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3427. PelleNilsson - 12/20/2005 9:57:36 PM

There are of course many wacko groups out there but I don't think many of them can afford a half-page ad in the IHT. This is fantastic

quote

The resolution to rebuild Geneva comes from the eight-day conference held in Geneva last week: Celebrating the Dawn of a New Fortune for All Mankind.

The existing architecture of Geneva violates Natural Law and does not promote health, happiness, and prosperity to the extent expected from proper architecture. Instead, it offers misfortune and problems to its citizens.

Almost half of the population of Geneva are the dear guests of the Swiss people from 180 countries; so, in his parental rote as the Raja of Switzerland, Dr Fellix Kägi wishes to provide all the guests, and also the Swiss hosts, with fortune-creating homes by rebuilding the city of Geneva.

There is no way for Geneva to be a really healthy, happy, fortune-creating, international city without demolishing the majority of the old, misfortune-creating buildings, which are wrongly oriented with reference to the north-south, east-west directions.

Roads must be rebuilt to run north-south in order to provide auspicious east entrances to every building.

People do not know that all kinds of negativity and problems in life come from living and working in wrongly-oriented buildings.

The conclusion is that Geneva must be rebuilt - and the sooner it is planned and done, the better for everyone.

Raja Felix says; 'I want to see my country as an invincible Global Country of World Peace, and Geneva as the fortune-creating international capital of this Global Country of World Peace.

For details~ please visit our website:
www.worldpeace.ch

unquote

I'm glad to note that I live in a building which is perfectly aligned with the north-south axis and has its auspicious entrances to the east. That's probably why I am rather content with life most of the time.

3428. wonkers2 - 12/20/2005 10:38:25 PM

Thanks, Pelle. I'm forwarding it to my daughter who is an architect.

3429. PelleNilsson - 12/24/2005 12:23:27 PM

An atheist's Christmas decoration:



The crib and the human figurines were made by Christina's father. The sand in front of the crib is from the Jordan Valley

3430. Ulgine Barrows - 12/24/2005 12:26:33 PM

Happy feng-shui, Geneva!

3431. Ulgine Barrows - 12/24/2005 12:28:36 PM

Its cute in a way, till you cannot speak

3432. thoughtful - 12/24/2005 4:42:34 PM

Just wanted to share some pics of my winterscape table which I'll be using for tomorrow's dinner and subsequent winter dinner parties.

Perhaps someone can guide me to how I can show a more full-sized shot because in this one, the detail of the arrangement is left wanting.

Regardless, here they are:





Table is a white brocade covered with a gossamer periwinckle blue overlay. Napkin rings are bows made from silver wired ribbon. Arrangement is obviously all artificial made from sparkle infested and icicle-laden branches that really spark and shimmer.

Wish I could bring it to you live as the pics don't do it justice. But there it is.

3433. thoughtful - 12/24/2005 4:51:44 PM

Since there will be only 5 of us tomorrow, dinner is a smaller version of a traditional holiday meal.

Appetizers will consist of an assortment of sharp and smoked cheeses and pepperoni as well as toasted squares of parmesian foccacia bread.

I'm making Pierre Franey's roasted breast of turkey served au jus (jus kicked up a notch with white wine), cranberry sauce of course, Rachel's apple & onion stuffin' muffins...fundamentally a classic apple and onion stuffing which is then mounded in a muffin tin and baked making single servings...oven roasted sweet potatoes and onions with garlic-pepper seasoning, green beans with toasted bread crumbs, mixed green salad which is predominantly romaine with carrots and radishes in a classic dijon vinaigrette also from Pierre Franey, and sliced babka with cheese. Dessert will be ginger bread with whipped cream and of course coffee/tea as desired. Also on the side will be our traditional nut roll...a slovak/hungarian pastry.

3434. Magoseph - 12/24/2005 5:21:27 PM

Nice shots, thoughtful—I love the silvery tints of the cutlery and table covers that marry so well with the glass glints—even the window’s view and the candle’s warmth conspire to make these pictures delightful.

3435. Ronski - 12/24/2005 5:35:16 PM



Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, folks.

3436. jexster - 12/26/2005 12:17:00 AM

Chappy Channuka to you 2 Ronsk

Here's a Christmas eve tradition I never have enjoyed but must someday

Insalata di Frutti di Mare

Mixed Seafood Salad (serves 8)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 TB. fresh lemon juice


1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 lb. squid, cleaned
Caico's Conch

1 lb. shrimp, peeled


24 mussels, scrubbed

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced

3 TB. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Radicchio and lettuce leaves

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes.
Set dressing aside.

