I have not had you out of your chair from behind the computer and dancing for a while, but I'm going to make up for that today. I know today is the day many of you will be dining on turkey and all the trimmings. Like me, you will probably eat a few extra calories that you wouldn't ordinarily consume. No need to worry, though. If you dance along to this blog post, you will burn off those extra calories in no time.
I have prepared a complete Thanksgiving dinner day dance feast for you. Before we get started on the feast, though, first we must give thanks. It is much easier to dance if there is music in the air, so let's say thank you for the music.
Now, how about a bit of turkey?
And, just in case you don't know how to do the turkey trot, here are some youngsters who will show you how.
Pass the mashed potatoes, please.
May I offer you a Yam?
And what would Thanksgiving be without dancing carrots?
Might as well finish up with some pie. Would you like apple, peaches, or pumpkin?
Or maybe you prefer sweet potato pie?
Happy Thanksgiving to all my dancing partners! Thanks for putting my name on your dance card. I hope you have so many blessings to count that it makes you feel like dancing.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Count Your Blessings--Thanksgiving Week Continues
Bing Crosby starts us off today to remind us to count our blessings.
This next song is one I can remember singing in church on Sunday morning as a child. This one is sung by The Statesmen.
While you are counting your blessings, listen to Johnny Cash sing a Thanksgiving Prayer on an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
This next song is one I can remember singing in church on Sunday morning as a child. This one is sung by The Statesmen.
While you are counting your blessings, listen to Johnny Cash sing a Thanksgiving Prayer on an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Green Beans in a Snap
I needed a green vegetable for dinner last night but didn't have any fresh vegetables that weren't planned for Thanksgiving. I didn't want to dip into that stash and have to go to the grocery store again before Thursday!
I don't buy many canned vegetables, but I had a can of green beans on hand. I chopped two strips of bacon and fried them up. This bacon was so meaty there wasn't much grease in the pan afterwards. After frying the bacon, I just wiped the pan out and put the bacon back in with some chopped onions.
In went one can of green beans (drained) and some freshly ground black pepper. A few minutes on the heat and they were ready to serve! Quick, easy and good!
Corn Pudding
Remember when we picked corn a few months ago? You missed it? Well take a look here!
Corn pudding may be one of my favorite things to eat.
Slice the corn from the cob and saute with a little onion in butter...
... whisk together eggs, milk, half-and-half, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the cooled corn mixture and pour into a baking dish. 
The baking dish then goes into a bain marie, or water bath. Put the baking dish in a larger pan and add hot water to the pan until it's about half-way up the side of the baking dish. This will keep the edges of the custard from cooking much faster than the middle of the casserole.
Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
The corn is so delicious surrounded by a soft, delicate custard that just melts in your mouth. If you like corn and custard, you're going to love this dish! You can find the recipe here!I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!
No 289 - John Carpenter's The Thing
Director - John Carpenter
So I had taken out 3 films from the Library and was planning to watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford... because i was impressed by the lengthy title. However it skipped and jumped and leapt like a professional ballet dancer. Only with considerably less grace....
I will try and find a different copy of it somewhere and until then I will move down the pile... to The Thing!
Now you know a film is going to be good with a title like that. Any film where they can't specify what the threat is is bound to be brilliant. Them!, The Stuff - they evoke that marvellous sense of B Movie nonsense. However, this film is very different from the promises made by the ridiculous title and the pulpy sci-fi title sequence where a spaceship crashes to Earth.
After the title sequence, the film focuses less on the Alien. It instead seems to use the appearance of the Alien to explore the paranoia and cabin fever which grips the group within their isolated base. The film is more interested in the character developments and the alien sort of pops up every now and again to kill people in hilarious ways...
Let us discuss the Alien. The Thing, so to speak. Although this is a very dark, very bleak horror film, the sequences with the Alien are comedy gold. This does not include the first Alien appearance where a dog essentially turns itself inside out and sprouts tentacles and faces. I have gotten slightly obsessed in recent weeks with Fallout 3 on the Xbox and seem to be spending long hours wandering through post apocalyptic DC getting all jumpy and shooting big monsters and mutants to death. With lasers. Maybe I had it slightly on the mind, because slimy tentacle inside out dog made me think of The Centaurs, which are weird radioactive monsters which feature in the game. Despite getting used to that kind of monster, the first Alien transformation sequence is pretty horrific, and a very impressive use of 1983's special effects. Especially if we compare them to the shit ones in Big Trouble in Little China... which I have mentioned before in this blog.
Once you have survived the horrific dog mutilation, there is the sublime ridiculousness of the Thing's other appearances, the Thing certainly has a sense of the dramatic. And a rather surreal sense of humour. Let me list my favourites, in some sort of descending order.
Director - John Carpenter
So I had taken out 3 films from the Library and was planning to watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford... because i was impressed by the lengthy title. However it skipped and jumped and leapt like a professional ballet dancer. Only with considerably less grace....
I will try and find a different copy of it somewhere and until then I will move down the pile... to The Thing!
Now you know a film is going to be good with a title like that. Any film where they can't specify what the threat is is bound to be brilliant. Them!, The Stuff - they evoke that marvellous sense of B Movie nonsense. However, this film is very different from the promises made by the ridiculous title and the pulpy sci-fi title sequence where a spaceship crashes to Earth.
After the title sequence, the film focuses less on the Alien. It instead seems to use the appearance of the Alien to explore the paranoia and cabin fever which grips the group within their isolated base. The film is more interested in the character developments and the alien sort of pops up every now and again to kill people in hilarious ways...
Let us discuss the Alien. The Thing, so to speak. Although this is a very dark, very bleak horror film, the sequences with the Alien are comedy gold. This does not include the first Alien appearance where a dog essentially turns itself inside out and sprouts tentacles and faces. I have gotten slightly obsessed in recent weeks with Fallout 3 on the Xbox and seem to be spending long hours wandering through post apocalyptic DC getting all jumpy and shooting big monsters and mutants to death. With lasers. Maybe I had it slightly on the mind, because slimy tentacle inside out dog made me think of The Centaurs, which are weird radioactive monsters which feature in the game. Despite getting used to that kind of monster, the first Alien transformation sequence is pretty horrific, and a very impressive use of 1983's special effects. Especially if we compare them to the shit ones in Big Trouble in Little China... which I have mentioned before in this blog.
Once you have survived the horrific dog mutilation, there is the sublime ridiculousness of the Thing's other appearances, the Thing certainly has a sense of the dramatic. And a rather surreal sense of humour. Let me list my favourites, in some sort of descending order.
- When Windows is revealed to be the Thing, his head opens up in the middle like a Venus Flytrap and bites the head of one of his attackers.
- When doing a Blood test, Kurt Russell's MacReady drops a hot piece of metal into a petri-dish, only for the blood to scream and make a leap for freedom.
- When attempting to defibrillate one of their dead colleagues (who's name I can't remember....), the chest opens up to reveal a mouth full of huge jagged teeth which bite off the doctor's hands.
- And finally.... The best Thing moment (and one of the most famous moments), the head of one of the Alien's victims falls off, grows legs, and scampers of squealing. It is utterly ridiculous and brilliant.
Whilst not being the central theme of the film, the Thing is certainly the star and the most entertaining character in the film. Although a close second is T K Carter's character of Nauls the chef, a jive talking, rollerskating chef who is endearingly and almost rascistly of his time as a stereotypical wise talking black man. But I think that's what makes him such an endearing and hilarious character (and it is sad when he wanders off... and, one would assume, dies).
The other characters to talk about are Wilford Brimley's Dr Blair who realises the devastating damage the Alien could cause and becomes paranoid and essentially insane. He spends the majority of the film in a tool shed where he toys with a noose and attempts to build his own space craft.
And finally... Kurt Russell with his character of MacReady. This is the kind of character that I see Kurt Russell as, the grizzled loner who doesn't give a shit and who doesn't play by the rules. We know about these character traits from the off.. because the first time we see him he is alone in his room (oooh what a loner) who loses a game of chess to his computer and repays it by pouring bourbon into it (oooh what a rebel). Even his character is not the obvious hero though, this is not your standard horror film, and the characters are far, far more flawed than the average list of horror victims. After taking control of the group (by force I should add) he becomes more paranoid that the group are trying to kill him, ending up shooting one of the group (a HUMAN I should add) in the head...
By the end when we are unsure who is human and who is Alien, he finally realises the futility of his paranoia and drinks his whiskey, awaiting death from the bitter, bitter cold as the station burns down around him. It is a very very bleak ending as both survivor eyes up the other trying to figure out if they are the Alien. We are never given any answers and the film ends with two people waiting to die so that the Alien virus can't spread....
Burning, is an important theme it seems. It is the answer to everything. "Quick" people say "Burn him. Burn him" - It is like we're hunting witches in medieval England or something. But the best way to kill the Thing is to Burn it up. Burn it right up. I just wanted to say that I found it very strange that whilst Windows was being thoroughly burninated he emitted little sex cries. But they sounded like the sex cries of a lady... I think my mind may have been wandering at this point but it did make me see the Alien in a whole new light.
I am aware that I have spoken a lot about the cast, but that is the important thing about this film. It is a group of people in an isolated community, so the cast at the start of the film are the cast for the entire film. With the exception of a Norwegian guy who gets shot (and that reminds me.... if a Norwegian helicopter flew into your camp trying to shoot a fleeing dog, would you kill the pilot and keep the dog? Seems a bit short sighted to me!) the rest of the cast is solely the 12 members of the research centre... so you are almost forced to relate and form relationships with them, due to the lack of other people to distract you. Then, once you have made your bonds and connections, they gleefully kill them all off.....
The most confusing aspect of the cast was that I spent the whole thing trying to work out where I knew Palmer from. Then IMDB helped me out by telling me he was also in Being There... which was the last film I had seen.
My memory is appalling.
Thankful For Family and Friends: A Week of Thanksgiving Continues
Like most people, I suppose, I am very grateful for my family and friends. Where would we be, and even, WHOM would we be, if it weren't for our family and friends. We are shaped and molded and helped along by our family and friends from the moment we are born until we die. We laugh together, and we cry together. We face the world together: sharing joys and concerns, solving problems, encouraging one another, lifting one another's spirits, comforting one another, and very simply caring for one another and about each other.
The three songs I am posting today are with great gratitude to my family and friends as I continue this week of Thanksgiving. Thank you to those who I have shared so many memories with, thank you to those who have loved me and have allowed me to love them in return, and thank you to all those who have been my friend,whether we have shared only a moment or two or whether we have shared many. This expression of gratitude goes out to those I have met personally in my life, as well as, to all of my internet friends, both old and new, whom I know only through this computer. I am thankful for all of you. I feel very blessed to know you and to count you among those who care about me and whom I care about in return. Thank you for being there.
Thanks For the Memory- Bob Hope (lyrics--These lyrics may differ slightly from the ones in the clip above. It became common for Bob Hope and his writers to change the lyrics of this song to fit the occasion, events of a show in which he was performing, and/or political nature of the time.)
Thanks for the memory
Of candlelight and wine, castles on the Rhine
The Parthenon and moments on the Hudson River Line
How lovely it was!
Thanks for the memory
Of rainy afternoons, swingy Harlem tunes
And motor trips and burning lips and burning toast and prunes
How lovely it was!
Many's the time that we feasted
And many's the time that we fasted
Oh, well, it was swell while it lasted
We did have fun and no harm done
And thanks for the memory
Of sunburns at the shore, nights in Singapore
You might have been a headache but you never were a bore
So thank you so much.
Thanks for the memory
Of sentimental verse, nothing in my purse
And chuckles when the preacher said "For better or for worse"
How lovely it was
Thanks for the memory
Of lingerie with lace, Pilsner by the case
And how I jumped the day you trumped my one-and-only ace
How lovely it was!
We said goodbye with a highball
Then I got as "high" as a steeple
But we were intelligent people
No tears, no fuss, Hooray! For us
So, thanks for the memory
And strictly entre-nous, darling how are you?
And how are all the little dreams that never did come true?
