Guacamole Spread

2 large avocados, pitted and peeled

2 tablespoons dairy sour cream

1/8 tablespoon garlic powder ( I take fresh garlic)

1/4 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1/2 can (4 oz) can chopped green chilies ( I take 1 fresh chili or leave them out)

Tabasco sauce to taste

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

In a medium bowl or food processor fitted with the metal blade, mash avocado.

Add sour cream, garlic powder, salt, lemon or lime juice, green chilies and Tabasco sauce.

Stir in onion and tomato; mix well.

If not served immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole to prevent it from turning dark.

May be refrigerated up to two days or frozen.

posted by Ellen  # 12:38 PM

Englisch üben einmal anders

posted by Ellen  # 4:22 PM

The town itself is extremely pretty. The city's cathedral, with its famed astronomical clock and the old towers, is most lovely. The Pharmacy de Cerf is the oldest pharmacy in France and Strasbourg’s university is one of the oldest and most active ones of the country.

The older quarters of Strasbourg include "La Petite France", notable for its medieval half-timbered houses situated along the canals. You can take a boat trip on these canals. Also worth seeing are the Cathedral's two museums: Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame and the Musée Alsacien. Gastronomy is an important part of the culture here; the city's winstubs (wine taverns) are a staple of Alsatian art de vivre.

Website:
http://www.world66.com/europe/france/east/alsace/strasbourg

posted by Ellen  # 7:16 PM

Be Thankful For Grammar

by Denton Krypps

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm thankful for grammar. You heard me right. I'm thankful for grammar. I guess maybe I should say that I'm thankful that I learned grammar. It's really true. As an author, I learned quickly to be grateful for those years of elementary school, junior high, and high school grammar class.

Do you remember sitting through those dreadful grammar classes? I sure do. I remember being asked to memorize the function of a noun, pronoun, verb, adverb and adjective. And I remember learning the difference between the subject of the sentence and the predicate of that same sentence. I have no real memory of
how the concepts of grammar made it off the pages and from the teachers' mouths into my head, but they did. I never intentionally paid attention during grammar class because at that time I was years away from deciding to be a writer. I guess the grammar I needed to learn somehow came to be through osmosis. Think about our what our society would be like without the existence of grammar.

Basically, grammar is the thing that allows us to communicate the same kind of English. Sure, you and I both know what a dog or a tomato are, but what if you thought that each sentence that ended with a period was really a question. Wouldn't that be confusing? Or what if I decided to write my next novel uses sentences like this: "Told Billy to Sarah loving a mother being a." Does that make sense to you? Of course not, because that sentence was not written with proper English grammar in mind. If we're lucky or just have a good imagination then we can determine that Sarah is telling Billy something about loving to be a mom. But without grammar, understanding even the most common English words just isn't easy.

Do you love to sit down and read a good book? Or perhaps relaxing in front of a movie is your cup of tea? Do you enjoy surfing the internet for the latest facts and news? If you enjoy any of these things, then you better appreciate grammar. It is proper grammar that allows you to read a book or to understand the script of a film or even to make sense of the internet.

If you still are not convinced about the importance of grammar to your life, trying having a conversation using mixed up sentences like the one I wrote for you earlier. It is pretty hard to make it through a day when no one understands each others thoughts or questions.

Fortunately, because we have grammar, we never have to worry about miscommunicating with people because of the way we arrange our words. So be thankful for grammar because I guarentee it has made your life a lot easier.

posted by Ellen  # 12:54 PM

Power Words

by Kurt Mortensen

We know certain words have more pull than others, but who would have thought that simple words like "because" and "and" would have the power to move mountains? It is best to assume that with spoken language, simple is better than complex. Since we are unable to recapture or replay our spoken words, we hope that they will be correctly interpreted the first time they are heard. Unfortunately, spoken words can be the most misread and misinterpreted form of communication, and therefore, can be a great hindrance to effective persuasion.

In a study by Langer, Blank, and Chanowitz, researchers found certain word choices could influence people to act against their own self-interests. The researcher would approach a copier where a long line of students stood. She would try three different word choices at different times to see how the other students would respond to each request. She didn’t change what she was asking, only the word choice. When she said, "Excuse me, I only have five pages. May I use the copy machine because I am in a rush?" 94 percent complied. When she said, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copy machine?" 60 percent complied. But when she said, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copy machine because I have to make some copies?" 93 percent complied. The magic was in the word "because." Even when she used an obvious reason, for example, just to make copies, she had a higher compliance. The word "because" is very powerful. "Because" prepares the mind for a reason. Even if the reason is not legitimate, it is still a reason.

Perhaps one of the most valuable words to learn how to use is "you." When you use the word "you" instead of a more general word like, “people," there is a stronger sense of identity. Your listener will be more tuned in to what you are saying.

posted by Ellen  # 12:39 PM

Blog Network: Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/

posted by Ellen  # 11:18 AM

The event organisers were accused of planning two incidents, when models apparently had problems with their clothes, to generate publicity.

Read this article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4877034.stm

posted by Ellen  # 7:13 PM