Cut the squid bodies into ½" rings. Leave the tentacles whole.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.

Add the shrimp and cook about 2 minutes, until pink.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the dressing.

Add the squid to the boiling water and cook 1 minute.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squid to the dressing.

Pour most of the water out of the saucepan leaving about 1".

Add the mussels. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until mussels open.
Discard any mussels that fail to open.

Remove the mussels from their shells and add to the dressing.

Add the fennel, black olives, parsley, salt and pepper. Combine well.

Place the radicchio and lettuce leaves on a serving platter.

Spoon the seafood mixture into the center. Serve at once.

3437. thoughtful - 12/26/2005 3:57:29 AM

Thanks mags & arky.

Dinner is over.

My nephew surprisingly showed up for dinner. He's proof the apples don't fall far from the tree...he's inherited all of my brother's narcissism. So not only did he show up having been very undefinite about whether he'd come or not, but he came with nothing. No presents, even for his father and grandmother who were here, let alone anything like a hostess gift. I guess he figures his presence is enough. Mind you we haven't seen this fellow (he will be 25 in Jan. ) in about 3 years or so. So do you think even once he would ask how we are doing? Nope. I'm not sure he even knows hubby is retired and he's been retired for 5 years. I find it so amazing. He spent the entire time talking about himself and how great he's doing...whether he really is or not is questionable...and when anyone else had anything to say, he said absolutely nothing.

I find myself paraphrasing rumsfeld:

You go to christmas with the family you have, not the family you wish you had.

Anyway, the meal was delish if I do say so myself and we've got lots of leftovers.

Stop on by any time and help us eat all these leftovers.

Dessert anyone? Gingerbread with real whipped heavy cream. Yum!

3438. PelleNilsson - 12/26/2005 10:22:25 AM

I note that I committed another Swedicism by calling using 'crib' for 'manger'.

The English-Swedish-English intercourse is full of pitfalls and faux amis, in this case manger --> 'krubba' --> crib.

3439. Ulgine Barrows - 12/26/2005 10:28:00 AM

crib > place to hole up > while doing american drugs

3440. alistairconnor - 12/26/2005 12:05:54 PM

Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little lord Jesus lay down his swede head.


so nobody was shocked by it Pelle...
Though I'm not familiar with this usage of "crib" for a cot or baby bed, other than in this christmas carol.

What says Wikipedia?
Crib may mean:

* Crib (cryptanalysis), a sample of known plaintext that can be used to crack open a cypher.
* Crib (furniture), a small bed specifically for babies and infants.
* Cribbage, a card game.
* Nativity scene
* Home (American slang), one's living space.
* A rudimentary holiday home (South Island of New Zealand slang). Bach is used for the North Island equivalent.
* Cribbing (horse), when a horse bites a fixed object, arches its neck and sucks in air.


I am familiar with the UK english verb "to crib" meaning to copy, e.g. in an exam, from which the cryptographic derivation would seem to come. I have played the card game, and I know the NZ term, which is no doubt related to Ulgine's crack-ho usage...

Confusingly, the Wikipedia reference for the baby furniture says this :

A cot is a small bed (called a crib in American English) specifically for babies and infants. A crib can also refer to a stand that contains hay (a 'hay crib'), used to feed animals.

So it would seem you were right after all Pelle...

but the song contradicts itself.

3441. thoughtful - 12/26/2005 4:34:44 PM

In my american english, this is a crib:



Meaning the bed for the infant.

But in the same way a place to store something like a corn crib or a hay crib which is also where the name for cribbage comes from where there is a stash of cards for the dealer...not a reach to the place to hole up or a place where someone lives.

I've also heard the term of cribbing meaning copying but not sure how that relates.

Flipping channels the other night came across Robert MacNeil (ex MacNeil Lehrer hour, ex BBC, ex NBC) discussing his new book on american english. He notes that just as americans are casual in their dress, so are they casual in their usage of english.

3442. PelleNilsson - 12/26/2005 6:43:47 PM

I pursued the subject. It seems that this is one of the many cases where English has two words, one of Latin origin brought in by the Conqueror and his gang, the other of Germanic, which mean more or less the same thing.

I looked at the Bible passage in question (the first verses of Luke:2). The English translation has 'manger', the German 'Krippe' and the Swedish 'krubba'.

