Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 1 => Topic started by: bk on December 15, 2003, 12:20:49 AM
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I can't wait to see your topic of the day posts, and all the other various and sundried posts, especially now that you've taken a gander at the merry Monday notes.
(http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/weihnachten/weihnachten028.gif)
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Are we having a posting frenzy yet?
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Don't you hate it when you miss the cut off?
Thanks Panni. I indeed read all the posts and had a wonderful two day birthday (thanks to the time difference). My long day was made happier and more delightful by the input of the HHW family. Thank you again everyone.
DR Jed: Now I know the secret of those Washingtonian accents - people have them on the boxer shorts.
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I shall indeed give considerable thought indeed to the topic of the day. I shall now desert the dessert topic and bid you all a good night. See you in twelve hours at the usual place.
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Well, I tried to post this "yesterday", but...
DR George - I understand your cookie woes. However, as you discovered, even the "mistakes" taste good!
From my own experience, any dough made with melted chocolate tends to seem thick. It's just the chocolate starting to harden again. *Don't go there, TCB! This is especially true when baking around this time of the year when the "room temperature" is cooler. Baking cakes is always tricky for me during the winter since my apartment tends to run cool anway. It's very nice in the summer, but in the winter, I sometimes have to gently warm the butter by placing in it the mixer bowl, and then placing the bowl on my stove to be warmed by the heat from the pilot light. Cold butter will not a pound cake make!
As for the M&M problem, I've always wondered how those store bought cookies manage to not have melted M&Ms. I've come across a few possible solutions, but I haven't tried them yet. One is to freeze the "drops" of dough before baking them. Another is to press the M&Ms into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven - seems very impractical to me. Finally, and this seems the most logical to me, is to bake the cookies at lower temperature, 300 instead of 325 or 350. *However, I have a few recipes that call for chilling the dough balls, and it does help keep the cookies from spreading too much when they bake.
Oh, and then there's the method where you press the dough flat, and then press the M&Ms into the dough before baking the cookies.
I'm baking tomorrow, and do have some M&Ms in the pantry... Maybe I'll have a progress report for you. ;)
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Oh, as for dessert and dip recipes... Hmmm.... I'll have to sleep on that one - literally.. It's waaay late right now.... But dessert will probably be cheesecake and/or a chocolate "lava" cake. And as for dips, I've always been fond of that spinach dip made with Knorr soup mix. Or a roasted red pepper hummus. Or....
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Oh, and speaking of the National Building Museum, here's a pic of me in front of it. Fun with the self timer!
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WHEW! I took me at least four tries before I could get the pic to right size so that we weren't in widescreen!
Sleep? What's sleep?
Of course, now I'm watching One Hour Photo...
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I'm home!! I had the most exhausting 12-hour bus ride of my life, but I'm here. I haven't had time to read ANY of the notes and I freely admit that I probably won't be able to catch up on all of the posts from the last two weeks, but I just wanted to check in, say hi, let you know I'm home and alive and the show went well and I had fun and I had a mouse waiting for me in a trap when I got home a few minutes ago and still no NetFlix in my mailbox, even though they supposedly sent out three new movies, and I still haven't received two of the CDs I ordered from Amazon.com for my birthday and I'm really pissed about it but I'm so tired and ready for a shower that I won't go into it here right this minute.
I missed you guys. And now I'm off to bed (did I mention that I've been up for 25 hours? Well, I have.)
Goodnight. :)
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I haven't had time to read ANY of the notes and I freely admit that I probably won't be able to catch up on all of the posts from the last two weeks, but I just wanted to check in, say hi, let you know I'm home and alive and the show went well and I had fun and I had a mouse waiting for me in a trap when I got home a few minutes ago and still no NetFlix in my mailbox, even though they supposedly sent out three new movies, and I still haven't received two of the CDs I ordered from Amazon.com for my birthday and I'm really pissed about it but I'm so tired and ready for a shower that I won't go into it here right this minute.
I think DR Jason just broke the HHW Longest Sentence Record! Been drinking coffee, J? ;)
In other news, good morning all! Today I have my DEVELOPING AREAS: ARAB WORLD exam at 2pm to look forward to - hence my very early wake-up call.
There is 25cm of snow outside and it is still falling. Sometimes I think God is a skier :( At least it isn't the 40cm that was originally predicted yesterday by those peppy geniuses at Météo Média.
Am I the only person who confuses the monarchical structures of the United Arab Emirates with Bahrain? I thought not...
I will post later with my dip recipe. Let's just say it is majorly unhealty and full of vampire-rejecting garlic. I have yet to encounter a food product made with too much garlic. Ever.
Toodles and wish me luck! :D
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Here's a cheesecake recipe that has received oohs and ahhs. I'm a purist and don't include a topping. I sometimes serve fresh fruit alongside a slice. I've gotten the best results with Martha Stewart's spring form.
I don't usually make the crust, but am including the recipe. I figure I'd rather have an extra slice and forgo the crust. For the crustless cheesecake, I place a circle of parchment paper over the base of the spring form.
Crust:
Combine
26 graham crackers, rolled fine
1 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Line bottom of nine inch spring form with this mixture.
Filling:
Ingredients
3 x 8 oz. packages cream cheese
4 eggs
1 cup sugar (I use a bit less)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 pint sour cream
3/4 cup sugar (again, I use a bit less)
1. Combine and beat at medium speed for 20-25 minutes the first four ingredients. (I use a good-quality blender.)
2. Bake 40 minutes at 325 degrees (middle rack).
3. Cool for about 30-40 minutes.
4. While cooling, beat together for 10 minutes the last two ingredients.
5. Pour over top of cooked cake.
6. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes (middle rack). Watch carefully - it should brown very slightly on top. (It sometimes takes a bit longer. Just a tinge is fine.)
7. Refrigerate at least overnight.
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Welcome home, Jason.
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Since I'm at work and my recipes are at home I'll try to post tonight. Mine is also a cheesecake, but it's all put together in a blender and the crust automatically sinks to the bottom when it is baking.
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Hey good morning everyone!
BK wrote:
I’m almost through watching the second season of Alias on DVD – and I still predict that what I’m assuming is the amazing season two closer will be something I predicted way back three-quarters of the way through season one. We shall see in just two episodes.
Okay as the resident Alias expert let me just say the Season Two finale is nothing anyone could predict :)
(but do post after you've seen it - i am dying to know your reaction).
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DR Ron wrote yesterday:
"Survivor" has ended here on the West Coast.
I was very pleased with the end result!
Am delighted it's over! Hope I never see Jon or Burton or Lill again (Lill doesn't clean up very well, does she? And does she wear that uniform EVERYwhere she goes???) Hope I never have to hear Darrah's voice again.
I'm confused. I thought you loved Lil and wanted her to win? You were defending her last week. And now you hate her? :)
I was happy with the winner. Even though I disliked Sandra, she has grown on me recently. She has given me so many laughs, I was much more satisfied with her as the winner.
I thought Lil handled herself very poorly at the final plea tribal counsil. Instead of saying how she was a kind person, she harped on how people had betrayed her.
It's funny, but Lil always betrayed them at the first hint that they would betray her. I think that was part of her downfall. If she and Darrah had been smart, they would have made a deal at the end to take each other (since Sandra and Jon would have taken each other).
I was amazed with Lil's strength at standing on that thing in the water. I was suprised that Sandra and Jon decided to ditch Darrah (since they seemed to think Lil would beat them at the finals).
Sandra was sneaky and I would have liked to find out what the other contestants thought having only recently found out all she had planned.
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There's no point in trying to make my apple pie if you can't get the right apples. They must be big, ripe, round, fresh Rome apples from the state of New York (sorry Washingtonians: yours are fine for eating, but these are to be baked into a pie).
Shortening disgusts me. I won't deal with it. So, here's how to make the crust sans Crisco:
Shake together 1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon cooking or salad oil with 1/4 cup water. In a mixing bowl, sift 2 cups flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Now, as you mix the dry ingredients with a fork, slowly drizzle in the wet stuff. Do not use a mixer! You're creating something that can be molded into a ball. Use clean hands to make a ball and place it between wax paper sheets. Roll this flat so it can fit into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan. Carefully remove one sheet of wax paper, turn it upside down into pan, and, ever-so-carefully remove the remaining wax sheet. Set aside.
Peel and core about five apples. Slice one apple thinly, and place these slices flat on the bottom of your pie, covering it all - except the "lift" of the pie's sides. Cut some other apples in eighths. Now, depending on the size of your apples, this may be as few as three or as many as five. I don't know of any apples that get bigger than Romes. These slices will be placed on their ends, like little sailboats, but eventually, you're just piling them on, creating the convex top of your pie. Use as many as you think won't spill over the size. The apples are the star here.
1 and 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and 3/4 teaspoons salt are combined before you mix in 1/3 cup light cream to make a gloop that you pour over your apples. Finally sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Bake around 90 minutes at 375 or until apples are tender. You'll want to put a not-tight covering of foil over it - make sure this isn't touching the pie. And foil under it to catch the drips.
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Good Monday morning all, and welcome back to civilization Jason! We missed you and can't wait to hear about your stage adventures!
Jennifer: I was happy with the outcome of Survivor as well. Like you, Sandra had sort of grown on me.
I was very proud of Lill, I thought she handled herself fairly well...she certainly did well in that immunity challenge and I was thrilled that she would not bargain with Jon! I still wish that Andrew or Ryan O. would have won, however. I really think Andrew deserved to win, IMHO.
I think T is such a lovely person and certainly cleans up well...very classy!
Alright, I am at work now, but don't want to be here. Have a dinner date tonight, however, so that will give me something to look forward to!
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JoseSPiano - thank you for the instructions.
As for the Notes, I don't make dips, never have. I'll post a delish dessert recipe later.
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Welcome home, DR Jason! Glad the show was successful and that you're home safe and sound (with a dead mouse to keep you company - hey! an early Christmas present?)
bk, I don't see how you could possibly guess the Season 2 conclusion unless you're totally clairvoyant, but I'd be interested to know what you THOUGHT it was going to be after you've watched it.
Just read that the AFI has chosen its 10 Best Television Programs of 2003 (includes series and made-for-TV movies). ALIAS was among the ten chosen as was ANGELS IN AMERICA, '24,' and, for those who like it (I don't), JOAN OF ARCADIA.
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Good morning to all the early dear readers....
Glorious good morning to the esteemed, swarthy, rogue-ish BK --
And a special big "huge hugs hello" to our adopted baby Jason. We are so glad that you are back home, and want to hear all about your adventure out of town, what kind of people did you have to work with, etc., etc.
