Our short list is Amsterdam/Alkmaar, Scotland, Bangkok/Chiang Mai, Bali, Israel/Jordan. There are pros and cons of each.
The only downside to Amsterdam is that Ryan & I have been there, but we both liked it and we would never complain about going back. I really want to check out the cheese in Alkmaar, which is just outside Amsterdam. Lily wants to rent a houseboat, but I think if we go to Amsterdam, we will get nice hotel rooms or a suite.
Scotland is mostly my choice. My family was originally from Scotland and I know everything about our family tree, though I have never seen any of the places I have heard about. Kevin is a little interested in Scotland, but nobody else really cares. So we probably will not go there. If we do, there is a castle where we can stay.
Ryan & I have been to Bangkok and Kevin wants to go to Chiang Mai. If we do this one, we will fly into Bangkok, stay there for a few days and then go to Chiang Mai. I think this could be a pretty good trip, but going from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then back to Bangkok might be a hassle. There are flights from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, but far more options to Bangkok.
Lily really wants to go to Bali. A lot of people seem to want to go there now, and of course, she heard all about our trip. One of the great things about Bali is that with four people, we could get an exceptional 5 star villa. I would also like to see more of the island since we saw precious little the first time.
I would love to go to Israel and/or Jordan, but Ryan and Kevin have opposite opinions on all the political issues. I don't care about any of that. I want to see the history, meet the people and eat the food. Lily thinks if we go there, we should spend equal time in each country. That way Ryan and Kevin can have equal time. That sounds fair, but I have no idea where to go in Jordan outside of the most obvious places. I also don't know anything about hotels in Jordan, but I can figure it out. In Israel, I know that we can rent a house. I would rather stay in a nice house than a hotel.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Vacation to Somewhere
Lily, Ryan, Kevin and I have decided that we should all take a vacation together. One of the major benefits to all of us going together is that we can afford a better place to stay. When Ryan & I go somewhere, we don't splurge that often when it comes to hotels. The villa in Bali was surprisingly affordable, the cruise was practically free, we chose smaller boutique hotels in Europe and we almost never go for anything expensive in China. Lily & Kevin are pretty much the same, and they stay with family whenever they go back to Canada. With all four of us, we can aim a little higher.
We don't know where we are going yet, but we know it will be in August. That is pretty much the only month all of us can take a vacation at the same time. August may not be the ideal time of year to travel, especially since most of the world is hotter than usual and millions of other people are also on vacation, but that is when it has to be. Hong Kong is hot and very humid in August, so I'm sure it will not be too difficult to adjust to the heat and humidity of wherever we go.
Right now, we are trying to decide where to go. I'm open to pretty much anywhere that does not treat women like property. Ryan wants to get out of Asia, but will settle for getting away from China or anything Chinese. So Singapore or any place with a large Chinese influence is out. Lily wants to stay away from war zones. Kevin prefers somewhere with exotic food. That could be almost anywhere, except Canada and the United States. Those are not exotic to any of us.
Usually whenever I go somewhere, I have very little time to plan anything. All of my trips from Hong Kong seem like they have been at the last minute. This time, there is plenty of time to pick a good place and get everything right. We should have more than enough time to get visas if we need them and find a nice place to stay.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Ryan in the Rain
The timing of Ryan's trip to Hong Kong was pretty good. There was a big hail storm while he was here, but he arrived before it all started and left after it was over. The hail storm delayed some flights, but he did not have to deal with any of that.
There are too many times when you have to plan your air travel carefully around here. During Chinese New Year, everything is just insanely crowded and expensive. I would avoid the airport as much as possible that entire month. During the summer, you have to consider the rain. Most days are just rainy, but sometimes it rains enough to cancel flights. During typhoon season, you have to think about typhoons. They give you plenty of warning before they hit, and they rarely hit Hong Kong, but if you plan a flight a week or more in advance, you can easily get stuck because of a typhoon. Now we have hail storms wreaking havoc at the airport when it should be perfectly safe to travel.