Then I looked at Merriam-Webster. About 'manger' it says

"Etymology: Middle English mangeour, manger, from Middle French maingeure, from mangier to eat, from Latin manducare to chew, devour, from manducus glutton, from mandere to chew -- more at MANDIBLE

: a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock"

and about 'crib'

"Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cribb; akin to Old High German krippa manger, and perhaps to Greek griphos reed basket

1 : a manger for feeding animals

2 : an enclosure especially of framework: as a : a stall for a stabled animal b : a small child's bedstead with high enclosing usually slatted sides c : any of various devices resembling a crate or framework in structure d : a building for storage : BIN"

By now I had become a bit fascinated by the subject so I went on to look up the Bible in French. The word used there is 'crêche'. Wait a moment, I said to myself, isn't that an English word too? I have no idea what it means, but I remember seeing it. Back to M-W:

Etymology: French, from Old French creche manger, crib, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krippa manger -- more at CRIB

1 : a representation of the Nativity scene

2 : DAY NURSERY

3 : a foundling hospital

So, in a sense we have come full circle, but not without learning some moderately interesting things along the way.

3443. jexster - 12/27/2005 4:33:48 AM

Down at the corner block away is Suppenkuche always packed, never been.

They're Xmas eve special menu featured, Roast Sucking Pig, Venison Back, and Roast Holiday Goose..

I gotta go..Can at least afford the brunch if not the dinners

SOUP
Tagessuppe $4.00
(Soup of the day)



COLD DISHES
Großes Frühstück mit Aufschnitt, Käse und geko chtem Ei $8.00
(Large Breakfast with Cold Cuts, Cheese, Marmalade and a Soft Boiled Egg)
Müsli mit Quark, Joghurt, Milch und frischen Früchten $7.00
(Müsli with Quark, Yogurt and Fresh Fruit)
Gebeizter Lachs mit Dill-Senfsoße und einem gekochten Ei $8.00
(Cured Gravlox with Dill Mustard Sauce and a Soft Boiled Egg)


BRUNCH
Bauernfrühstück mit Gewürzgurken $8.00
(Farmers Omelette with Potatoes, Bacon and Cheese served with Pickles and Pork Sausage)
Geröstete Maultaschen mit Zwiebeln, Ei und Gurkensalat $8.00
(Sauteed German Ravioli scrambled with Eggs and Onions served with a Cucumber Salad)
Wurstgeröstel mit Ei, Kartoffeln, Speck und Gurkensalat $8.00
(Roasted Pork Sausages scrambled with Eggs, Potatoes and Bacon served with a Cucumber Salad)
Kaiserschmarrn mit Apfel und Pflaumenmus $7.00
(Emperor's Pancake with Brandied Raisins, served with Apple and Plum Compote)
Reibekuchen mit hausgemachtem Apfelmus $7.00
(Potato Pancakes with Housemade Apple Sauce)

Leberkäse mit Spiegelei und Bratkartoffeln $7.50
(Sauteed Bavarian Meatloaf with one Egg sunny side up and Roasted Potatoes)
Semmelknödel mit zwei Ei und Bratwürst $7.50
(Bread Dumpling with two Eggs and Bratwurst)


LUNCH
Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein mit Bratkartoffeln und grünem Salat $9.50
(Breaded and Sauteed Porkloin with Roasted Potatoes and Green Salad)
Jägerschnitzel in Champignonsoße mit Spätzle und grünem Salat $9.50
(Sauteed Porkloin in Mushroom Sauce served with Spätzle and Green Salad)
Kassler vom Grill mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelbrei $10.50
(Grilled Cured Pork Chop with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes)
Gegrillte Nürnberger Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelbrei $8.50
(Grilled Pork Sausage with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes)
Tagesnachtisch $4.00
(Dessert of the day)

3444. Ms. No - 1/3/2006 9:10:47 PM

Key Lime Pie

2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Key Lime Juice
2 whole eggs
1 cup fat free sour cream
2 tbl powdered sugar
1 graham cracker pie crust

Blend condensed milk, key lime juice and eggs together. Pour into pie shell and bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Whip powdered sugar into sour cream and spread over top of cooled pie. Use lime wedges or grated lime peel for garnish.

Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

3445. judithathome - 1/3/2006 9:32:36 PM

HEL-lo!!

3446. Ms. No - 1/3/2006 10:27:55 PM

I like it because it's a bit less sweet than the whipped cream topped versions and I'm not a fan of meringue.

Oh, yeah, and it's ridiculously easy!

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