I am done with my rather long work weekend over in So. Calif., and am very glad to be home with Kerry and Sugar. The most fun part of the trip was meeting up with the sleek and studly BK at Dupar's, and shoving fluffy, scrumptuous pancakes down my greedy maw on Saturday morning.
By the way, I have to report that the lithe and sinewy BK showed terrific restraint, and did NOT shove said pancakes down his own cultured mouth.....likewise, he embellished nothing with whipped cream. Such healthy, he ate !
Off to check on a little work now.....be back later today.
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I'm listening to the ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS ALBUM this morning. It's a lovely way to get this week before Christmas started. I especially like "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, " "The Holiday Season," and "Sweet Little Jesus Boy." The latter song has about the most emotional version of that song I've ever heard a pop singer do.
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I'm very sorry to hear about Jeanne Crain. I love her and her movies. In many ways, she and a few other people (like Diana Lynn) are a symbol to me of a better time, a more innocent time and of a Hollywood and America that probably never really existed. Kind of like the Carvel (or is it Carville?) in my head.
I'll post more after work.
A bon voyage to Ben and Ant.
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I agree with you, DR Kerry. Her two mid-40s musicals STATE FAIR and CENTENNIAL SUMMER seem to reflect an era totally alien to what passes for entertainment these days. And despite being dubbed by Louann Hogan in these films, she still was astonishingly lovely.
She was dubbed by Anita Ellis in her other musical - 1955's GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES.
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That is very sad about Jeanne Crain. What a lovely lady!
Actor Sean McClory also passed away I just found out. He was the husband of one of my favorite actresses, Peggy Webber and brother of the wonderful Maureen O'Hara.
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Welcome home, Jason!
Welcome back, Jason!
I'm glad to hear that you had a good time in WVa. Of course, we all want to know: Pics?
Hope you get a good night's/day's sleep!
Well, I got my six hours of sleep, more or less. I actually stayed up until 5:30! ??? I started channel flipping, then (stupidly) checked out the latest cable On-Demand listings. Well, I came across One Hour Photo, and since it was mentioned on this board the past few days... And as for Michael Vartan doing the full monty... eh... ;)
Oh... and besides the usual sink full of dirty dishes to clean up when I got back in last night, I also found out that our building has some water damage in the bathroom area. Actually, more like "confirmed" rather than "found out". Luckily(?), most of the damage is in the apartment "upstairs" - we're in a duplex, but there's a sort of sink hole in our bathroom. The landlord is supposed to come by today to check it out - as well as some other issues. We'll see... *I have started looking into new apartment possibilities, so... I actually like this place - of course, I'm only here one day a week - and if the damage won't require any major repair work - and in convenience - then I'll keep it on the options list.
-Thanks for letting me think out loud.
Well, I'm watching "Designer Guys" right now on TLC, and all I can say is, "Boys, boys, boys..." (while shaking my head from left to right). :P
I still have to look up my dessert and dip recipes, but two of my favorites desserts are very simple:
S'mores
-"Cook" a marshmallow - over a campfire is traditional.
-Sandwich the hot marshmallow between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate - Hershey's is the classic.
*I noticed - and sampled - in the vending machine at the theatre a new S'mores candy bar. Not bad. Next time I'll have to put in the microwave for a few secs.
**Oh, and as for microwave S'mores, my method - after some trial and error, is to put the piece of chocolate on a graham cracker, and nuke them for about 15-20 seconds. Then place the marshmallow on top, balance the other graham cracker on top of that, and nuke for only about 5-10 seconds - marshmallows "spread" really fast in the microwave. Enjoy!
-Ricotta with sugar
Get the freshest ricotta cheese you can find. Place it a bowl. Spoon some sugar over the top. Dig in! That's it! So simple and sooo good. You can also sweeten the cheese with honey, and/or add some cocoa powder to the mix. Or mini-chocolate chips - it becomes like canolli fiiling.
Hmm... Now I'm getting hungry....
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I actually ended up watching the season two finale of Alias last night. It was not what I thought it would be, although I still think they will go where I predict they'll go at some point - there were definitely subtle clues all during season two if one is looking in that direction. I thought the ending was okay - a necessary deux ex machina and I'm sure they'll have fun explaining it all very quickly (actually, they HAVE done so - does anyone tape this series?). The fact is, I thought that episode thirteen was much more fun, surprise-wise - that one had even me scratching my head.
Now, where in tarnation IS everyone? Does no one else find this recent spate of errant and truantness odd? I find it decidedly odd, and from some pretty surprising people, too ( you know who you are). Well, I'm not going to bother mentioning it again - if it's to be a silent Christmas, so be it. I'll enjoy it with those who see fit to be around.
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Right now I am listening to a CD compilation that my friend David sent to me for my birthday. The song playing at this moment is THERE ARE FAIRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR GARDEN by Beatrice Lillie (circa 1934). I recall a situation similar to that at a party I once attended. Strange.
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BK, I think it is just that busy time of season. I imagine all E and T DRs will be back as often as ever once these holidays are over with!
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We are not allowed to have long lulls when I am studying Arab Gulf States. That is just too cruel :(
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SURVIVOR TALK!
(okay I know some people don't like Survivor talk - and my karma points don't like it, but please just skip this post if it doesn't interest you, thanks)
Jennifer: I was happy with the outcome of Survivor as well. Like you, Sandra had sort of grown on me.
I was very proud of Lill, I thought she handled herself fairly well...she certainly did well in that immunity challenge and I was thrilled that she would not bargain with Jon! I still wish that Andrew or Ryan O. would have won, however. I really think Andrew deserved to win, IMHO.
I think T is such a lovely person and certainly cleans up well...very classy!
I was impressed that Lil lasted that long at the immunity. Although I was not too happy that nobody won the first immunity (interesting, but not really fair).
I think Lil could have won (although she said she didn't think an outcast could). But she was so negative in front of the jury.
And there are plenty of nice honest people who won Survivor, including Tina and Ethan. I think Lil made a huge mistake by turning on her alliances every time she "thought" they might betray her.
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Emily, we are fighting a losing battle. We've been through these times before - people come, people go, like Grand Hotel. Plus two of our prolific posters are out of town. It's all fine, oh, yes, it is all fine.
On another note (Ab) who wants to have a live chat this evening? If there are enough then we'll do it.
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And there are plenty of nice honest people who won Survivor, including Tina and Ethan. I think Lil made a huge mistake by turning on her alliances every time she "thought" they might betray her.
But you have to admit, every time Lill thought her alliances were betraying her she was correct! And if she hadn't turned she wouldn't have made it as far as she did. I don't think she did anything that the others didn't do.
I agree, she was a little negative at times and that might have played against her to a point.
I agree with you Ron...I hope never to have to see Jon and his anti-female egotistical buck toothed peace sign hand signal strutting being ever again...he just disgusted me.....but he did make things entertaining! LOL!
It was a good Survivor season!
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
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I actually ended up watching the season two finale of Alias last night. It was not what I thought it would be, although I still think they will go where I predict they'll go at some point - there were definitely subtle clues all during season two if one is looking in that direction. I thought the ending was okay - a necessary deux ex machina and I'm sure they'll have fun explaining it all very quickly (actually, they HAVE done so - does anyone tape this series?). The fact is, I thought that episode thirteen was much more fun, surprise-wise - that one had even me scratching my head.
Okay how pathetic am I? But I was so excited for you to see the finale of Season 2. Such an unexpected and exciting ending. And Season 3 is even better.
Did they repeat the season opener of Season 3 last night?
I'm not sure what episode 13 was, can you remind me?
Btw, is there anybody on here who would object to BK talking about season two shows. I mean I don't consider is a spoiler since the shows are MANY months old. Couldn't we just put ALIAS SEASON TWO SPOILERS at the top, and anyone who wanted to skip it could.
Btw2, it also kills me that I can't talk about Season 3 on here (but I wouldn't want to spoil it for Bruce, and it is his site) :)
Recipe, recipe. I do not know what I could post. Since I am doing low carb I'm not sure how much I want to write up some fancy delicious recipe. I do have one cheesecake that is low carb. Maybe i'll post that one!
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Emily, we are fighting a losing battle. We've been through these times before - people come, people go, like Grand Hotel. Plus two of our prolific posters are out of town. It's all fine, oh, yes, it is all fine.
On another note (Ab) who wants to have a live chat this evening? If there are enough then we'll do it.
Hey don't be mad that people are extra busy this time of year. I don't even celebrate Christmas, but I was really busy all weekend.
Can't do chat, it's my dad's birthday today, and his party is tonight :(
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Season two SPOILER AHEAD:
Episode thirteen was the one in which everything changed in terms of what was happening with the Alliance and introduced the double.
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Okay as the resident Alias expert let me just say the Season Two finale is nothing anyone could predict :)
I'm sorry...who decided you were the resident "expert" on "Alias"?
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SURVIVOR RESPONSES
But you have to admit, every time Lill thought her alliances were betraying her she was correct! And if she hadn't turned she wouldn't have made it as far as she did. I don't think she did anything that the others didn't do.
I agree, she was a little negative at times and that might have played against her to a point.
I think she played the jury all wrong. You want to make them like you. Saying, "i was told by 3 people that they would take me to the final 3, yet all of you betrayed me" is not the way to get votes :)
Also I disagree with what you wrote above. She was not right that those people were going to betray her. For example on last night's show she was aligned with Darrah. Then Lil said to Darrah, "will you definitely take me to the finals". And D said she wasn't sure.
Lil freaked out.Now do you think Jon or Sandra would have taken Lil to the finals? No. Darrah was being honest. She wasn't sure what she would do. So basically Lil was wanting her to lie.
It was only after Lil freaked out (once again) that Darrah realized she had to approach Jon and Sandra.
It was the same thing that happened last week. Burton wouldn't promise her the finals (when she asked him on the spot) so she turned on them.
Basically she was rewarding the liars. That is JMO.
I agree with you Ron...I hope never to have to see Jon and his anti-female egotistical buck toothed peace sign hand signal strutting being ever again...he just disgusted me.....but he did make things entertaining! LOL!
Do you really think that is how Jon is? Of course not. He was acting. He wanted to play the villain. I thought he was hilarious. And I was happy to see grandma at the finale.
But I was very surprised that not a single cast member faulted him for that drama. It was funny/or mean for us. But we didn't live the pain. Those tribe members were so upset for him. I really thought Lil would be mad.
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I'm sorry...who decided you were the resident "expert" on "Alias"?
Is addict a better term? :)
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DR Ron wrote yesterday:I'm confused. I thought you loved Lil and wanted her to win? You were defending her last week. And now you hate her? :)
I think you jumped to a wild conclusion, Jennifer. I defended Lill against the ranting about her betraying an alliance. I've despised her since she stabbed Rupert in the back.
But my defense of her decision to deceive Jon and Burton didn't mean squat about whether I like her or not. I just dislike her less than the odious Burton and Jon, both of whom betrayed and betrayed and betrayed.
But you never were able to see that because of your feelings for Burton. That's ME jumping to a conclusion.
But Lill, even later in the studio, continued to besmirch the BSA by wearing that uniform. She doesn't look good in it. I'm not sure she'd look very good in anything now.
Jon and Burton got EXACTLY what they deserved -- n-o-t-h-i-n-g.
What I find d-i-s-t-u-r-b-i-n-g is your embracing Burton and Jon despite the anti-female, chauvinistic things they said about women.
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I love how often the term "studying" becomes defined as "reading HHW posts and glaring at my archaeology notes every now and then"
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btw, chat tonight would work for me...but I have a final from 4 to 6, so I might be a few minutes late
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Oh, my gosh Jennifer, Jon just made me sick. I think he is really like that...of course I could be wrong. I haven't watched all of the reunion yet, so I don't know what everyones reaction to him was.
Lill was one of my favorites so that is why I am more able to look past any of the bad stuff! LOL!
I still wish Andrew would have lasted longer, though.
Now I can't wait for the all-star Survivor! That is gonna be fun!
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Confession - I have not watched a full episode of Survivor...ever. This season I can honestly say I have not watched even part of an episode. Am I still worthy to post here? :)
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LOL, Ann! I have my sociology exam later today....but I don't have to study for a few more hours. I just keep thinking to myself, after this week, it will all be over. Liberation. Freedom. The right to be lazy all I choose.
WB, Jason! I'm glad your show went well and I'm glad you're back! :)
Chat tonight should be fine for me.
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MBarnum is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!
Jon even admitted it on TV -- what we saw of him is pretty much the way he is. And he described himself as an "a-hole" which is about the most honest thing he's ever said!
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Oh...I don't know any recipes! Sorry!
What's more, baby, I CAN'T cook. My mom has insisted upon giving me a 3-day crash course in basic cooking before I leave for college. As it stands, I know how to make boiled eggs and Ramen noodles. That's about it.
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Well. . . my goodness me. . . stay away long enoughand everything gets changed. . .oh the humanity. . .
Hey -- here's a good idea: Throw a cup or so of cranberry/orange relish and a handful of golden raisins into your basic apple pie recipe. . . a holiday flav-o-rite of mine.
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Now I can't wait for the all-star Survivor! That is gonna be fun!
I cannot wait either. And premiering it right after the Superbowl will be great for its ratings.
Okay here is my LOW CARB cheesecake recipe:
Cappuccino Cholate chink cheesecake (suzanne somers recipe):
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar (or use 12 packets of sweetner)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of decaf coffee
4 ounces of dark chocolate (i've used choc chips)
3 cups sour cream
preheat oven to 350F
Beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Add eggs, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, salt and decaf and chocolate. Beat in sour cream until just blended.
Don't blend too much.
Pour batter into a pan (i've used the round cheesecake pans with the sides that come off). Sprinkle broken chocolate (or chips) on the top.
Set the pan in a large roasting pan and surround with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake for 45 minutes.
Turn off the oven and let cake cool for 1 hour (don't open the door, leave cake in oven).
This is actually quite good for a very low carb dessert.
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Who is this knockout person?? Welcome to them, whoever they are...
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Confession - I have not watched a full episode of Survivor...ever. This season I can honestly say I have not watched even part of an episode. Am I still worthy to post here? :)
Hey, I know you're joking. But of course you are (worthy to post).
In fact I'm quite sure you are in the majority on this board.
I guess I just wish that people here would be happy and let people post on any topic, without making them feel badly (and DR Ann, I'm totally NOT talking about you).
Have a good afternoon everyone. I gotta run.
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For a Holiday Treat (good from Halloween through Christmas, or at any time you crave it):
Pumpkin-Walnut Cheesecake
Crust:
1 ½ cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers)
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Press firmly into bottom and halfway up sides of 10-inch springform pan.
Filling:
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
5 eggs
¼ cup heave cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 16-ounce can pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the cheese and sugars together.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Stir in cream, spices and pumpkin.
Pour into prepared cheesecake pan.
Bake for one hour.
Topping:
6 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
(garnish as desired)
While cheesecake is baking, prepare topping.
Place margarine or butter in a large bowl, add brown sugar and cream together.
Stir in walnuts.
When filling is out of oven, gently dot with small pieces of topping, being careful not to deflate the cheesecake. Return cheesecake to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.
Remove springform ring just before serving and garnish as desired.
Yield: At least 12 servings.
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Anyone can post on any topic and be happy. For example, I am posting on this topic and I am happy. I am a happy poster as I type my dissertation on the state of bliss. Conversely, you can post on any topic and be sad. For example, I am posting on this topic and I am sad.
Welcome to knockout and all the other recent registered lurkers who have yet to join our merry troupe in our happy and sad postings of various and sundried topics.
I feel that Mr. Charles Pogue should tell us how the rest of the partay was.
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DR Maya: I think you should take your mother up on her offer. It is a very good thing, to know how to cook, at least the basics. Or just look through some cookbooks or recipe websites (i like allrecipes.com) and try a few things.
Hmmm, I have never tried pumpkin cheesecake. I wonder what that would taste like. Although this might seem really dumb, but where would one get pumpkin at this time of year?
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Well - my goodness - exactly how do you get Miss June Wilkinson to attend a party at your house. I had great respect for DR MR CHARLES POGUE before but now .... WOW!!!!
And Mr BK what exactly was daffy about your conversation with Ms Wilkinson.....did she not have any views on Sadaam Hussein's capture?
Adn I am afraid I am NOT a cook or preparer of food - so I will give you the only holiday recipe I know:
1 Bag of Peanut M&M's
1 Box of Goldfish
Mix in a bowl, serve.
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I guess I just wish that people here would be happy and let people post on any topic, without making them feel badly (and DR Ann, I'm totally NOT talking about you).
This is an intriguing comment.
Are you saying you wish folks would not respond to some of your opinions with different ones from yours?
Are you saying you wish you could just say whatever you want without anyone commenting on it?
Or do you mean that you feel people are trying to squelch certain topics from being discussed?
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Hadn't EVer watched Survivor before and somehow got suckered into it. . .does this kind of crap ensue EVery episode/season?
And did you notice their legs!? !? Bug bites on bug bites. Euuugh
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Welcome to new DR Knockout, who I assume is either very physically prepossessing or into boxing. Or both. ;)
Jennifer--yes, I agree that it's a good idea to learn to cook. Just the basics. Once I am independently wealthy (that sounds so much better and less snooty than "rich," doesn't it?) I intend to order take-out and go out to restaurants every night!
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Ann, there is still time to become a Survivor fan! LOL! We can convert you!
I don't really have any recipes to share, but some of those posted sound yummy...we should have a giant HHW pot-luck I think!
JRand53, what are you watching on your day-home-from-work-sick day??
I have a million
Eebay and Nehaflix.com items on there way to my house very soon. I hope they all arrive today!
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Bride of the Gorilla!
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Actually, knockout, we do like to use names here, so tell us yours, won't you?
Miss June Wilkinson held forth on many topics including Sadaam. She invited me to come to her very own home, and asked for a copy of the Kritzer books, which I will happily give her.
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Oh, my apologies. . . call me Kurt, and I will update my bio/profile/preferences.
Call me Peggy and see where it gets you. . .
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If a more traditional type of cheesecake is your preference, I offer this lovely recipe:
Waldorf-Astoria Cheese Cake
Crust:
1 cup sifted enriched flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
½ cup butter
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Combine, flour, sugar and lemon peel. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Pat 1/3 of dough on bottom of 9-inch spring form pan with sides removed. Bake 6 minutes at F 400 until golden. Cool. Butter sides of pan and attach to bottom. Pat remaining dough evenly on sides.
Cheese Filling:
5 8-ounce packages cream cheese
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 ¾ cups sugar
3 tablespoons enriched flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup heavy cream
Stir cheese to soften; beat until fluffy.
Add vanilla and lemon peel.
Mix sugar, flour and salt; gradually blend into cheese.
Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each.
Gently stir in cream.
Turn into crust-lined pan.
Bake 5 minutes at F 500.
Reduce oven heat to F 200 and bake 2 hours longer.
Cream Topping (optional):
1 point fresh thick sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
(Mix and pour on top of cake. Bake 5 minutes longer at F 475).
Cool at least four hours in refrigerator before removing sides. Cake can be topped with either fruit or toasted almonds, if desired.
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Oh, my apologies. . . call me Kurt, and I will update my bio/profile/preferences.
Call me Peggy and see where it gets you. . .
Well, ummm.....gee.
What kind of "knockout" are you, Kurt? or..Peggy?
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DR Ann. You are not alone. Lifestyle and Reality TV rule here in Oz and I do not watch any of them. To each his own.
Welcome "knockout".
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Hmmm, I have never tried pumpkin cheesecake. I wonder what that would taste like. Although this might seem really dumb, but where would one get pumpkin at this time of year?
I don't know about Canada, but here in the USA, we normally find 16-oz cans of pumpkin puree (or pumpkin pack -- just pure pumpkin ready for a pie) in the grocery stores and supermarkets in the canned foods section.
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Oh, I should know better than to attemp to be clevah. . . . Forgive me, willya, huh? huh? willya?
I have been handed the first of the Kritzer books. . . I SWEAR I am now available to actually read a book, having devoured Ted Chapin's recent delicious tome.
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Well, ummm.....gee.
What kind of "knockout" are you, Kurt? or..Peggy?
It's really a rather stupid mnemonic device: my initials are KO and it just happened that I used it for my freebie e-mail.
See. . . not very clevah, eh?
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Welcome Kurt! Or knockout,if you prefer :)
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Hey, I hit 200 posts! Cool :D
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Welcome Knockout Kurt! Hope you will enjoy it here...or had you been here before..well, either way have fun!
As there are some DRs who are definately NOT fans of so called reality shows, I am curious as to what everyone considers reality shows? Personally I think of shows like SURVIVOR, BIG BROTHER, THE AMAZING RACE, etc. to be in the game show catagory. Or you could consider game shows to be in the realitly show catagory. Either way it would be pretty hard to lump all "reality" shows together as there is such a variety...everything from QUEEN FOR A DAY and TO TELL THE TRUTH to QUEER EYE to WHO WANT'S TO BE A MILLIONAIR to and on and on. Some I like, some I love, and some I detest..just like sitcoms, or dramas, or stage plays, or books. If you generalize too much you might miss out on some good entertainment (or save yourself some wasted hourse watching!).
One of the attractions I have to some of these shows is that I like to see how people react to other people when thrown into certain unusual circumstances.
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OK. I've slept. Thanks for the 'welcome backs' and interest in the show. As I said, it went pretty well for only having about 25 hours of rehearsal. I'm not lying! All of the principles were out-of-towners, but the rest of the cast was comprised of locals (translated: This was a community theatre production), so they could only rehearse from 5-10 in the evening. That was a little bizarre--the rest of us would stay in the motel watching HBO ("Angels in America" is quite stunning--I wish I'd gotten to see the whole thing) and sleeping until 2 and then we'd be off to rehearse for a couple of hours and then it was time to go home again! Too weird. Anyway, we ended up performing the show in a high school auditorium because their normal performance space was being renovated, so we had limited resources for costume space, lighting and scenery. The four-piece orchestra was stuck in a corner backstage with no monitors because all of the channels on the soundboard were used up with body mics, so they could never really hear anything we were doing and vice-versa. It was definitely a lesson in listening.
The cast were all very nice, which made up for their lack of experience--sort of. The lady who played Mrs. Fezziwig nearly killed me every night during our number. She had obviously never had any dance training (the choreography wasn't difficult step-wise--it was just very athletic) and she would whip me around like a rag doll while I was trying to sing and stay on my feet. At the end of the song, on the "button," she would sit on my knee and we would form a tableau, but toward the end of the week, she would sit on my knee and put her head on mine, completely covering my face with her mob cap and mugging like you've never seen a person mug before. Well, I wasn't about to have that amateur upstage me at the end of my big number, so I got in the habit of yanking her off of me before she had the opportunity to block my visage. It was all very "All About Eve" and I was so over her by the end that I didn't even say goodbye to her. Bitchy? Yes. Justified? Absolutely. ;)
The day that I got to my first rehearsal (Sunday, about an hour after I got off the bus), I found out that I would not only be playing Mr. Fezziwig, but Topper, Mr. Jollygoode (one of the charity collectors) AND I would be understudying the Ghost of Christmas Present! And get this...I had to go on for Christmas Present on Tuesday--both shows! (Did I mention we were doing two to three shows a day? Well, we were.) I got paid an extra $100 for it, so that was fine by me, and the director said he was truly impressed with my "real" voice and my ability to pick up another person's role so easily without rehearsal, so hopefully that means I'll be working with him again. He's a really nice guy, and seems to know what he's doing, so we'll see. He said something about "next time," so that's a good sign.
I could write a book about some of the characters I met while in West Virginia. There was a very unfortunate fourteen year old girl who was in the thick of her awkward stage, and she developed a crush on me. She had the most unnaturally orange hair I've ever seen in my life, which she tied in a knot on the top of her head that added an extra six inches to her height. She had braces and beady little blue eyes, and every time I had to grab her hand in my song it truly made me nauseous because it felt as if she had just dipped her hand in a toilet bowl--cold and wet. BLEH! She was a sweet girl, but definitely awkward. And someone needed to tell her not to tuck her blue jeans into her knee-high black hooker boots. That's all I'm saying.
Then there was the woman who played the Ghost of Christmas Past. She was also a wonderfully sweet woman, but she was a little on the obese side and wasn't really able to bend her knees. She would waddle and shuffle her way around, trying to learn a British accent (which turned out to be a strange combination of Scottish and West Virginian), smiling all the while. My only problem with her was trying to get past her when we had quick changes--she would walk offstage at a snail's pace, blocking all the traffic behind her, and even though we were all whisper-screaming "WE'VE GOT QUICK CHANGES! COMIN' THROUGH!," she would waddle and shuffle and look around incredulously, and then be surprised when we would run past her like we were in the Kentucky Derby as soon as she got through the door. One day she came up to me and said, "You know, you're so funny in that one scene, and I have no idea what to do during that number, so I think I'm going to do what you're doing cause I think it's just so GRAYT!" Oy.
I won't tell all the tales today. I'll save some for you. I did manage to get some pictures, and I'll try to get them developed ASAP, so be prepared. Now I'm off to the post office to find out where the heck my stuff is...wish me luck.
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Is addict a better term? :)
:)
Yes, "addict" is much-preferred and non-disputable, too .
;D
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[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]Good Afternoon Everyone![/move]
I happen to live with the greatest baker in the world so I very rarely cook anymore ;)
I have heard amazing things about DR Noel's Apple Pie Recipe..I might have to try that one.
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Welcome Kurt! Who was wise enough to hand you Benjamin Kritzer? We hope you'll become a regular denizen here at haineshisway.com.
Why is everyone hitting their posts? Ann just hit two hundred of hers - how do you suppose those damnable posts feel?
Should we chat or should we not chat, that is the question.
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Jason: What a drama! You gotta love working with the locals :P
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It was ME ME ME who borrowed The Evil Kurt the BENJAMIN KRITZER....yes you all know The Evil Kurt....he was most recently in MOBY DICK!!!
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Well, BK, would you prefer we batted our posts?
I am personally batting 1,038 with this one!
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Chat would be okay with me tonight.....one vote for. And by all means, you MUST go to Miss June Wilkinson's house and see if she has any of her MACUMBA LOVE icons hanging on the wall....if so...LOOK OUT!!
Then again she could just keep you up doing the TWIST ALL NIGHT!
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Wecome Kurt! I'm sure you will be very happy here..
BK: Chatting sounds lovely! What time will it begin?
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Quote from: Jennifer on Today at 10:35:11am
I guess I just wish that people here would be happy and let people post on any topic, without making them feel badly (and DR Ann, I'm totally NOT talking about you).
DR RON responded:
This is an intriguing comment.
Are you saying you wish folks would not respond to some of your opinions with different ones from yours?
No. Actually I prefer it when people have different opinions than mine. I don't want everyone to agree with me. That would be boring.
I guess i just wish that we could have intelligent discussions and not think that just because someone disagrees with us that they are wrong.
Ron I am sorry if I upset you today. Or if you think that I was misinterpreting your opinion. That was not my intention. I just want to have a discussion, where we respect everyone's opinions (i'm not saying you don't).
DR Ron also said:
Are you saying you wish you could just say whatever you want without anyone commenting on it?
Again, no. I like when people comment on what I say. It shows that people are reading it :)
And I don't wish I could say ANYTHING. I think we have to have some control.
DR Ron:
Or do you mean that you feel people are trying to squelch certain topics from being discussed?
Personally, I think that anybody should feel WELCOME to discuss any topic that is of interest to them. I don't think that others should make them feel guilty or bad about doing so.
I try to be kind to everyone. And to be honest, I think it's disgusting, to make people feel bad about what they are posting, when their posts are trying to be kind and considerate (when I say bad, I mean drastic reductions in karma, or just saying that certain topics shouldn't be discussed).
I try to be upbeat. And I am generally a positive person. But I cannot say that I have felt very welcome here today.
Now, I really gotta go. Too much do to. I will try to check back here later.
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Kurt!! A fellow MOBY alumnus! I'm the one on the cast recording who couldn't find his starting pitch just before "Ahab...Ahab...More time to kill but your time's near..." Yes, I was the whale. Russell Ochocki told me some wonderful things about your production, and I got to see some video clips and I must say it was exactly what it needed to be. You guys were great and I think you should be very proud of your work in it. VERY proud.
Diane: I know there are probably a ton of Dianes in New York, but are you the one that I know? Do you work for an agency on 54th Street? Do I know you from the AOL Theatre Chat room?? Did I spend a weekend with you in Washington, DC--dining with Matt Bogart and Jaqui Piro and meeting DR Jose? If you're not that Diane, it's OK. Either way, welcome!
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I don't believe I can make chat this evening as I have a date (see good things do happen once you turn 40!) and I don't know that I will be back home by 6pm (unless it is a really bad date!)
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Fine, we'll chat at six.
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I don't know about Canada, but here in the USA, we normally find 16-oz cans of pumpkin puree (or pumpkin pack -- just pure pumpkin ready for a pie) in the grocery stores and supermarkets in the canned foods section.
Yes probably we have that too.
Do you wanna hear how dumb I am? :)
For some reason why I saw "pumpkin" I automatically thought of fresh pumpkins, which obviously aren't available now.
Gosh cheesecakes are my favorite, especially cherry :(
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Ah, Jason. . . Moby was. . .
Naah. . . Simply cannot go into it. Let's talk of cookies and pies rather than ham and eggs.
My mom made a terrific little cookie from graham crackers and the usual mix of butter, sugar and nuts -- poured the melted mixture over the crackers, baked the things a while then removed them from the cookie sheet quickly on their exit from the oven. They crisp up nicely and are rather toffee-y. Anyone know these little charmers?
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Okay one more quick comment.
I wrote:
Is addict a better term?
:)
Yes, "addict" is much-preferred and non-disputable, too .
;D
The funny thing is I didn't even mean expert the way it sounded. I'm not sure what I meant to write.
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DR KURT you already have two Karma points.
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Hey Kurt is in your part of the country JRand53!
Where is Lulu?
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Jason, No, I'm not that Diane=-) Although from the description of your DC weekend I wish I was, lol. I'm starving actress Diane who temps currently and lives in the ghetto <grin>
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Confession - I have not watched a full episode of Survivor...ever. This season I can honestly say I have not watched even part of an episode. Am I still worthy to post here? :)
Which means you've seen more of Survivor than I have!
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Dear Reader Jason--
It's so nice to have you back! Am looking forward to more juicy stories from your thespian adventures in the wilds of West Virginia. [Cue Dueling Banjoes.]
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And welcome to Dear Reader Knockout/Kurt!
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Dear Reader Jason--
It's so nice to have you back! Am looking forward to more juicy stories from your thespian adventures in the wilds of West Virginia. [Cue Dueling Banjoes.]
Jason! You became a lesbian in West Virginia?
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I guess it was a choice between that and "Taking to pig sticking in quite the wrong way" (Noel Coward).
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DR Jason welcome back. Check on the AMAZON site and track your packages. You can tell if they were delivered while you were gone.
