moutonoir

It's hard to predict whether a word will become extinct or not, since some random person just needs to start using it all of a sudden in order for it to be "revived" again. While a word may be really unpopular now, if a famous writer throws it around in his/her writing, it can become well-known once again.We were discussing something along these lines in my linguistics class; it was very interesting. We were also talking about tenses of words changing and saying things like how "dreamt" was being replaced by "dreamed." It's interesting to thing that language is constantly changing and evolving like this.

I haven't read too much sci-fi, but I absolutely loved Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow series. And so did one of my friends who actually was a sci-fi/fantasy buff. Each of the two books has its own series, and even though the characters stem from the original Ender's Game book, the overarching plotlines are so different. Each is interesting and keeps you turning the page to see what happens next, plus they make you think about various technological and political things. I definitely recommend checking them out.

Thanks for the list! I haven't heard much about the acid/alkaline info so it was interesting to read about. If you're interested in reading more about nutrition, I just read Michael Pollen's book "In Defense of Food," and it's very good. He talks about the importance of whole foods and eating actual food, versus supplements, and he talks about how food is more than just fuel but part of a culture and way of life. He looks at why so many different diets work for different socieites of people and offers some explanations for why the American diet is so flawed, and then offers ways in which to establish a healthy relationship with food. It's definitely worth checking out!

What a great idea...it's like those little microwavable cakes they sell, but this would probably be a lot cheaper and you can make the exact flavor you want. I will definitely be trying this next time I want cake.

You could try looking for something on craigslist.org or a similar site to see if anyone is in need of a writer. Various blogs also look for paid writers at times too; if you look around you'd probably find something.

I usually just have a vague idea of what I want my site to look like, and I start throwing things around on a blank rectangle the same size as my screen until I have something that I think will work. Often what I end up with is much different than what I had anticipated though, especially after I try to create it for XHTML and find that rearranging things differently may be more compatible wither certain browsers and such. Once I kept track of the stages of a design as it evolved, and I was surprised to see how much it had changed during development. But as long as I'm satisfied with the product, I don't care what it took to get there

I think it would be best to enroll at a real institution since having your professor right there and available in person can be really helpful at times. Also, formal classroom instruction can be more effective than just reading the textbook yourself (this varies by person, of course, but I think most people find the lectures helpful).I majored in computer science and I can't really imagine doing it as a distance learning program, especially since much of what you learn involves lab work, giving you the chance to practice certain software techniques. If you don't have the required hardware/software to support certain programming languages, it can be a pain to set it up or to find somewhere that does have it. You will also probably run into issues trying to get things to work, especially when you first begin, and it's nice to have the professors and other students there to help. By enrolling at a real institution, you don't have to worry about this.But depending on your motivation, you probably won't have MAJOR problems in a distance learning program, it could just be a potential inconvience and will require a lot of self-discipline. Many others have succesfully done it, so you will most likely be able to as well. I would only consider it if time is a huge issue, otherwise it's probably worth it just to go to the real institution.Good luck!

Exercise works wonders for me, as does reading before I go to sleep. I try to stay away from the TV though and I keep the lights on as low as I can since I find that darkness helps. In the winter when the days are shorter, for example, I'm much more tired.If all else fails, a mug of warm milk usually does the trick.

Some foods which claim to expire on certain days are still good past their date; I mean, have you ever heard of "rotten" soda or Twinkies? When you open the package, you can tell right away if something is spoiled or not. It's just a pain to have paid for it by then, but the dates are printed right there if you need to check. As long as you use good judgment, you should be fine.

I love eggplant too...it's delicious either raw or cooked. I like to add a little balsamic vinegar for flavor, simple yet very good.

We tried to make ice cream in my cooking class in high school using a similar recipe (may have even been the same one). We learned the hard way that you need to be really, really careful when you heat the egg yolk mixture; we heated it too fast and there were little bits of cooked egg in the mixture instead of a smooth, thick custard. You couldn't really tell once it was frozen, but if you let it melt in your mouth it was kind of weird.Also, I find that an ice cream maker is quite helpful in creating a nice, airy texture. The kind we ended up with was crystallized, like ice rather than ice cream. It may have just been us though since another group in the glass ended up with something more normal.

Yeah...it is kind of complicated, especially if you're not accustomed to baking. Try starting out with simpler recipes, such as chocolate chip cookies and such, to get a handle on the basics and understand what certain ingredients and techniques do. Soon you'll be ready to tackle anything!I hope you end up with a good batch of these cookies, whether you or another makes them! They're worth the labor

I've always wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea just to create a new, easy-to-learn, universal language that everyone would learn in order to communicate with those who spoke languages different from their own. It could have really simple rules so that it could be learned more quickly than languages like English which have a million exceptions and things that make no sense, and it would have the additional advantage of being unbiased since it would be no one's native language.If you've read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series, there's a language called Common which kind of goes along these lines, but it's based off English.I guess culture interested in language preservation wouldn't take to this idea...it might end up displacing other languages entirely since you'd be able to communicate more widely with it. I heard someone tried to make something like this but that it never took off.I still think it is an interesting idea worth trying.

I would think that any mental thing you are able to do in life, you would be able to do in your dream. The disparities are more likely to be among physical happenings; for instance, you may fly in your dreams but not in real life. But mental happenings are probably pretty similiar in both.

With the holidays coming up, it's good to have a few recipes for impressive desserts on hand. Here's one for the classic Black Forest Cake:Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cup unsweetened (natural) cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup kirschwasser liquer1/2 cup butter 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar salt to taste1 teaspoon strong brewed coffee 2 (14 ounce) cans pitted Bing cherries, drained 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon kirschwasser liquer1 ounce semisweet chocolate (square, not morsels)Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round pans with circles of parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set this mixture aside. Cream the shortening and the sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, until they are combined. Pour into the 2 round 8 inch pans.Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool cake completely. Remove the paper from the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making a total of 4 layers. Sprinkle these layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, the salt, and coffee; beat together until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice or milk. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top this with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon kirshwasser. Frost the top and the sides of the cake. Sprinkle it with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on the square of semisweet baking chocolate.

One of my high school French teachers recommended this book to me...I haven't read it yet but thanks for bringing it to my attention; perhaps now that I remember, I finally will!

Yeah it's not too hard...most of the ingredients are spices which makes it look more complicated that it really is. One interesting variation is to add 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder to the pumpkin. Chocolate and pumpkin make a suprisingly good pair, and then you'll have a more unique dessert to serve.

Pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect fall dessert: delicious and a little more interesting than your standard pumpkin pie (not that I have anything against pie ). Here is a delicious recipe for pumpkin cheesecake:Ingredients:3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs1/2 cup pecans, ground 2 tablespoons white sugar2 tablespoons brown sugar1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)3/4 cup white sugar3/4 cup canned pumpkin3 egg yolks1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground mace1/2 teaspoon ground ginger3/4 teaspoon salt3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese6 tablespoons white sugar1 egg1 egg yolk2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream1 tablespoon cornstarch1 teaspoon vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter and mix well. Press mixture into a 9 inch springform pan.Combine 3/4 cup white sugar, pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, mace, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, the remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream and beat well. Add cornstarch and vanilla, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, careful not to overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.

I haven't tried chocolate with zucchini, but I hear it's a very good combination. I'll have to give your recipe a try!My aunt also used to make these delicious fried zucchini flowers. The outside was golden and crispy, but the inside was so soft and moist (albeit mostly hollow). I don't have the recipe. but I can't imagine it would be that hard to replicate; you just need to come up with a suitable batter to dip the flowers in before frying them. She would grow her own vegetables so she had easy access to zucchini flowers; I don't know where else you'd get them.

These are my favorite cookies. You've probably seen them in your supermarket: they're almond-flavored, chocolate covered cookies with a pink layer, yellow layer, and green layer. They take a loooooooong time to make, but they are so much better this way than store-bought, and they are so worth it. Ingredients: 7 oz marzipan paste or almond paste (I prefer the marzipan) 1 cup sugar 3 sticks softened unsalted butter 4 large eggs, separated 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 drops green food coloring, or to desired color 5 drops red food coloring, or to desired color 12-oz jar seedless raspberry or apricot jam 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350�F and grease 3 (13- by 9-inch) metal baking pans. Line bottom of each with wax paper and grease paper. Break marzipan paste into small pieces, and combine with sugar in food processor until no lumps remain. Transfer to a large bowl and add the butter. Beat with an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy, then add the yolks and almond extract and beat well. Beat in the flour and salt on low speed. Beat the egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, and then stir one third into batter to lighten it slightly, as it will be quite stiff. Fold in the remaining whites thoroughly. Divide dough into thirds (about 1 1/2 cups each). Stir green food coloring into one third and red food coloring into another, leaving one third plain. Spread each dough separately into a pan. (Layers will be thin - sometimes I use 9 inch square pans instead if I want a thicker layer) Bake layers in batches in the middle of oven until just set and slightly golden along edges, about 7 to 10 minutes total. Run a knife along edges to loosen from pan, then while still hot, place a large rack over pan and invert layer onto rack, pulling gently on wax paper to release if needed. Peel off wax paper and let it cool completely. Line a large shallow baking pan with wax paper and slide the green layer into it. Spread half of the jam evenly over the green layer and carefully place the plain layer on top. Spread the remaining jam evenly over plain layer and carefully top it with the pink layer (trim edges if needed). Cover with plastic wrap and weigh it down with a large cutting board or baking pan (I usually put cans on top). Chill at least 3 hours. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove the weight and plastic wrap and spread the chocolate evenly over top, but not sides, of pink layer. Let stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour, and cut into small diamonds. Notice from BuffaloHELP: Copied http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus

Need a humorous view on population control? Google "Church of Euthanasia." It's quite an...interesting...read...

Going apple picking this fall? Then here are some delicious ways to use up all those apples! Apples are very healthy, being a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and they are relatively low in calories and sugar as far as fruits go. So enjoy them plain, or try a recipe:Applesauce4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped3/4 cup watersugar to tastecinnamon to tasteIn a saucepan, combine above ingredients. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher. Also delicious served warm.Caramel Apple Dip~20 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped1/4 cup water1 package cream cheese (8 ounces)1/2 cup brown sugarIn a medium saucepan over medium-low heat (or in the microwave) melt the caramels with water, frequently stirring. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sugar. Fold in the caramel mixture, and serve immediately.Apple Butter5 1/2 pounds apples (peeled, cored and chopped)4 cups white sugar2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1/4 teaspoon saltPut the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour this mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.Cover and cook on high an hour.Reduce heat to low and cook for 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and is dark brown.Uncover and continue cooking on low for another hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover, and either refrigerate or freeze.What are your favorite apple recipes?

Too much UV is indeed very bad for your skin. A little sun every day though is better than none; sun causes your skin to make vitamin D, a very important vitamin for strong bones. Luckily too, vitamin D is fat-soluble, so excess amounts of it are stored in your body instead of being flushed out like water soluble vitamins (B, C, etc.)UV is also very bad for your eyes and can cause them to go bad much quicker than they would otherwise. If you wear sunglasses that don't protect against UV, this can actually be worse than not wearing them since the dimmer light makes your pupils dilate, thus letting more UV into your eyes. So be careful how much sun you get, and choose good sunglasses to protect yourself.

Sometimes you just have to fake confidence in order to be treated better. If people perceive that you think you're not as good, then they'll think that too. But if you act as if you deserve the same treatment they get, then they'll give it to you. It's kind of a catch-22 since it's hard to have confidence when people don't treat you well, but if you just give it some effort and try to act as if you're confident, I'm sure you'll see results.

You're right...oats are often not eaten savory-style. I've heard that oatmeal prepared with chicken broth instead of water or milk and then topped with some parsley is very good. I haven't tried it, but I must admit I'm curious! My favorite way to eat them was always with unsweetened cocoa powder and salt. The lack of sugar kept it from being too rich, but I was indulging and having chocolate in the morning!