I still live in my tiny apartment, so we stayed at a hotel while Ryan was here. I picked the Regal Kowloon on Mody Road, between Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. It was a little expensive, but definitely worth every penny. This is a nice hotel in an area full of nice hotels. It is not close to any MTR stations, but that also means it is not as close to all the crowded tourists spots. This is the kind of neighborhood where you can go out and walk around without walking through a million other people. But it is not in the middle of nowhere. The hotel is a block from Salisbury Road and the beginning of the Promenade.
There is another hotel between the Regal and Victoria Harbour, but they are not right on top of each other, so some rooms have views of the harbour. Even if you don't have a view, it is only a block away. The hotel is also close to the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Science Museum.
A lot of hotels don't have any outlets to plug anything in unless you unplug one of their lamps. This hotel had plenty of open plugs on the walls that were easy to get to and readily available. I don't know why all hotels don't do this. I don't have a bunch of smart phones and ipads and tablets, but most people have things they need to charge. Usually when I stay at a hotel outside of Hong Kong, I have a cellphone and camera to charge.
With the hailstorm, we spent most of our time in the hotel. The easiest things to walk to are the Promenade and Avenue of Stars. We have seen all that a million times. Even in perfect weather, we would not have gone there. This was a good hotel to spend more time indoors. Some hotels are good for sleeping and little else. I would not recommend that anyone who comes to Hong Kong just stay in their hotel all day, but if you do, this is a pretty good place to do it.
There are too many times when you have to plan your air travel carefully around here. During Chinese New Year, everything is just insanely crowded and expensive. I would avoid the airport as much as possible that entire month. During the summer, you have to consider the rain. Most days are just rainy, but sometimes it rains enough to cancel flights. During typhoon season, you have to think about typhoons. They give you plenty of warning before they hit, and they rarely hit Hong Kong, but if you plan a flight a week or more in advance, you can easily get stuck because of a typhoon. Now we have hail storms wreaking havoc at the airport when it should be perfectly safe to travel.
I still live in my tiny apartment, so we stayed at a hotel while Ryan was here. I picked the Regal Kowloon on Mody Road, between Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. It was a little expensive, but definitely worth every penny. This is a nice hotel in an area full of nice hotels. It is not close to any MTR stations, but that also means it is not as close to all the crowded tourists spots. This is the kind of neighborhood where you can go out and walk around without walking through a million other people. But it is not in the middle of nowhere. The hotel is a block from Salisbury Road and the beginning of the Promenade.
There is another hotel between the Regal and Victoria Harbour, but they are not right on top of each other, so some rooms have views of the harbour. Even if you don't have a view, it is only a block away. The hotel is also close to the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Science Museum.
A lot of hotels don't have any outlets to plug anything in unless you unplug one of their lamps. This hotel had plenty of open plugs on the walls that were easy to get to and readily available. I don't know why all hotels don't do this. I don't have a bunch of smart phones and ipads and tablets, but most people have things they need to charge. Usually when I stay at a hotel outside of Hong Kong, I have a cellphone and camera to charge.
With the hailstorm, we spent most of our time in the hotel. The easiest things to walk to are the Promenade and Avenue of Stars. We have seen all that a million times. Even in perfect weather, we would not have gone there. This was a good hotel to spend more time indoors. Some hotels are good for sleeping and little else. I would not recommend that anyone who comes to Hong Kong just stay in their hotel all day, but if you do, this is a pretty good place to do it.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Rainy Day
It's been raining a little in Hong Kong. That is nothing new. Hong Kong has somewhere around 150 rainy days every year. May to September are especially wet months. We get more rain in June than October through April combined.
The difference is the hail. That is not something Hong Kong sees with any amount of regularity. There have been fewer than 30 hail storms in the last 50 years.
This weekend's hail storm freaked a lot of people out. It has been a colder than usual winter, at least cold by Hong Kong standards, with some unusually hot days in between. Now we can add hail to the list. Fortune tellers are predicting a turbulent year of the horse.
The hail did not affect me at all. I was mostly indoors this weekend. It did some serious damage to one of the malls close to my apartment, but this is Hong Kong. There are always a hundred other malls within walking distance. Despite, or because of, all the competition, this one will be repaired in record time.
The difference is the hail. That is not something Hong Kong sees with any amount of regularity. There have been fewer than 30 hail storms in the last 50 years.
This weekend's hail storm freaked a lot of people out. It has been a colder than usual winter, at least cold by Hong Kong standards, with some unusually hot days in between. Now we can add hail to the list. Fortune tellers are predicting a turbulent year of the horse.
The hail did not affect me at all. I was mostly indoors this weekend. It did some serious damage to one of the malls close to my apartment, but this is Hong Kong. There are always a hundred other malls within walking distance. Despite, or because of, all the competition, this one will be repaired in record time.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
New Year, New Home part 3
We looked at an apartment in a famous building. Famous in Hong Kong, at least. I was surprised that it was not more expensive since Chinese people prefer status symbols.
It was a nice apartment and had a lot of similar amenities as the Yau Ma Tei apartment. The kitchen was better in that one, but the gym was better in this one. There was no big balcony, but it had huge windows with different views of the harbour. You have to pay extra for parking in this one, but that does not matter to us since none of us has a car.
The main benefit as far as I'm concerned is that this one is more convenient as far as the MTR. The other one takes an extra train to get to work. This one would get me to work and the airport a lot easier.
We have only been looking for three months, so we will keep looking around, but I think either of these would be a nice place to live.
It was a nice apartment and had a lot of similar amenities as the Yau Ma Tei apartment. The kitchen was better in that one, but the gym was better in this one. There was no big balcony, but it had huge windows with different views of the harbour. You have to pay extra for parking in this one, but that does not matter to us since none of us has a car.
The main benefit as far as I'm concerned is that this one is more convenient as far as the MTR. The other one takes an extra train to get to work. This one would get me to work and the airport a lot easier.
We have only been looking for three months, so we will keep looking around, but I think either of these would be a nice place to live.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Paperback Writer
Dear Sir or Madame,
Will you read my book? It took me months to write. Will you take a look?
Now I will have that bass line stuck in my head all day. That's not such a bad thing.
My second book, Nudist Cruise, is now available in paperback. The paperback version is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and probably somewhere else. It is a little on the expensive side, but at 300 pages, there is no way they are going to sell it for just a few dollars. Everyone needs to make a profit.
If you buy the paperback, you can get the e-book for free. I don't know why anyone would want both, but that is a promotional thing that Amazon does. Who am I to argue with Amazon marketing techniques? I'm pretty sure that deal is not available at Barnes & Noble.
We had to change the cover for the paperback. Apparently, a naked butt is ok for e-books, but is not going to fly in print. Physical bookstore want to look presentable. Even though anything goes with their online stores.
Will you read my book? It took me months to write. Will you take a look?
Now I will have that bass line stuck in my head all day. That's not such a bad thing.
My second book, Nudist Cruise, is now available in paperback. The paperback version is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and probably somewhere else. It is a little on the expensive side, but at 300 pages, there is no way they are going to sell it for just a few dollars. Everyone needs to make a profit.
If you buy the paperback, you can get the e-book for free. I don't know why anyone would want both, but that is a promotional thing that Amazon does. Who am I to argue with Amazon marketing techniques? I'm pretty sure that deal is not available at Barnes & Noble.
We had to change the cover for the paperback. Apparently, a naked butt is ok for e-books, but is not going to fly in print. Physical bookstore want to look presentable. Even though anything goes with their online stores.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
New Year, New Home part 2
We looked at a very nice apartment near Yau Ma Tei, close enough to walk to the MTR, but far enough from Nathan Road. It is a little pricey, but with three people paying rent, it is affordable.
This is one of those modern buildings with 24 hour security, swimming pool, gym and parking, none of which are at all standard in Hong Kong. We don't need parking, but a swimming pool would be nice and I would go to the gym all the time.
What caught my attention right away were the kitchen and balconies. Kitchens in Hong Kong are mostly a sink against a wall with a stove and maybe a few inches of counter space. This apartment had a real kitchen. It was small by American standards, but huge by Hong Kong standards. It was an actual room with actual counter space. I would spend a lot of time in that room.
Balconies are never the most important thing in the world, and most Hong Kong apartments have a tiny laundry balcony, but this one had the tiny laundry balcony and a real balcony outside the living room. You can actually spend time on this balcony, and the view is not too shabby, either. There is a nice view of the harbour. Not one of the famous views, but I would be happy just seeing water and sky outside my window. Right now, we can see the building next door from our laundry balcony.
This is one of those modern buildings with 24 hour security, swimming pool, gym and parking, none of which are at all standard in Hong Kong. We don't need parking, but a swimming pool would be nice and I would go to the gym all the time.
What caught my attention right away were the kitchen and balconies. Kitchens in Hong Kong are mostly a sink against a wall with a stove and maybe a few inches of counter space. This apartment had a real kitchen. It was small by American standards, but huge by Hong Kong standards. It was an actual room with actual counter space. I would spend a lot of time in that room.
Balconies are never the most important thing in the world, and most Hong Kong apartments have a tiny laundry balcony, but this one had the tiny laundry balcony and a real balcony outside the living room. You can actually spend time on this balcony, and the view is not too shabby, either. There is a nice view of the harbour. Not one of the famous views, but I would be happy just seeing water and sky outside my window. Right now, we can see the building next door from our laundry balcony.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Three Auditions part 5
I just did a callback for the TV series that I auditioned for in November. They are really taking their time on this one.
It was more like a job interview than an audition. I did not read any lines or do a scene. We just talked about life in Hong Kong. I almost got the impression they were looking for ideas for the show. I still don't know what the show is about, but if they use anything I said and don't give me the part, I think I deserve some kind of consulting credit. Unless the show bombs.
I really don't know what to make of this audition since it was not really an audition. Were we just talking because they are not interested? If so, why waste everyone's time like that? Is this how they audition everybody? I have no idea. It seems kind of strange to me.
It was more like a job interview than an audition. I did not read any lines or do a scene. We just talked about life in Hong Kong. I almost got the impression they were looking for ideas for the show. I still don't know what the show is about, but if they use anything I said and don't give me the part, I think I deserve some kind of consulting credit. Unless the show bombs.
I really don't know what to make of this audition since it was not really an audition. Were we just talking because they are not interested? If so, why waste everyone's time like that? Is this how they audition everybody? I have no idea. It seems kind of strange to me.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis died on Monday. Apparently, he had an autoimmune disease for several years, which would explain his lack of work for the last five years.
He was one of those people who are hard to categorize. His resume is almost entirely comedy, but as an actor/writer/director/producer, he only acts, writes, directs and produces at the same time on two movies – one of his most popular, Groundhog Day and one of his least, Year One. Those are also the only two movies he directs his own acting. As an actor, he almost always took smaller parts in movies his friends were making. His only lead roles were also movies he wrote, Stripes, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. There was no pattern to his career. A few times he was only the director. A few more times he was the director and writer. More often, he was only the writer. He was never only a producer without also being the director and writer.
On TV, he was an original writer/actor/producer on the first season of SCTV, and continued writing during the second season.
National Lampoon's Animal House
directed by John Landis
written by Chris Miller, Douglas Kenney, Harold Ramis
produced by Ivan Reitman
starring John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, Karen Allen, Donald Sutherland, John Vernon, Stephen Furst, Tom Hulce, Kevin Bacon, Bruce McGill, Douglas Kenney, Sarah Holcomb, Martha Smith, Cesare Danova
Meatballs
directed by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Goldberg
starring Bill Murray, Kate Lynch, Chris Makepeace, Harvey Atkin, Kristine DeBell
Caddyshack
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray, Douglas Kenney
starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray, Sarah Holcomb, Michael O'Keefe, Brian Doyle-Murray
Stripes
directed by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, PJ Soles, Sean Young, Warren Oates, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, Bill Paxton
Heavy Metal
produced by Ivan Reitman
“So Beautiful & So Dangerous” starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis
Vacation
directed by Harold Ramis
written by John Hughes
starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, Christie Brinkley
Ghostbusters
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts
Back to School
written by Harold Ramis
starring Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, M Emmet Walsh, Adrienne Barbeau, Ned Beatty
Club Paradise
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Chris Miller, Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray
starring Robin Williams, Peter O'Toole, Rick Moranis, Jimmy Cliff, Twiggy, Joanna Cassidy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Brian Doyle-Murray, Joe Flaherty, Robin Duke, Mary Gross
Armed and Dangerous
written by Harold Ramis, James Keach, Brian Grazer
produced by Brian Grazer & James Keach
starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, Robert Loggia, Meg Ryan
Baby Boom
written & produced by Nancy Meyers
starring Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard, Harold Ramis, Sam Wanamaker, James Spader, Mary Gross
Stealing Home
directed & written by Steven Kampmann & William Porter
starring Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster, Harold Ramis, Blair Brown, Richard Jenkins, Helen Hunt
Caddyshack II
written by Harold Ramis & Peter Torokvei
starring Jackie Mason, Robert Stack, Randy Quaid, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Dyan Cannon, Dina Merrill
Ghostbusters II
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Max von Sydow
Rover Dangerfield
written by Rodney Dangerfield & Harold Ramis
starring Rodney Dangerfield, Dana Hill, Tress MacNeille
Groundhog Day
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Brian Doyle-Murray, Harold Ramis, Stephen Tobolowsky, Marita Geraghty, Robin Duke
Airheads
directed by Michael Lehmann
starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Joe Mantegna, Michael McKean, Chris Farley, Ernie Hudson, Tracey Ullman, Harold Ramis
Love Affair
directed by Glenn Gordon Caron
written by Warren Beatty & Robert Towne
produced by Warren Beatty
starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Katharine Hepburn, Garry Shandling, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Capshaw, Harold Ramis
Stuart Saves His Family
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Al Franken
starring Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Julia Sweeney, Joe Flaherty
Multiplicity
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Chris Miller, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Harold Ramis
starring Michael Keaton, Andie MacDowell, Richard Masur, Eugene Levy, Ann Cusack, Brian Doyle-Murray
As Good as It Gets
directed & produced by James L Brooks
written by Mark Andrus & James L Brooks
starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr, Yeardley Smith, Harold Ramis
Analyze This
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Kenneth Lonergan, Peter Tolan, Harold Ramis
produced by Paula Weinstein & Jane Rosenthal
starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, Chazz Palminteri
Bedazzled
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Larry Gelbart, Harold Ramis, Peter Tolan
starring Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O'Connor, Orlando Jones, Brian Doyle-Murray
Analyze That
directed by Harold Ramis
produced by Paula Weinstein & Jane Rosenthal
written by Peter Tolan, Peter Steinfeld, Harold Ramis
starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, Cathy Moriarty, Anthony LaPaglia
Orange County
directed by Jake Kasdan
written by Mike White
starring Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, John Lithgow, Harold Ramis, Jane Adams, Garry Marshall, Chevy Chase, Lily Tomlin
The Ice Harvest
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Richard Russo & Robert Benton
starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid, Oliver Platt
The Last Kiss
directed by Tony Goldwyn
written by Zach Braff & Paul Haggis
starring Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Casey Affleck, Harold Ramis, Blythe Danner, Tom Wilkinson
Knocked Up
directed, written & produced by Judd Apatow
starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Harold Ramis, Joanna Kerns
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
directed by Jake Kasdan
written & produced by Judd Apatow & Jake Kasdan
starring John C Reilly, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, Raymond J Barry, Margo Martindale, Tim Meadows, Harold Ramis
Year One
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
produced by Harold Ramis & Judd Apatow
starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, June Diane Raphael, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde, David Cross, Paul Rudd, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Harold Ramis
He was one of those people who are hard to categorize. His resume is almost entirely comedy, but as an actor/writer/director/producer, he only acts, writes, directs and produces at the same time on two movies – one of his most popular, Groundhog Day and one of his least, Year One. Those are also the only two movies he directs his own acting. As an actor, he almost always took smaller parts in movies his friends were making. His only lead roles were also movies he wrote, Stripes, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. There was no pattern to his career. A few times he was only the director. A few more times he was the director and writer. More often, he was only the writer. He was never only a producer without also being the director and writer.
On TV, he was an original writer/actor/producer on the first season of SCTV, and continued writing during the second season.
National Lampoon's Animal House
directed by John Landis
written by Chris Miller, Douglas Kenney, Harold Ramis
produced by Ivan Reitman
starring John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, Karen Allen, Donald Sutherland, John Vernon, Stephen Furst, Tom Hulce, Kevin Bacon, Bruce McGill, