Happy Halloween!

Ahhh… Halloween. One of my most favorite holidays! I think it’s more about the season than the holiday (now that I am too old to trick or treat unfortunately.) However I do have customs for this holiday that we do every year. I ALWAYS roast homemade, fresh pumpkin seeds which after all the years of doing them, I seem to have finally perfected. (I have included my version of the recipe below) We also usually light a fire, and pour ourselves a glass of wine to enjoy in front of it, along with the seeds. My daughter generally has a “trick or treat” party, which now that she is 12, may be the last of the “trick or treating” part of it… but I’m sure the costume parties will continue. We plan on feeding all the kids hot dogs with homemade french fries (another thing I have pretty much perfected… I am VERY proud of my fries. Heck, even the kids tout them to other kids! I have included that recipe below too) before they go out… they are looking forward to that. We light candles about the house, try to get my older son to stick around and hand out candy so we don’t have to, and my absolute favorite… walking with the kids up and down the street. We have a pretty “holiday” active older neighborhood, so not only are most of the houses lit up and candy ready, but it’s also real safe around here. Down the street, there are 3-4 houses that get together every Halloween, and set out a long table for kids, and one for the adults. At the kids table, they get to put together their own home baked cookies with sprinkles, icing etc. At the adults table, they have a bowl of homemade chili and “witches brew” to drink (Spiked or not) and yes, if you don’t look the age, they won’t even offer that to you as an option. It’s a wonderful tradition that I look forward to every year.

My favorite Halloweens are slightly chilly, and well, kinda windy. Many people don’t like that, but to me, it really isn’t Halloween without the chill and the wind. Plus, the lack of chill would make my fire pointless. Tonight, after the walk, the chili, the roasting of the seeds with wine and the fire, we plan on watching the highly anticipated “Walking Dead” on AMC. It’s supposed to be REALLY good, so I am looking forward to that. The last few days, my daughter and friends have been watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas” over and over and over. Course siting here at the computer, I can only hear it, not see it, so I don’t mind. Plus the music of that movie is just amazing. Thank you Danny Elfman.

Anyway, I will leave you to your Dia de los muertos! We here at the Yak would like to wish you a most wonderful and safe Halloween! We hope you all get the BEST candy on the block, and that most coveted full size candy bar! Let us know below or in the FORUM what some of your traditions are!

Perfect Pumpkin Seeds Recipe:

Ingredients –
As many seeds as you can get out of your pumpkins
Salt
1/2 to 1 cup butter, melted (Depending on amount of seeds)

Clean seeds as much as possible, however having a little of the pumpkin “guts” on them doesn’t hurt, actually can add to the flavor.
Boil the seeds in a large pot with a generous heaping of salt on the stove for about a half hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Strain the water from the seeds, and pour seeds in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on them and stir.
Spread seeds out on Cookie Sheet, trying to get them in all one layer. I cover the cookie sheet with tinfoil just to make cleaning easier.
Toast (Roast) in over about 10 minutes, then gently stir them around with a spatula. Roast another 10 minutes. They are generally done in about 20-30 minutes, but some ovens can take longer, or toast to your preferred taste. I like mine real crispy, and have sometimes let them roast for up to 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
Scrape seeds with spatula into a bowl and add salt to taste. You can also add garlic salt, or another “flavored” spice if you like. I have a friend who likes to add cinnamon and cloves, and another who likes chili powder. It all depends on your taste. Enjoy!