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Welcome, Kurt.
Jason, were you really the whale in MOBY DICK?
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Good afternoon!
Well, I've decided today would be a "fat day" for me. ;D
I ran my bank errand, and then headed to Ukrop's for my "traditional" Monday stop and shop. Well... Since I hadn't had lunch or breakfast, I decided to pick up some food. After some browsing, I decided to get some fried fish filets, tilapia, from the seafood counter (I love places where they will cook the food for you there), a twice-baked potato (with sour cream, cheddar, bacon and chives), and a package of those yummilicious Archway Malted Nutty Nougat cookies! However, I did stop by the salad bar, and put together something for my dinner tonight. I also picked up some more oatmeal and confectioner's sugar - I sense I will be doing some late night baking tonight.
*At least the fish was well-fried - not greasy at all - and only coated in a light dusting of seasoned flour. Good protein. However, the twice-baked potato was a different story... And the cookies... I just hope the bag makes it through the day. :o
Welcome to the new board, DR Kurt! -And I do believe I have had the cookie you described. Yums! And that "cookie" has served as many a base for other cookies: angel bars (condensed milk, coconut, chocolate chips and pecans), gloppy bars (marshmallow, peanuts and chocolate), toffee chews (evaporated milk, crushed Skor bars, and more chocolate!), etc....
DR Jason - I will say the one thing I miss about some of my "lesser" gigs are some of the characters I used to come across. Yes, there are still some colorful people in the "biz", but those homegrown folk are truly special. In all senses, good and bad and indifferent. I once worked a summer in Amish country in Indiana...
And as for a chat tonight.. I can be there, but my attention span will probably be split between the chat and Angels In America - Part 2 (It's on HBO tonight). Sorry... :-\
And, Jason, I hope your mail does turn up somewhere. Oh, and depending upon how much catching up you've been doing here on HHW, I'll be up in NYC from January 14-18. See you then, I hope!
Oh, and for any NYCers or others - I have a couple of shows lined up already for my trip. I actually want to go ahead and squeeze in one more. I'm deciding between Wonderful Town, Little Shop..., and Caroline, or Change. Luckily, it's January, so business is slow, and just checking Telecharge, there still be some very good seats right now for all three. I'm leaning toward Wonderful Town, but since this will be show #5(!) of the trip, I want to save some money of these tickets, and I haven't come across any vouchers for January yet. However, Little Shop is on sale right now, and the tickets for the Public are pretty reasonable - at least compared to the $100/ticket price for Broadway. Any thoughts? Or other suggestions? *This is my first trip up to NYC since the blackout, and it will most likely be my last trip up until the summer - I'm playing catch up.
OK - that's my afternoon ramble... Time for more cookies!
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Diane: I know there are probably a ton of Dianes in New York, but are you the one that I know?
To clear up confusion as to who DR Diane is, look to the right and front of photos of Our Wedding - The Musical, the CD of which is available at www.WeddingMusical.com
OK, I've tried & failed to post three pictures - ones I'd managed to post before. Here's Diane, leaning acrobatically from the right, at my bachelor party
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The Arab World exam went very well. I skedaddled two hours after it started... woo hoo! :)
But now I have to wait around until 5pm so that I can get my paper for the course back from the professor... woo woe! :(
I watched Survivor yesterday but, like pretty much this entire season, it disappointed me. I didn't like any of the characters in particular and in the end I was cheering for Jon. Yes. JON the evil bastard from hell who eats kittens and boils babies for fun. At least he was entertaining ;)
I am feeling most unattractive today. Blech. Ever since a couple of days ago I find that I have absolutely no appetite - I actually have to force myself to eat one meal a day with my family. Coffee at 8am and then a small dinner at 6pm should not be making me feel like I had one of José's fat days. Blech.
I have to go to work tomorrow morning for 9am. In the East End. The day after a giant snow storm. Double blech.
At least I get the afternoon off to study for my final final final final final final exam! Woo hoo! Yippee! Huzzah! :D The exam is for the now infamous Conflict, Crisis and War class. Boo! Go Home! Bah! :(
On a happier note: welcome to new DR Kurt!!!
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Just et my Quizno's Lite Turkey Sub (large, of course). The building in which I am working provided a holiday breakfast for all tenants. But I didn't realize it, and by the time I did realize it is was over.
I'm thinkin' we might just make 100 posts today.
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Jose --
Article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune regarding Caroline, or Change suggests that the show is skedded for a B'way house, but that is denied by the parties involved. Also, given that Wonderful Town sounds to be a glorious concert (yes, yes, Donna is reputedly wonderful, but it is still just an extension of the previously unable-to-get-off-the-ground City Center production), you might want to seriously consider your options and aim for the Public. Invariably, whenever a show has transferred from the Public, it is changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes worse. Better to see it in an early guise rather than wonder what all the hype was about later. . .
Just an opinion.
And: anyone got this cookie: a brown sugar cookie dough, spread with a date mixture, rolled, sliced and baked. My great aunt left before writing this one down. . . and I've tried to duplicate what I remember to be a delicious, chewy cookie.
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I cannot say that I am a reality show addict. I'm now picky about which ones I will watch. As I explained to DR Ron the other day, I was once a SURVIVOR junkie: lived, breathed, ate, and slept the show. But then I realized I was getting TOO involved with the show and the machinations behind people's behavior. I was losing sleep worrying about who would leave and what people would do. NOT GOOD! (I think I've told everyone here what a good audience I am about getting involved and believing everything I see). So, I haven't seen SUVIVOR for the last three or four semi-seasons. (The last one I saw was the one Vecepia undeservedly won.)
So, I'll watch QUEER EYE and AMERICAN IDOL and give BIG BROTHER a chance every year before my favorites get voted out, but I don't watch FEAR FACTOR or any of the dating shows (did watch BOY MEETS BOY since it was more my cup of tea date-wise). Really just depends on the show now on whether I will give it a try or not.
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Welcome to our little world, DR Kurt. Hope your stay with us is a long and happy one.
BK wrote: "I thought the ending was okay - a necessary deux ex machina and I'm sure they'll have fun explaining it all very quickly (actually, they HAVE done so - does anyone tape this series?). "
Sorry to dispute you, el supremo bk, but we are about 10 episodes into the third season and nothing concrete has been explained yet. There have been bits and pieces of explanations as Sydney tries to sort things out and piece together her life, but there has still been no real explanation and there are still many gaping holes in the story. Every week gives us only the tiniest piece of a very complex puzzle to keep us hooked and eager for more. But it's a VERY emotional season thus far with lots of stunning surprises and twists again.
Within its total fantasy world, ALIAS is one bottomless bag of tricks.
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I have spent a leisurely afternoon watching GOLDENEYE, the first and still my favorite of the Pierce Brosnan/James Bond films. Continuous action, great surround sound, and beautiful people.
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Yes, but has anybody TAPED these episodes? I don't want to wait until next summer to get season three.
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I'm deciding between Wonderful Town, Little Shop..., and Caroline, or Change.
Sometimes, I sound like I'm on a high horse concerning this, but, as Jose sounds like he's having trouble deciding...
Every time you buy a ticket you are, in a sense, casting a vote as to what type of show you wish to see in the future. If you buy a ticket for Caroline, or Change you're encouraging its creators. Jeanine and Tony (both of whom I worked with years ago) will see that their work finds an interested audience, and, with any luck, they'll come up with more wonderful shows.
Now Wonderful Town is a favorite musical of mine - one of the best never to be filmed (or revived, until now). But most of its creators are dead, and I don't think the show's success will have any bearing on whether Betty Comden writes again.
With Little Shop you have one deceased creator and one living one. But I'm sure Alan Menken already understands that this is the most performed American musical of the past quarter century and that all of us fans wish he'd write another.
I'd go to all three if I could, but there's something to be said for choosing new shows over revivals. It's healthier for the survival of the art form.
There. That didn't sound too high-horsed, did it? Nay!
I'd chat tonight.
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Jose
There are discount tickets to WONDERFUL TOWN at Theatermania.com
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Coffee at 8am and then a small dinner at 6pm should not be making me feel like I had one of José's fat days. Blech.
Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about my "fat day". Nothing like an indulgence every now and then to pick up the spirits. And, remember, I did pick up a salad for dinner, so... It all evens out.
Oh, and my name is sans accent. I've been told that that is what makes my Jose a Filipino Jose as opposed to Spanish José. Sounds good to me.
OMG! I'm watching the repeat of "Trading Spaces" this afternoon - Hildy's Cardboard Room!
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
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Jose: Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought the cardboard room was a bad idea. YUCK!
Now, who is this new designer--Barry? I like his...um...yeah...he can stay.
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Sorry I can't help you with the taped episodes of ALIAS, bk. I watch them in high definition (sorry, I know h/ks are sick of having me talk about that) and don't tape.
And they reran the season premiere last night, bk!
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Noel: One the best damn parties I've ever been too =-)
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And I won't be around for chat tonight. Sorry, but I'm sure those who are around will enjoy it. There's a new episode of LAS VEGAS tonight, and it's in high def. . . . . (Drat! There I go again!) :D
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Yes...welcome, KO!
Your name "Knockout" is just fine! I was hoping it might be a bit descriptive of you...then you could give MBarnum and Mr. Mark Bakalor some competition in the looks department!
But KO is great as "knockout" and "Kurt" is terrific, too!
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Yay! Archaeology test is done!!! I know I at least passed it...with what grade I do not know and do not care.
Jason - wonderful stories! I had people staring me in the library because i was laughing so loud. I look forward to more.
Art history test at 4 pm...good vibes appreciated... :)
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The Evil Kurt is indeed a knockout!
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MattH: Last night on NBC News, during the coverage of Sadam, they were interviewing people on the street. One of the cities they were in was Charlotte. Were you having snow yesterday?
Jason: So! Did you meet anyone interesting?
Noel: That is a very interesting point you make about the purchase of theater tickets being the same as casting a vote. But would that vote casting work for the artists involved with a show, as well as the creators? I mean, I don't suppose the success or failure of LITTLE SHOP would have any effect on Jerry Zaks career, but would an early closing of their show have any effect on the careers of Hunter Foster or Kerry Butler?
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Well, DR TCB - I don't think either of them will ever have to take in laundry.
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The Evil Kurt is indeed a knockout!
Hmmm, evil AND a knockout!
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I seem to have lost the knack of posting photos, but here's an attempt to show part of the choir from Our Wedding - The Musical (you can buy the CD at www.WeddingMusical.com - have I mentioned that?) & DR Diane is in front.
