flu. It's also believed to help colic and rheumatism. On the other hand, the United States Food & Drug Administration recently warned that teas made with star anise can cause "serious neurological effects, such as seizures."
Ordinary star anise is harvested in China. There is also a Japanese variety which is extremely toxic and normally used just as incense. |
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My birthday present to my sister was taking her to see Camera Obscura. But I've also discovered something new! My favorite song of theirs, "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken," is actually a response to Lloyd Cole's "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?" |
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From space the Earth can shine like the moon, because it reflects sunlight in the same way. |
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Pholcus phalangioides
One of the most common household spiders. It's better known as "daddy long-legs." Likes to hang upside-down in its web, which it uses more for residence than hunting. It will eat any insect, including its own kind when food becomes scarce. |
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