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For all my myLot friends - I would like to share some advice that some of my friends on myLot told me about. I thought I'd share it with you, since it can really multiply your earnings on myLot. I have been informed that, when you post/reply to discussions, if you write at least six lines, you will be paid a higher amount for that, than if you were to just write one or two lines. If you can keep your sentences short, then six lines is not a lot ! So friends, try to keep this advice in mind for your future discussions and the money start to add up quicker than it was before.


Friday, February 27, 2009

Serious Psoriasis drug warning

    Psoriasis can be defined as a chronic, non-contagious auto immune disease which affects the skin and joints. It usually causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. Psoriasis is probably one of the longest known illnesses of humans and simultaneously one of the most misunderstood. Some scholars believe psoriasis to have been included among the skin conditions called Tzaraat in the Bible. It became known as Willan's lepra in the late 18th century when English dermatologists Robert Wilan and Thomas Bateman differentiated it from other skin diseases. They assigned names to the condition based on the appearance of lesions. Willan identified two categories: leprosa graecorum and psora leprosa.

    There can be substantial variation between individuals in the effectiveness of specific psoriasis treatments. Because of this, dermatologists often use a trial-and-error approach to finding the most appropriate treatment for their patient. The decision to employ a particular treatment is based on the type of Psoriasis, its location, extent and severity. The patient’s age, sex, quality of life, comorbidities and attitude toward risks associated with the treatment are also taken into consideration.

    There are many drugs out in the market which are used for the treatment of Psoriasis. Some medications have been found out to have some major negative side effects. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the Psoriasis drug Raptiva for a possible link to a rare, but often deadly, brain infection called Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML). At least two people have died and others may also have developed PML while taking Raptiva, made by Genentech. Raptiva has also been associated with meningitis, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, and other life-threatening infections.

    If you or your loved one is affected by the side effects of this Psoriasis medication, then you have every right to get legal consultation and get compensated for the damage done. The aggrieved person or their loved ones can seek advice and help by visiting http://www.youhaverights.com/dangerous-drugs/raptiva and Raptivapml for further information.

    Post?slot_id=33005&url=http%3a%2f%2fsocialspark Read more...

      It is spaghetti again tonight

        I really could not think of what to eat for dinner tonight. The idea of having some pasta dish had been floating around in my head ever since morning time, so I decide to give it a try. I stopped by Spencer’s Store at Fun Republic Mall and picked up a packed of plain spaghetti and a jar of Ragu sauce.

        Spaghetti by it self is never complete unless you have it with spaghetti sauce. There probably are a million different pasta sauces out there in the market that you really won't ever get bored with spaghetti. My personal favorite is Ragu sauce. Ragu makes the best spaghetti sauce in the market and makes the food come alive.

        Today I decided to get a bit creative with the pasta since I didn’t want to eat just plain noodles and sauce. So, as soon as it was boiled and rinsed with cold tap water, I set it aside for later. Put the frying pan on the stove and add a bit of oil. Adjust the flame to medium. Then I add Onions, Shimla Mirch (Green Peppers), Mushroom pieces, carrots to it and let it sauté a little, then I finally add diced tomatoes. The longer it cooks the better it gets and more delicious it gets. Finally when this mixture was ready I tossed the pasta in it and it was simply delicious.

        Sometimes when I am in the experimentation mode with pasta, I try a little variation of everything to get that little different taste. Sometimes I experiment with the sauce itself and it gives totally different taste also.

        I noticed that simply changing the noodle to a different size one gives a completely different taste. Even with the exact same sauce, a new noodle size makes it a whole new dish altogether.

        Try adding or taking away: Green Peppers, Onion, grated carrots, Thyme, Oregano, Chilli Flakes, Plain Garlic or roasted garlic, Olive oil and even the cheese you use on top (if any).

        In the past I had noticed that the best sauces are the really simple plain sauces at times. If you want to make it at home without any hassles try the following recipe. Take about 50 grams of butter and melt it in the frying pan, add 1/2 cup of olive oil (if it is available in your area), throw in some garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper and finally toss the spaghetti in it. Sprinkle it with some fresh grated cheese and it's simply fantastic. But these days, I simply don’t have the time so I just go for the ready made sauces.

        Pasta in various forms has always been one of my favourite dishes and more so in the last couple of years. Whenever possible, I prefer make spaghetti in different ways since it can be modified to suit the mood and the taste you want at any particular time. It helps to break the monotony that sets in from eating the same types of dishes over and over again. I haven’t got the hang of making the garlic bread with cheese topping yet. I always tend to screw it up somewhere along the way even though it seems to be one of the easier dishes. Next time I go shopping, I’ll try some different type of pasta and ready made sauce combination to try as many different types as possible. So, how creative are you all with the pasta dishes and the sauces that you use? Read more...

          Saturday, February 21, 2009

          How do you relax and reconnect with your family members?

            The cold chilly winter months are almost over and the days are slowly turning warmer and warmer. With the weather turning more and more pleasant, my thoughts keep turning towards eating out instead of eating at home. It seems that there is always something special about a picnic or just enjoying your food while breathing in some fresh air and watching the beautiful surroundings. It just rejuvenates and refreshes the system.

            Usually, in the warmer weather and eating outside depends on various factors like how hot the weather is, what time of day, the wind and of course the most important aspect which is the bugs. I prefer eating out when it is more on the cooler side and when it is not too windy. At other times I am better off inside sitting with my computer which is located by an open window. This way I can get a view of the outside surroundings also, with the added benefit of fresh air and bug free area. This way there is less chance that bugs and dust will get into my food. But during the rainy months, eating outside is not an option. Just too many bugs of all types and they somehow manage to get into your food no matter how hard you try to keep them out. One option that can be considered is enclosing some area with some kind of screen which keeps out all types of unwanted objects, while letting in air. Eating in or outdoors really depends on a variety of factors which are hard to define at times. It sometimes boils down to something trivial like the smell of freshly cut grass with the combination of pleasant weather and just the right amount of sunshine and wind.

            These food thoughts take me way back in time when I was young. I remember that when I was growing up, I always had a proper nutritious diet of home cooked food. The kitchen was always full of sounds and smells of all kinds. If you ever had to step into the kitchen, you would have been assaulted by a wide variety of smells and the clanging sounds of pots, pans and other cooking items.

            As we grew older and older, it seemed that everyone had less and less time on their hands. These days, everyone is doing their own stuff. Even during times like this we still manage to eat home cooked food most of the times. Not only is it healthier, but I find it much tastier and filling than restaurant food. Plus, we are assured that it was cooked under hygienic conditions. On the rare days that we have to eat out, it turns into a family picnic. We try to make the most out of it, and we usually end up having a blast. A wide variety of food is ordered so that we can try a little bit of everything. The end result is that we sometimes end up overeating. But even during such situations, we walk away happy since we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I guess that’s how it should be.

            With tomorrow being Sunday, I guess we will go out to the park located next to the community center for a quiet picnic. It is an excellent park since it contains plenty of trees, large spacious well maintained lawns as well as plenty of benches. A decent sized lunch will be packed before hand and afterwords if anyone is in the mood, then we might all go and see a movie. It seems like these days, these picnics provides us with some much needed time to reconnect with each other. How do you all prefer to spend time with each other? Read more...

              Monday, February 2, 2009

              How often do you change the car oil?

                Engine oil is one of the most important components of the car since it helps in the smooth running of the engine. Changing the engine oil as well as the oil filter on a regular basis helps in extending the engine life and ensures smooth operation especially during the hot summer months. Its main function is to stop all the metal surfaces in your engine from grinding together and damaging themselves from friction while transferring heat away from the combustion cycle. Engine oil must also be able to hold all the muck and grime by product of combustion in suspension. It helps to clean the engine and keeps the moving parts coated in oil.

                Today, I finally went in for an oil change after what seemed like many months. I really didn’t really want to leave the car at the mercy of the mechanic, since I was unsure of what kind of bill I might get when I finally return to collect my car. So, I stuck around and waited for my turn to come up. It finally came after about 30 minutes of wait. The mechanic jacked up the car on the side of the road and drained the oil into an old oil pan. He screwed the drain plug back in, screwed in a new oil filter and finally poured new Castrol oil in. The old oil in the pan was jet black in color.

                I told him that due to my busy schedule, I am not always able to come in when I should. Could he give me a few tips so that I can do this oil change thing myself if I am not able to come to his shop. He managed to guide me through the whole works and I have listed below as much as I could remember.

                Before you start, you'll need the following:

                New oil
                New filter
                A drain pan
                An oil funnel
                Few rags
                A socket wrench set
                An oil filter remover

                Start your engine and let it run for a few short while to heat up the engine oil.

                Turn the engine off and leave the engine to stand for a few minutes. When you started it, it heated the oil but it also filled the oil channels. You want the oil to drain back to the sump completely so you can drain the old oil out fully.

                Take the dipstick out or loosen it off and break the seal where it plugs into the engine dipstick tube. This prevents a vacuum building up behind the oil when you start to drain it. Wipe the old oil off and keep it aside for now.

                Get your drain pan and stick it directly under the sump. Make sure it's sitting under the sump drain plug or else you will end up making a mess.

                Use your socket wrench to loosen the nut just slightly. Once it's loose, remove it by hand. Let the oil run out of the engine and into the drain pan.


                After the oil is completely drained, use the oil filter remover to remove the old oil filter and install a new one.

                Put the nut back into its place; tighten by hand initially and finally by the wrench until fully tight.

                Finally pour the required amount of oil into the engine. Close the oil lid.
                Check all the points and if no leakage found. Close the hood, rev up the engine and check for leaks once more. If none found, then it was a success.

                I try to take my car to the service station change my car oil as frequently as I can. However, I am not able to change it as per the recommended schedule given by the company. The reason for this is that sometimes I have such a busy schedule or some extra work pops up, due to which I either just forget or don’t have that extra time. I do try to keep a track of all maintenance done on my vehicle but again I often do forget about going in for regular maintenance. I plan to correct this soon because I know that regular maintenance and oil changes are good for extending the life of the engine. But, one thing which I have learned is that it’s important to have regular maintenance schedule of your vehicle in order to extend its life. There will be less wear and tear. The car will not break down all of a sudden some place.

                On an ending note, I must ask you the following questions:
                How often do you change your car oil? Do you change it as per the recommended schedule given by the company? Do you keep a regular track of all maintenance done on your vehicle? Do you religiously follow this schedule or do you sometimes forget about it? Read more...

                   

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