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I promised earlier to share a delish dessert recipe - but I can't. I realize now that only I can make this dessert because only I understand the recipe. It was bequeathed to me by my mother. I looked it up in my little notebook and it has ingredients like "1/4 & 1/2 of 1/4 lb. butter." You figure that out! I can make it by instinct, but that won't work for the DR's. Because I'm just full of stories (and this one isn't about the rich and famous) I'll tell you the story of the recipe you won't get. It's called "Ibi Neni Torta." Which means "Aunt Ibi Cake." Now even though this story has to do with lovely things to eat, it's a Hungarian story, so it's dark and tragic (and has people dancing the Csardas into the night)... The tradition in Hungary is for newlyweds to visit the various relatives shortly after the wedding. At each house you get served something special. My parents' wedding was sudden. My father's first wife was killed by the Nazis and my mother's fiancé (a doctor) injected himself with a deadly overdose on his way to concentration camp.- Are we having fun yet? - My parents met after the war through a Personal ad and had their first date on New Year's Eve. Weirdly enough, it turned out that my father (to be) was a patient of my mother-to-be's dead fiancé. In fact, my mother used to wait for her fiancé outside my father-to-be's apartment every Friday evening, while her fiancé (a doctor, remember?) gave my father a shot (of what I don't know). Anyway, on their first date they went to the opera and my father put his hand over my mother's as they watched and said, "You know this is for a lifetime."
Isn't that romantic? (Mind you, he died seven years later - but this is Hungarian story and that's to be expected.) Anyway, we flash forward a month or two and they marry and visit all the surprised relatives and Aunt Ibi makes this yummy chocolate thing for them - which my mother then always made for me as a treat and I can make it, too. But YOU can't because I can't tell you how.
Sorry for the ramble, but all this talk of Saddam made me think of Hungary - I even took out a book about the Hungarian Revolution last night and looked at the pictures of dead bodies and fondly thought back on the good old days of my childhood. This is getting MORBID.
I think I'll take my car in now to get a Smog Certificate so I can get my CA plates. That should cheer me up. BTW - I have to take a written test to get my CA license. I know many of you HHW folks are students, but it's been a few decades since I was a student and that was the last time I took a test. I'm not looking forward to it.
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DRs Kurt, Noel and WEL - Thanks for the input.
I've been leaning toward Caroline, or Change myself. And DR Noel, you're thoughts did not at all sound high-horse-ish to me. I, too, have (sort of) worked with Jeanine and would love to see/hear her new piece. And I've always found Kushner's work very intriguing and involving - if not a little too "educated" for me at times. *Some of the symbolism in Angels is related to topics I've never even heard of! I've also heard many good things about the show - even from people who admitted that the show may still need some work, some clarifying. So...
I have some friends in Wonderful Town which is why I want to see that show. Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a big, live orchestra! *And I did check out the discount offers on the various sites, but none of them are valid past next week - yet. They just released a new block of tickets, so maybe the offers will get updated and extended soon. *I'm also a little hesitant to commit to Wonderful Town since Donna Murphy's flu/cold seems to be back. Yes, I know I said the other day that I don't go to see "stars", but with all the glorious notices for her, I have to see what all the fuss is about - although I greatly admired her in Passion each of the five times I saw it and her, and I liked her in the The King & I too - and she was always in when I saw that one too. -And a nice article in today's NYTimes on her process - great quote from Martha Graham leads off the article:
"No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."
I'd also just like to see a big ole slick production of Little Shop about now. I remember loving the national tour I saw when I was in high school. *There was a row of dentists sitting in front of me, and they apparently had no idea about Orin's character. When he came out and sang, "I Am A Dentist"... I have never heard so much good natured, heart and stomach felt laughter in my whole life. I could hear them thanking their wives for taking them to the show at intermission. And I'm also a big fan of Kerry Butler and Hunter Foster, so...
But like I said, I'm leaning toward Caroline, or Change, and since it just got extended - which means I can now see it, I'm taking that as a sort of sign. And it would be good to have something not so "light" on my trip since I'm definitely seeing Avenue Q, Wicked and Hairspray. I'm still waiting on word on house seats for the other show, and once I get word back on that, I'll get to the fifth show slot.
Oh, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm taking a friend along with me, and I really want to have a fun trip, and have just been hedging on going to see something with serious undertones. But, hey, that's theatre!
So, in summation... Each show has it's +'s, but I'll most likely end up at The Public. I'll keep you all posted.
DR Jason: Barry... yes....
And now "While You Were Out" is on... Nice biceps! :P
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DR TCB asked: "One of the cities they were in was Charlotte. Were you having snow yesterday?"
No, just very cold rain and wind. We haven't had any snow this season though there has been snow to the north and, of course, west of us in the NC mountains.
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Welcome, new (I know you were around briefly a few months back, but new again) DR Kurt!
Welcome back, DR Jason! Love the Christmas Carol stories! Funnily, the Mrs. Fezziwig I'm working with would probably be pulling much the same stuff were we doing the version you did. And I would be bitchslapping her from here to eternity and hell and back.
Noel - Never fear, any Washingtonian worth their salt understands the difference between eating apples and baking apples. While we do both pretty well around here, it's mostly the eating ones that go out to all y'all. The pie sounds absolutely delish... may have to give it a try sometime.
Same goes for Ron's pumpkin cheesecake (I think it was Ron, wasn't it?)...
Survivor - I am not at all a fan of most "reality" TV (except The Mole, which I absolutely loved... but not the damned celebrity crap one), but I must admit that I watched most all of this season of Survivor. I was quite pleased with the result. If there was anyone other than Sandra (a Washingtonian, I might add :D) I would have liked to see win, it would have been Jon. Yes, that's right, I said Jon. True, he was a despicable person throughout the season, and seems to be very much the same way outside the game, but you gotta admit the guy played the game damn well.
I think I should be able to make chat tonight! I'll be looking forward to it.
Best of vibes to Ann, Maya, Emily, and any other DR's in the midst of finals. Ahh, how glad I am to be done with those things!
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Jason--great stories! Don't you love dem "local color?"
Jose--I guess it also depends what kind of show you're in the mood for when you get up to the city. Like maybe if you're feeling chipper and in the mood for something light-hearted and fun, you could see "Wonderful Town" or "LSOH" ( I personally adored WT and Donna did blow my proverbial socks off). And if you're feeling more in the mood for something more substantial with a lot of social commentary and emotion, you could go for "Caroline."
Only a half hour til my exam. Bleh. I should be at chat though tonight for a while.
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Thank you for the good vibes, Jed! I need them right now! :D
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AHHHHHHHHH--DRJed - I enjoyed the non-celebrity MOLE very much as well. And I didn't guess who it was.....I thought since SHE had sneaked a peek in the producer's notebook, it couldn't be her. WRONG!!! I liked that show a LOT!
Haven't really watch SURVIVOR much. But I like to hear about it....The Bachelor and all those others....well they certainly do love to talk about them at work, so somehow I feel as though I HAVE watched them.
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I forgot about the MOLE too...good show. THE AMAZING RACE is fun too. It is very gay friendly and you get to see the most wonderful sights as they travel all over the world.
And what was that show that had the people who had to live as they did in the late 1890s or so...fascinating!
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Oh, here's another HUGE fan of the non-celebrity editions of THE MOLE. I applied to be on the second one - filled out the 10 page application and did the 4 minute videotape. And they picked a retired schoolteacher in his 50s as one of the contestants. It just wasn't me, sad to say!
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Vibes to Maya on her art final.
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Vibes to DR MBarnum on his date tonight.
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Ah yes, THE AMAZING RACE is second on my list behind THE MOLE. A very fun show to watch. I like competitions that are actually about competition, not just personalities and drama.
MattH - I downloaded a MOLE 2 application, but never did fill it out.
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It is that time of the year when so many of us have so much to do in "So Little Time" - 55 Days at Peking (Beijing)". 100 degrees here by this afternoon so I don' t think I shall be shopping for long! Just had to modify my post - I had forgotten to refresh!
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That semester that the original version of THE MOLE was on, we had a pool of teachers that would congregate every Monday and go through every clue, every hint, every action and reaction, and when we got down to the end, we all voted on who we thought the Mole was of the three remaining players, the losers buying the winners lunch out one day. I guessed wrong along with four other teachers, so we chipped in a bought lunch for the two who guessed correctly. That girl had me completely fooled.
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Addendums and odd and ends:
DR Kurt - That date cookie you described sounds very close to a Martha Stewart recipe I've made before. Kind of like "date newton"? And then there are those wonderful Italian X-cookies that are covered in powdered sugar. -See "Baking with Julia". ;) I can check through my books if you'd like...
DR Noel - As a working <knock wood> musician (pianist/keyboardist/conductor/music director/arranger), I am all for supporting new work. And old work. As well as supporting my fellow musicians and my colleauges on stage, the actors and actresses. For me right now, work is work. More or less. Unfortunately, it seems like my classical colleauges are truly dealing with some daunting fiscal challenges right now. But I digress...
I'm going to New York. I'm going with a good friend. I just wanna have a good time in the Big Apple!
And as I stated before, I may just leave that slot open and see what happens when I get up there. Who knows? I may end up at the Met - the opera and/or the museum for the day.
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Chat in three hours
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Matth, maybe they will still call you for THE MOLE. You never know!
Jed, fill out that application!
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Oh, how could I forget?!?!?! BK will most definitely whip me with a wet noodle! -Linguine or Spaghetti?
....pianist/keyboardist/conductor/music director/arranger...
and Scarlette!
OH! I now have a date in half an hour... ;D Well, just a good dinner at a good restaurant with a good friend. The joys of IMs!
Again, I should be back for chat, but AiA2 will be on in the background. After checking out the schedule on HBO's website, this will be the only time I can catch it in it's current run. And trying to tape anything with the way the cable is set up here is usually more trouble than it's worth. Which channel do I set the TV too? And which channel do I set the VCR too? And which antenna feed do I use? Etc...
Gotta run!
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Oh dear, and I have a Christmas shopping emergency. Hope to be back. May be a bit late though....
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We saw two movies this past miserable-weather weekend: "Somethings Gotta Give" and "Stuck on You". The second isn't the usual Farrelly Brothers vulgarity-filled movie, but is really a very "sweet" movie. Not a lot of belly laughts, but very enjoyable. The first, is a terrific movie for men and woman over 50, in which age-group my wife and I are in. It's a rare intelligent, funny film geared for an adult audience. Nicholson gives one of his best performances ever. Keaton, also, and I have to say it is shocking to see how this icon of my youth and of my age, have aged. My wife and I, of course, haven't aged at all since we were married 32+ years ago - I must get new glasses. The film is very up-to-date in incorporating modern technology as integral plot devices: e.g., cell phone, email, Viagra.
With regard to yesterday's discussion about Malby and Shire, I have to affirm my feelings about their "Starting Here, Starting Now." It is also one of my wife's and my favorites, especially as performed by BS on her "Color Me Barbra" TV show and album. As a matter of fact, on the eve of our wedding back in '71, I had my father-in-law-to-be give my wife-to-be the lyrics of the song that I had written out in longhand. The song has always been very special to the two of us.
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Alas, DR MBarnum, ABC is only doing CELEBRITY MOLE now. We common folk just can't measure up to the likes of Melissa Rivers and Corbin Bernsen.
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DR Panni -- your story makes me appreciate all that I have.
Re reality shows: There is only one reality show in my opinion -- and that is COPS. I've never seen any of the other "reality shows."
My day: Two-hour meeting with the minister, trying to figure out how to please everyone. Waited for the plumber, who finally called to cancel. Went birding. Tried to call about problem with mother's estate -- someone lost the stock certificates I turned over. Coming up next: Two-hour class on church history.
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Dr Laura:I It was the late Rick Nelson who sang "you can't please everyone so you have to please yourself" - and that does not need to be interpreted as a selfish thought. I think he was singing about a church garden party. (Maybe it was dancing the Madison in a square or something like that!).
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Only CELEBRITY MOLE! What the heck! I never watched the celbrity ones. My buddy Ron did but he didn't like it.
Well, I think you and Jed could easily be considered celebrities, at least here at HHW!
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You wear Purple tights and you get to be a celebrity. I am indeed going shopping.
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Chat in two hours. I'm probably going to open the room early, as I'm gonna try to get out of work around 6:15.
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Home from work.
I like reality shows that are actual reality (where people are followed around by a crew and photographed as they really are (ie the show that started it all in the 70s "An American Family" or more recently "American High"). It's the phony set-up kind of "reality" shows I don't like.
As promised this morning, here is the cheesecake that makes its own crust.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a standard size pie plate.
Put the following in the blender:
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs (crack them open first and throw out the
shells)
1 cup sugar
½ cup Bisquick (or a genaric brand)
Blend on high for 15 seconds
Add 2 8 0z. packages of creamcheese (cubed) and blend on high for 2 minutes
Pour into pie plate and bake for 40 to 45 minutes
Cool one hour and spread on the topping which is a mixture of 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla
You can serve it plain or garnish with your choice of fruit
This comes the closest to a Sarah Lee Cheese Cake (the original refrigerated, not frozen) that I have ever tasted.
And the crust really does appear at the bottom when cooking.
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Noel: That is a very interesting point you make about the purchase of theater tickets being the same as casting a vote. But would that vote casting work for the artists involved with a show, as well as the creators? I mean, I don't suppose the success or failure of LITTLE SHOP would have any effect on Jerry Zaks career, but would an early closing of their show have any effect on the careers of Hunter Foster or Kerry Butler?
The lives and choices of famous performers are a somewhat different matter. Picture that Broadway is a small collection of powers-that-be, deciding what sorts of shows get produced. If they believe the public is interested in new musicals (as they were in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's & 70's, when revivals were rare), they'll produce new musicals. If they think what the public wants to see is previously-established songs shoehorned into a new book (Mamma Mia, Movin' Out, Never Gonna Dance), they'll give us more of that.
But you won't catch my buying a ticket for a so-called "new" musical with an old score. It's against my principals, and interest.
Not connected to this issue is the "marquis value" of stars. Producers see what performers sell tickets, and try to put them in shows. It was ever thus. I admire performers who show an active interest in new work. I loved, off-Broadway, Mr. Foster in Urinetown and Ms. Butler in Bat Boy even if I didn't like those shows.
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Finished my Soc. exam...damn, it was easy!
Thanks, Matt H., for the good vibes! It's technically Ann that has the art exam though...which I'm sure she will do fine on!
Hmmm...I think it is important to have new work up, but I also love revivals. I mean most people my age have never seen a production of "Wonderful Town," and other shows, and so I love being able to see full, really professional productions of shows I was too young to see in their original incarnations.
Perhaps I'm optimistic, but I DO believe there is hope for the future of Broadway, in terms of new musicals. We have some very talented people writing shows right now...the amount of shows they put out though just seems small when compared to the revivals.
Anyway, I just buy tickets based on what looks interesting to me, new or old.
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DR Panni: For the cooks among us, 1/4 lb butter and 1/2 of 1/4 lb. butter is quite simple.
There are normally four sticks of butter to a pound.
One stick is 1/4 lb.
A half-stick is 1/2 of 1/4 lb.
Thus: One and one-half sticks of butter.
Print the recipe...let us enjoy the adventure!
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As for the M&M problem, I've always wondered how those store bought cookies manage to not have melted M&Ms.
A commercial-style cookie mix from Duncan Hines, which der Brucer found at Sam's Club ("Perfect for Restaurants, Schools, Bakery Counters, Home" says a banner on the box) a) uses "M&M Mini Baking Bits," and b) calls for "dipping each ball" of dough "into M&Ms, pressing the dough into a 2 inch circle while pressing the mini baking bits gently into dough (about 23-23 M&Ms per cookie).
I prefer working from scratch. Even looking over the ingredients list makes me qualmish. The box of mix is staying on the shelf.
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Chat in less than an hour. I'm opening the room at 5:45
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Okay, for Ron Pulliam: The Recipe for Ibi Néni Cake:
BOTTOM LAYER:
1 cup flour
1/4 pound butter
1 cup grated walnuts
1 egg
PAM or similar spray
1. Beat egg with fork
2. Mix dry ingredients and add beaten egg. Knead together with hands.
3. Put large piece of wax paper on counter. Place this doughy mixture on wax paper and stretch flat.
4. Spray large baking pan with PAM or similar spray. Put dough in it and stretch until it reaches sides and up a bit.
FILLING:
1 large jar of red currant jam (can use other similar flavors - preferable to use some kind of European jam)
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tblspns cocoa
2 bags Vanilla Sugar
2 tblspns rum
1. Mix egg yolks with mixer
2. Beat egg whites until "hard"
3. Mix yolks, cocoa, sugar, butter, rum, Vanilla Sugar
4. Fold into egg whites
5. Thinly spread the layer of dough in baking pan with jam, then pour the filling mixture onto it from one end to the other, until evenly spread
6. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (Keep testing - it shouldn't be hard, but more cakelike in texture.)
7. When done, wait until half cool then cut into brownie-size pieces with wet knife.
GOOD LUCK!
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Recipes, recipes...
I'm not one for really recipeing things. I'm a bit more improvisational in the kitchen, trusting my instincts. I also tend to be a scratch cook, something my new primary care physician had trouble understanding. He's still in the habit of thinking people only know how to open cans or boxes. Sometimes doctors can be so silly.
That being the case, tonight I'm actually going to...open a can! Since I'm in the mood for something in a Chinese vein, I've got a can of La Choy Fancy Mixed Chinese Vegetables waiting to be opened. To this, I'll be adding skinless and boneless chicken thighs (trimmed of excess fat, and cubed into bite size pieces), and fresh carrots, celery, bell peppers and mushrooms, all to be sauteed in a skillet, with some chicken stock thickened with corn starch, to be served over rice, soy sauce on the side (which I like, but der Brucer doesn't for some reason). Come to think of it, I've got some broccoli florets I could add, too...or I could save those for another dish for later in the week...
Hmmm, how about broccoli florets with ground beef, with some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick, over egg noodles?
What I've got to start looking into is how to use the venison der Brucer's son-in-law gave us. Preferably a recipe or two that don't use juniper berries, since the taste of juniper turns my stomach (thus, no gin martinis for me, a good reason to stick to vodka martinis, or better yet manhattans).
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Oh, Jose, about your wanting to come up for a visit: February would be the earliest we could have a real visitor, and March would be better. Der Brucer will be back on the left coast for a couple of weeks starting New Years Day, getting the rest of our stuff moved out, and I figure it will take a couple of weeks after he gets back for the place to look even reasonably like a home.
I haven't the faintest idea where he's planning on putting his upright piano, which hasn't been tuned for years. ::)
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Chat in a mere half-hour.
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BK, though of course the party took a slight dip after the Life of Every Party (yourself) left, we recovered nicely and the last guest departed on the other side of eleven o' clock. It was as always a witty and charming group and, as host, I didn't get to spend enough time with everyone, as I was opening doors, fetching drinks, and flinging introductions around. Julieanne would have loved for some of the three or four people who played piano to have tickled the ivories and had some caroling, which didn't happen. Before her old accompaniest moved to Australia ( he plays for Helen Reddy's sister), there used to be a musical interlude at every party. But then several of our musical-comedy cohorts have also moved on.
Those who had not had the experience of the library were appropriately awe-struck and envious. All in all, a raucous good time was had by all. Several entities did not show (most notably my pal Harlan Ellison who usually uses his disdain for Christmas and his general curmudgeoness as a reason to beg off. But he has been to a couple in the past...I remember one where he and Ms. Wilkinson were doing the Lindy in the kitchen...and this year he surprised me by calling early to say that he and his lovely wife, Susan, were definitely coming.). Anyway, we overbought on food, so we're set for the rest of the holidays...though I really need to unload the abundance of chocolates we've got here. And the wrought-iron Christmas tree was exquisite.
Re the question about Ms. Wilkinson. June and I followed each other around in dinner theatre forever, but we never did a show together unfortunately. It wasn't until I was ensconced out here in CA. that the director who directed us both in dinner theatre in Texas (and the same one who directed June in the original production of Pyjama Tops) introduced us. June, once you get past that magnificent body, is also a bright and witty lady and lots of fun. She regaled me last night with her days at the Windmill in London and a yarn about Lew Grade (before he was Sir Lew) building an act around her. As far as I remember her house (at least the parts I've seen), she has no shrines or walls devoted to Macumba Love or Twisting the Night Away...but she will sell these videos to you at the Ray Court shows.
DR Tom, the story I heard about Ricky Nelson's "You can't please everybody, so you've got to please yourself" line from the song Garden Party is the song is about a concert he did a few years before the song, featuring a lot of oldies acts. When Nelson tried to incorporate some new songs into the act, apparently the fans booed and only wanted to hear the old hits. Hence, the line. I guess it was his statement of defiance to fans who wanted him to stay in the same place and not grow or explore.
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Re reality shows: There is only one reality show in my opinion -- and that is COPS. I've never seen any of the other "reality shows."
DearReaderLaura,
Did you like COPS? Do you offend easily? If you answered Yes to the first question and No to the second question, and you haven't seen/heard of it yet, Comedy Central has a show called "Reno911." It's a spoof of that kind of show...well, more like a mockumentary series. It's improvisational and they swear all the time, but they do bleep out the words. It's pretty darned funny, like I said, if you don't offend easily. Otherwise, I do recommend it.
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I'm very happy:
I nearly bought a Noble Fir X-mas tree for $70. I held-out, and later found it for $35.
With a newborn on the way (due any day), every buck counts, eh?
And, yes, I'll be taking the tree to a recycling center when all the Fa-la-la-la-la-ing is done...
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BTW: BK was -- mildly -- kvetching in the hallway about the lack of posts... but I say 6 pages on a Monday 'aint bad...
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I worked on COPS back in '91. Seems like an eternity ago...
GREAT offices in what was a condo building in Marina Del Rey. The edit bays were the bedrooms with windows you could open to get the sea air and see the boats gliding by. Tape storage was in what would have been the closets... and each edit bay had it's own bathroom!
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I'm very happy:
I nearly bought a Noble Fir X-mas tree for $70. I held-out, and later found it for $35.
With a newborn on the way (due any day), every buck counts, eh?
And, yes, I'll be taking the tree to a recycling center when all the Fa-la-la-la-la-ing is done...
My gosh, Jon, you don't even look pregnant!
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Charles: It was a concert at Madison Square Garden (or whatever it is called) In NYC. Hence my comments - they were really not that cryptic. OK ! We in OZ just think differently. Thanks for reading and commenting. The pop world of the fifties and sixties is where I still live a lot of the time. Helen Reddy's sister? I assume you mean Toni Lamond who is one hell of a performer and much loved here. She was an excellent Mama Rose, was in the Original Oz cast of "Pajama Game" and I have a feeling she may have been in the West Coast coast of "La Cage". Helen is very much in her shadow in OZ.
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Chat is open - I can't tell if anyone is in there or not on my office computer - I opened it from someone else's computer and shall now try to get in from here.
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Toni Lamond is exactly who I meant. I couldn't remember her last name. Ron Creager ,who I assume is still her accompanist went to the same college with my wife Julieanne and me... he became Julieanne's dear friend, accompanied her during the Miss Kentucky pageant (she was Miss Lexington) and many other gigs in Kentucky. They became reunited when Julieanne moved out here. He's toured all over the world with Lamond.
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Nope, doesn't look like there's one single person in chat and if that remains the situation by six, I'll just closer her up.
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Okay, I can't do chat from here - these stupid computers just can't deal with it - hopefully it's going on and I'll check in when I get home - I'm leaving now.
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I was just in chat and it was lively and sparkling. Topics changed from moment to moment! Check to see if it's still going and join in!
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Here's a picture of me as Mr. Jollygoode with one of our lovely ensemble members. No, this is not the toilet-dipper from my previous post. The young lady in this photo is a wonderful 16-year old (who acts like she's 30) from southwestern PA.
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Great picture Jason. Now we need the pictures promised of DRJED and the pictures of DRMAYA!
Thanks DRCHARLESPOGUE for the June Wilkinson update....she rocks! I love her voice! And she did sing that wild duet with Mamie Van Doren, "Bikini With no Top on Top!"
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Thanks for the cookie info, Jose! I copied it and will try different the techniques next time!
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You're welcome, George.
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In response to any allegations of E and T ness
EXAMS are hell!
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Chat was sparkling, if small, tonight!
Love the pic, Jason!
I hope you guys don't mind if I scan one of my own...this is me at Sardi's..( I had to heavily crop the pic...it was sooo big!)
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I can't believe my poor choice.
I left the chat after a few seconds in order to watch a DVD that DW Joy was all excited about renting. I gave up on it after an hour, only to find the chat room empty.
Now I'm barely awake. Portentious nonsense, senseless violence, meaningless arguments, and a character who sounds like Donald Duck but is in every other way disgusting. It seems to be beyond my ability to understand what so many people see in this picture.
Goodnight.
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Good evening.
The chat was lively and sparkling. I had to leave, but BK left the room open, so I may check back in later.
My dinner "date" was very nice. Good company and good food. Tonight's menu:
The house bread - an egg-based one with saffron
Dinner salad with a poppy-seed vinaigrette
Saganaki - Theflamingcheese! HOPA!
Sauteed Grouper on top of Goat Cheese Ravioli in a Lobster-Parmesan Sauce, with Grecian Green Bean, Zucchini and Asparagus (Me)
Sauteed Salmon with Sauteed Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts and Onions, with Grecian Green Bean and Rice Pilaf (Him)
We passed on dessert. The portions are usually very generous when we go there, and tonight was no exception. Just no room for dessert, although the thought did cross my mind. And I have a nice piece of grouper for tomorrow's lunch.
*So, instead of dessert I'm munching on more of those Nutty Malted Nugget Cookies! They're addictive!
In any case, it was a nice dinner, and a nice way to spend part of my Monday night off. Oh, and I went with my ex. We're still very good friends. Better friends now, I think, then when we were together - and we were together for 3-1/2 years. Needless to say, it was a very amicable break up. I'll spare you the Oprah moments. ;) -And I'll be taking him to NYC in January too. We always seem to go to NYC when it's cold. ???
So, after dinner, I came back, turned on HBO2, watched the end of "Sex & The City", and now Angels In America Part II. I also stopped into the chat for a bit. And as it turns out, a friend I haven't seen in a long time popped up on AOL, so we did some catching up there too. I'm just glad my computer didn't crash with all the various chat clients running. <knock wood>
Well, time to turn my attention fully to AiA2. I'll check back in later.
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A lovely chat it was, indeed. Topics flying around like crazy... something about Jose having dinner with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jason's mail being stolen by a hermaphrodite... or something like that. :D
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DR Jed - ROTFLMAO!!!!
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And... Welcome DR Kurt, welcome to the man-hunting ways of the girls of HHW.
I had an exam and studied for nine hours.
Night!
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Today has been such a crazy day here that I wouldn't have been surprised if I had called you Ann, DR Maya. Anyway, glad the exam was easy. Like DR Jed, I am SO glad those days are behind me now. I always put SO much pressure on myself to do well, and I did, but I could hardly enjoy any academic success I had because it came at such a miserable internal cost.
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DR George, I love RENO 911! No, the quality of the comedy isn't consistent from week to week depending on the loose structural topic of week, but some of them have been truly hilarious, and all of the characters established themselves so well during the months it was on that one couldn't wait to see what stupid trouble each would get himself in. I'm looking forward to a new season of shows, I suppose this summer?
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Looks like a lull, and I must be off to bed. Look to see everyone here again tomorrow. Good night.
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No LULLS
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Just checked the website for the Nat'l Tour of OKLAHOMA! that opens this week in Denver. I know six of the people in the show. Someone remind me that it's just a non-Equity tour and that I have no reason to be jealous of them. Someone...anyone?
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It's just a non-Equity tour...and you have NO reason to be jealous of them.
After all, you just finished a fabulous show played out in a school gymnasium.
: )
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I wonder if Mr. Charles Pogue got a lovely green envelope today.
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Thanks, Ron. They're playing a major theatre in Denver...so what? I got to play the high school auditorium of East Fairmont High in West Virginia. It's all the same, right?
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AiA2 was wonderful. Now I want to go back and read the plays again.
Well... that's all for me for now...
Oh, there are still some cookies left in the bag... For now...
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I do not directly get these green envelopes of which you speak, BK. They go to my business manager, who did email me last week to inform me of several cheques we got on several of my movies.
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We love them green envelopes.
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sigh....only get green envelopes on St. Patty's day.....
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Someone tell me to get off my lazy butt and study for the final I have at 8 am. I just don't wanna....
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Just do it like I did (for classes I didn't take from your mother). To hell with studying! Just take the test and don't worry, you'll pass.
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Cryptic quip: It does take me awhile sometimes, but I eventually figure it out.
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Where was the cryptic? Did I miss something again?
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I dunno, Jose... I'm scratching my head as well.
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Where was the cryptic? Did I miss something again?
If you did, so did I...bk was being very cryptic about his cryptic remark
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The cryptic remark will be understood. I'm very influenced by Alias right now.
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You're going to be away for how long? SAY IT AIN"T SO!!!
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Who's going away?
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Well, back to today's topic....
Here's my current favorite cheesecake recipe. It's from Nick Malgieri's "Perfect Cakes".
Paul's Cheesecake (I have no idea who Paul is, however)
1 1/2 pounds of cream cheese (Philly is best)
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
One 16-ounce container sour cream
*Use a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with your favorite crust in the bottom (graham crackers, nuts, cake, brownie, etc.)
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Place oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to midway between 300 and 325 degrees.
In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. Beat in the sugar in a stream. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula each time and beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the sour cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for exactly 1 hour. Turn off the oven, without opening the door(!), and leave the cheesecake in the oven for exactly 1 hour more.
Cool the cheesecake in the pan on a rack, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm.
Unmold and serve. YUM!
*And it was with this recipe that I first tried unmolding a cheesecake from the pan by gently heating the bottom of the pan over a low flame (gas stove), then turning it over onto a large plate/platter (keep the plastic wrap it was wrapped in on the cake), giving it a good knock, and Voila! Then turn it right side up onto another platter. Yes, this sounds scary, but it works. Of course, you can still serve it with the bottom of the springform pan intact. And Malgieri's description of this procedure in his book is very funny - "follow the instructions below as if your life depended on it". ;)
It's a very nice cheesecake - almost like a NY style. Sometimes the top cracks, sometimes it doesn't. Crack or no crack, it still tastes very good. Don't go there, TCB!
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OOhh.... will we make it to...
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200 posts?!?!?!?
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-I was due to do that.
And it felt sooo good!
Or if I was being cryptic, I would have typed:
-J xbt evf up ep uibu.
Boe ju gfmu tppp hppe!
(and that's an easy cryptic)
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Zm vzhb xibkgrx rmwvvw, Qlhv, nfxs orpv gsrh lmv.
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I'm all alone!
DR Jed, that's the same code I used once when I sent a letter to Mr. Sondheim. Unfortunately - or fortunately - he did not write back in code.
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Oh, Ann is here now too!
Hi, Ann!