Aw'flly glad I met you, cheerio, and toodle-oo
And thank you so much.
Thank You For Loving Me- Bon Jovi (lyrics)
It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me
[Solo]
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank You For Being A Friend- Andrew Gold (lyrics)
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant
I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
If it's a car you lack
I'd surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night
I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Let me tell you bout a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You'll hear me call, as we ascend
I'll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
The three songs I am posting today are with great gratitude to my family and friends as I continue this week of Thanksgiving. Thank you to those who I have shared so many memories with, thank you to those who have loved me and have allowed me to love them in return, and thank you to all those who have been my friend,whether we have shared only a moment or two or whether we have shared many. This expression of gratitude goes out to those I have met personally in my life, as well as, to all of my internet friends, both old and new, whom I know only through this computer. I am thankful for all of you. I feel very blessed to know you and to count you among those who care about me and whom I care about in return. Thank you for being there.
Thanks For the Memory- Bob Hope (lyrics--These lyrics may differ slightly from the ones in the clip above. It became common for Bob Hope and his writers to change the lyrics of this song to fit the occasion, events of a show in which he was performing, and/or political nature of the time.)
Thanks for the memory
Of candlelight and wine, castles on the Rhine
The Parthenon and moments on the Hudson River Line
How lovely it was!
Thanks for the memory
Of rainy afternoons, swingy Harlem tunes
And motor trips and burning lips and burning toast and prunes
How lovely it was!
Many's the time that we feasted
And many's the time that we fasted
Oh, well, it was swell while it lasted
We did have fun and no harm done
And thanks for the memory
Of sunburns at the shore, nights in Singapore
You might have been a headache but you never were a bore
So thank you so much.
Thanks for the memory
Of sentimental verse, nothing in my purse
And chuckles when the preacher said "For better or for worse"
How lovely it was
Thanks for the memory
Of lingerie with lace, Pilsner by the case
And how I jumped the day you trumped my one-and-only ace
How lovely it was!
We said goodbye with a highball
Then I got as "high" as a steeple
But we were intelligent people
No tears, no fuss, Hooray! For us
So, thanks for the memory
And strictly entre-nous, darling how are you?
And how are all the little dreams that never did come true?
Aw'flly glad I met you, cheerio, and toodle-oo
And thank you so much.
Thank You For Loving Me- Bon Jovi (lyrics)
It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me
[Solo]
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight
[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank You For Being A Friend- Andrew Gold (lyrics)
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant
I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
If it's a car you lack
I'd surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night
I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow
And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Let me tell you bout a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You'll hear me call, as we ascend
I'll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
Monday, November 24, 2008
Cast of Twilight Movie in December's In Style
Today, the much anticipated Twilight movie premiered here in the Philippines. I can't wait to watch the movie this coming weekend and so I ended up surfing the world wide web for some Twilight goodies.
Thanks to Instyle magazine for featuring the most talked-about cast of Twilight movie in their December issue which are probably out in the newsstands today.
Here's some of the photos taken during their photo shoot and an excerpt of their interviews.
Robert Pattinson
"I don’t want to look trendy, so I try to find clothes where somebody wouldn’t be able to say, 'Oh, you’re a cool guy,’" says Pattinson. The actor also admits, "I do like the 'expensive but disheveled' thing if I am going out."
Kristen Stewart
"I love women’s clothes fashioned after men’s clothes," said Stewart of her Helmut Lang tuxedo jacket and Zac Posen shirt. "You definitely feel more feminine because you look better in the clothes than the guys do!"
Rachelle Lefevre
"I feel like there is something about having wild hair that makes people assume that I might be fierce and cool," says Lefevre of her mane. "So I can just let that do all the work and be my regular intimidated self!"
Nikki Reed
"They put me in 12-inch stilettos [in the movie] because I am supposed to be taller than my sister... It was the running joke that we might not be able to shoot because I might not be able to walk. I was like, 'Can you just have us sitting and put me on a pillow?'"
Kellan Lutz
"I love wearing old-fashioned stuff, like top hats and bow ties and striped suits."
Source