Homemade French Fries: (Deep Fryer Recipe)

Man these are good. I don’t make them all that often, because they are some work, and use a lot of oil (deep fryer), but when I do, EVERYONE looks forward to it. So here we go:

Ingredients:
Potatoes. Russet that is. I count on at least 1-2 potatoes per person. We usually have a few left over, but then I have a teenage boy, so I don’t have to worry about leftovers.
Oil. A lot of it. I use corn oil, it is my preferred taste. If you are more fond of another kind of oil, like peanut oil (for the more healthy alternative) go for it.
Salt
Large grocery paper bag

Peel potatoes, and cut them into fry shape. Some don’t peel and leave the skin on. I prefer without, but if you like that, then it’s yet another option.
Put cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water, and soak about a half hour. This is the perfect time to get your deep fryer oiled up, and warming to it’s “low” setting.
Once your deep fryer is ready, place the first batch of fries in the basket. Be careful not to place too many, as they tend to get stuck together.
Deep fry for approximately 7 minutes on the lowest setting. Once done, dump batch into a bowl to cool. Repeat batches with the rest of the potatoes.
Once the first fry on all batches is done, heat your deep fryer to high, and let the fries cool.
When the deep fryer is ready on it’s high setting, refry each batch, again for approx. 5-7 minutes. Halfway through, I stir them around (I use the metal part of the basket handle to do this) so they don’t get stuck together. Some like their fries a pretty golden, and some like well done. Look at them and use your judgement.
Once the first batch is done, dump them out of the basket onto a paper bag that you have cut and laid flat. I put the bag directly on the kitchen table so everyone can just help themselves. Pour your salt to taste. (You can use other spices as well if you prefer.)
Repeat this process until all the potatoes are fried, and that’s it! Seriously… YUM!

Russell Crowe… Rocky Horror Gladiator? [VIDEO]

Well, well, well our very own Gladiator Robin Hood once donned thigh highs and played Eddie/Dr. Scott in an Australian production of Rocky Horror Picture Show and who knew……Maximus can sing!!! Check it out below! This was back in 1987, before Gladiator, before A Beautiful Mind, before his eyebrow raising affair with Meg Ryan during the Proof of Life days….so, what do you think? Join us in our forums here to let us know!

James MacArthur, Actor ‘Hawaii Five-0’ Dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stage and screen actor James MacArthur, who played “Danno” in the original version of television’s “Hawaii Five-0,” died Thursday at age 72.

MacArthur’s agent, Richard Lewis, said the actor died in Florida of “natural causes,” but no direct cause was specified.

In a career that spanned more than four decades, MacArthur was most recognized for his role as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams on “Hawaii Five-0,” which aired from 1968 to 1980. Episodes often ended with detective Steve McGarret, the lead character, uttering what became a pop culture catch phrase: “Book ’em, Danno.”

Jack Lord, who starred as McGarret, died in 1998.

MacArthur quit the role of McGarret’s sidekick a year before the program’s final season.

“Quite frankly, I grew bored,” he explained on his website. “The stories became more bland and predictable and presented less and less challenge to me as an actor.”

“Hawaii Five-O,” one of the longest running crime shows in TV history with 278 episodes, was shot on location in the Hawaiian islands. It was the first Hawaii-based national TV series.

The drama has been remade by CBS with a new cast this season.

MacArthur, born Dec. 8, 1937, seemed destined to become an actor. He was the adopted son of playwright Charles MacArthur and Helen Hayes, an award-winning actress often referred to as “First Lady of the American Theatre.” Silent film star Lillian Gish was his godmother.

“They did teach me a lot about the theatre just through my life with them,” he said of his parents in a 1957 interview in Teen Life magazine. “They never pushed me in any direction. Any major decision has always been my own to make.”

James MacArthur made his stage debut at age 8 in a summer stock production of “The Corn is Green.”

His breakout role was in the 1957 “Climax!” television series production of “The Young Stranger,” in which he starred as the 17-year-old son of a movie executive who has a run-in with the law.

He entered Harvard that same year, but dropped out in his sophomore year to pursue an acting career.

As a young actor, MacArthur appeared in the Walt Disney movies “Kidnapped,” “Third Man on the Mountain,” “Swiss Family Robinson” and “The Light in the Forest.”

He also had roles in “The Interns, “Spencer’s Mountain,” “Battle of the Bulge” and “Hang ‘Em High,” as well as many guest roles on TV series such as “Gunsmoke.”

He performed in many stage plays, including the lead role of Hildy Johnson in a 1981 production of “The Front Page,” which was co-written by his father in the late 1920s, at the Stanford Community Theatre in Palo Alto, Calif.

His live acting career won him the 1961 Theatre World Award for best new actor for his performance in “Invitation to a March.”

MacArthur said that one of his favorite “Hawaii Five-O” episodes was a 1975 segment called “Retire in Sunny Hawaii Forever” because it marked one of the rare times that he worked on screen with his mother. Hayes played Danno’s Aunt Clara, who visits Hawaii and helps the detectives solve a murder.

Asked by the Hawaii Star Bulletin newspaper in 2003 about his fondest memories about working on “Hawaii Five-O,” MacArthur replied: “Living in Hawaii.”

Michael Jackson, Still Making News!

Michael Jackson, (and family) are still making the news. The King of Pop may have passed on, but his presence is still very much felt. Here is your Jackson round up:

Michael Jackson was recently named the top earning dead celebrity, according to Forbes, earning a total of 275 million in the last 16 months following his death. Fans have certainly not forgotten him, nor do I think they will for a long time to come. I know it was reported that when he died, he had left behind a lot of money troubles. Hopefully for the kids sake, those have been taken care of.

Since we are already on the topic of money, let’s move on to his father Joe, who has been trying to get the Jackson fortune in court. Well, a California Appeals Court ruled today that Joe can not have a say in the Administration of his late son’s estate, and unanimously ruled that he has no legal standing to do so. My guess is Michael would be releived to say the least.

In other news, Michael’s individual music videos are going to get released to DVD. The three DVD set will have 40 videos and cover Jackson’s solo career. Calling it “Michael Jackson’s Vision”, it will be released on November 22, and include such legendary videos as the full length version of “Thriller”, “Black or White”, “Bad”, and more. It is also set to contain more obscure videos of his, such as “Ghosts” made in collaboration with special effects legend Stan Winston. I have to say, Ghosts is one of my all-time favorites of his. If you haven’t seen it, it is certainly a must watch.

There is also a deal in the works from the Jackson estate to release an album of unreleased Jackson music, and a deal with Cirque du Soleil for a Jackson-themed touring show.

As you can see, Michael Jackson is still among us, and I believe he will be for a long, long while. Did you watch “This is It”? Will you buy the album or video collection? Are you still a Jackson fan? Let us know below or in the FORUM!

Paula Deen named Rose Parade Grand Marshal!

I just LOVE that I get to report Chef Paula Deen being named the Grand Marshal of the 2011 Rose Parade to be held in Pasadena on January 1. She is most definitely one of my all-time favorite people, and congratulations to her for this honor! Now, since she is going to be near me, what is the likelihood of me getting her to come on over to my house and making me some really yummy, really fattening food? Probably not too likely, but one can dream right?

Congratulations Paula! You deserve it!

Do you watch the Rose Parade? Let us know below or in the FORUM!

Rocky and Bullwinkle Creator Dies

CARMEL, Calif.  — TV cartoon artist Alexander Anderson Jr., creator of Rocky the flying squirrel and Bullwinkle the moose, has died. He was 90.

I can remember, as a youngster, sitting in front of the TV every Saturday morning and watching this classic show, the crazy plots, the smart squirrel prodding the not so smart moose. I have watched is as an adult as well, hearing all the puns and references that were inserted for adults, that just flew by our young ears. What a great, topical and pioneering show. If this show is on syndication, and you have not had a chance to see it, you must.

Anderson’s son Terry tells the Los Angeles Times that his father died at a Carmel nursing home on Friday after battling Alzheimer’s disease. The elder Anderson was a longtime resident of Pebble Beach.

Anderson had teamed up with his childhood friend and former UC Berkeley,fraternity brother Jay Ward to make low-budget TV cartoons, and they certainly succeeded.

Their creations also included Crusader Rabbit and his pal Rags the Tiger and Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties.

The syndicated “Crusader Rabbit” became the first animated TV series in the 1950s. “Rocky and His Friends” debuted in 1959 on ABC.

Thank you to Alexander for leaving behind this wonderful legacy.

Fox v. Cablevision – Lose/Lose?

Since this is “Random Thought Thursday”, I thought I would throw in my own .02 cents about the fight that continues between Fox and Cablevision.

I myself used to work for a cable company not horribly long ago, in the customer service department. When it was our turn in the “Fox” hunt, we got calls ranging on both sides of the issue. The error in customer’s thinking, however, is that no matter how you feel (Give in/Pay out) is that it’s the customer who is losing this war, on both sides of the aisle.

Many customers would call in just to scream “If you lose FOX, I will cancel my service!” Well, here are the inside tips of what you can do as a customer:

1. First, STOP DOING THAT!! They are customer service, they don’t really care if you cancel, and are not part of these big “corporate head” negotiations, so seriously, stop yelling at them. They don’t lose money if you cancel. The company, yes. Them, no. They are also not in charge of any little button that turns a channel on or off… So cut it out! If you want to cancel, just say you would like to cancel and be done with it. Threatening a Customer Service Rep with cancellation does nothing, even IF FOX’s advertising is telling you to do so. FOX even has a phone line set up for you to call, and then transfers you over to your cable/satellite/phone company to yell. Give me a break. Just stop. There is absolutely NOTHING customer service can do for you, other than cancel… if that’s what you really want, hang on the line and do so. Don’t just call to threaten it, because they really, really, REALLY don’t care.

2. You can leave the service and go elsewhere where FOX resides happily… until of course, a couple of months roll by, and it’s your turn in the negotiation barrel. At that point, hopefully you aren’t now stuck in a contract with this new provider, since you cancelled your cable with the other company that has no contracts… in which FOX is now “happily” back on.

3. If the one channel you are unhappy with losing on your television is just a broadcast channel (ie, your local Fox Channel) then you can hook up a digital box, sold pretty cheap at any electronics store, and still get that channel, free. Yes, free. How are any of these channels able to swipe them off the air in a negotiation dispute when it’s already free? I have no idea, but they do, just to tick you off.

And most importantly… 4. Stop letting FOX, or whatever channel is doing the negotiations this time around hold you hostage. If they get what they want, you better believe your bill is going up. Heck even if they don’t get what they want, they will still get more money in the end, and your bill will go up. The cable/satellite/phone companies that are in the TV business are not going to lose profit on behalf of Mr. or Mrs. Customer. It WILL get passed on to you. Thus starts the cycle at the beginning of the year, when you receive your rate increase letter from your provider, of you calling up and yelling at customer service again, and AGAIN, they are NOT in charge of the rate increases, so STOP DOING THAT! In fact, as a previous customer service representative, AND a customer, we LOATHE the increases. It just means that we have to pay a higher bill AND get yelled at by customers every day at our job. If you don’t like the rate increase, call and cancel, downgrade, or just don’t call. It does nothing but cause an agent that can do nothing about it, grief. Know that causing an agent grief does absolutely nothing to cause the money makers grief, AND, know the representative is now REQUIRED to try and upsell to you. So if you don’t like that jargon, just don’t call.

In a time when our unemployment is so high, and money is so tight, television should not cost $100-$200 a month, and yet, we pay it loyally, month by month by month. Yes, technology is changing on the horizon, and more and more people are turning to internet streaming for their viewing pleasure, but until the masses stop letting these companies (The media heads AND television providers) get away with this overpriced garbage, it will just continue. If FOX gets what they are asking, which they came close with Dish and Time Warner Cable not long ago, you better believe NBC, CBS, ABC, Viacom, etc. are next. It’s only fair to them right?

Now I am not so bold as to tell anyone to stop watching TV. I gotta have my must watched list as much as the next girl, but man oh man, if they are asking too much, tell your provider that you are NOT willing to pay the price, and let them go. Besides, you can always catch the episode you missed nowadays on HULU or the networks website.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Suffers Heart Attack [UPDATE 10/20]

UPDATE: Van Damme is denying reports he had a heart attack. In a statement on his Facebook page, he says:

“Please, do not believe all what you read from rumors on any unofficial JCVD sites,”

“Jean-Claude Van Damme is 100 percent healthy, training well for taking the fight and sending his fans and friends much love.”

“He did not suffer from a heart attack on the set of Weapon as reported on some websites.”

A statement similar to the above was posted on his official website.

October 19, 2010 – Just one day after his 50th birthday, Jean-Claude Van Damme has suffered a heart attack.  He was currently filming his latest movie “Weapon” in New Orleans when sources say the shoot got put on hold due to “unspecified complications.”

According to TwitchFilm.net, which was the first to report on his condition, Van Damme was admitted to the hospital and was joined by his wife, Gladys Portugues. The stay was brief however, and when released, the couple flew back to Belguim. He is expected to make a full recovery.

We here at the Yak wish him the best, and a speedy recovery!

Tom Bosley, “Mr. Cunningham” Dies

LOS ANGELES —First we lost our “Supermom” Barbara Billingsley, aka June Cleaver, now our Superdad.

Tom Bosley, whose long acting career, highlighted by his most famous role as “Mr. C.” on the top rated 1970’s comedy sitcom, ‘Happy Days’ has died. He was 83.

Bosley died of heart failure at a hospital near his Palm Springs home. Bosley’s agent, Sheryl Abrams, said he was also battling lung cancer.

Bosley was ranked by TV Guide as #9 in the “50 Greatest TV Dads” in 2004. ‘Happy Days’ began in 1974 and ran for 11 seasons.

“Tom’s insight, talent, strength of character and comic timing made him a vital central figure in the ‘Happy Days’ experience. A great father and husband, and a wonderful artist, Tom led by example and made us all laugh while he was doing it. My last conversations with Tom reflected the love of life and peace of mind that he always maintained throughout his full and rewarding life. I miss him already,” said Ron Howard, who played Bosley’s son, Richie Cunningham.

“He was my husband for ll years and the father of the company in many ways. He was so smart, he could fix the end of a joke or a scene on the spot. We made a perfect couple. I played piccolo to his tuba,” said Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham on the show.

After “Happy Days” ended, Bosley moved to a recurring role in “Murder, She Wrote” as Sheriff Amos Tupper. He also was the crime-solving priest in television’s “The Father Dowling Mysteries,” which ran from 1989 to 1991.

He, at first, turned down the role he was offered on ‘Happy Days’.

“After rereading the pilot script,” he said in a 1986 interview, “I changed my mind because of a scene between Howard Cunningham and Richie. The father/son situation was written so movingly, I fell in love with the project.” We are truly grateful he did.

We will miss you Mr. C.

Barbara Billingsley “June Cleaver” Dead at 94

America has lost an icon. Barbara Billingsley, of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ has died.

No one will ever forget her, the ‘supermom’ from the 50’s, the era of Eisenhower, when there was still a breeze of innocence in the air. She was the perfect picture of  “mom,” the loving, gentle and oh so wise one to Beaver and Wally Cleaver. Always dressed to the nines, dresses, high heels and pearls, even while vacuuming or baking a pie for the kids, she was the model picture of the 1950’s mother, and many people tried to emulate her example. This is a huge loss, and many feel it’s like they have lost a relative.

Billingsley began her career as a model in New York before being contracted with MGM. She began work on many different television shows before landing the perfect role, June Cleaver. Since, she had many smaller roles and guest spots in movies and television, most notably as the elderly passenger who spoke ‘jive’ in ‘Airplane!’ She also appeared on ‘Roseanne’ in an episode where we see the return of many iconic mothers to give Roseanne motherly advice. Billingsley refused to take on any role that would make fun of June Cleaver.

‘Leave it to Beaver’ can still be viewed on television. If you have not watched, it’s a must. Great iconic show. Hopefully one of the great “oldie” television stations will start to air it more often.

Billingsley is survived by sons Drew and Glenn Billingsley, stepson William Mortensen Jr. and 16 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Private services are scheduled.

Thank you Barbara for sharing your wonderful gift, and giving our future generation something to aspire to.