Curry to save the world from bird flu

So, brid flu has made it to Romania, and that's not all that far away from here. The virus is apparently mutating to be resistant to the vaccine. German farmers are considering locking up their birds (so to speak), the EU is considering how to secure vaccine stocks. Anyone feel frightened?

It turns out that star anise, a spice sometimes used in curry, is the best source of a compound, shikimic acid (that really does sound like some drug Schwabing residents would take at a rave), that is the starter component of all flu vaccines. So, as a lifelong curry lover, I'd say that means the way to survive the latest threat to human existance is to shovel a daily dose of spicy medicine down.

PS: Joking aside, most ingredients of curry do have magic powers, it's an established fact.

Shickymickey acid? Sounds expensive!

turmeric is good for some reason too - I've forgotten.

wait a min and I'll google... ... ... ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3641922.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1668932.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2308745.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4131522.stm

ok so I didn't google I just searched the bbc but they're good for this kind of stuff

Turneric is also a really good antiAmerican: http://www.hashmi.com/turmeric.html. I've been using it on cuts for ages - if applied neat as powder to a cut or open blister it hurts like hell but the cut heals really fast.

You mean that the BBC website is good for complete rubbish about "science" and "health"?

As with bombs, floods and meteors, I always adopt the approach that "if your cards are up, then your cards are up."

I was particularly annoyed at all those Wussies who refused to use the transport in London after 7/7. Equally, the young German couple I met on the weekend who refused to go to Cape Town (or Peru) on their honeymoon because of the certainty of a gruseome death also need a slap.

I mean why are some people more precious about their insignificant little existences then others?

If fear of danger is a real issue, then don't walk on a German pavement. Those cyclists are ruthless, I tells yez!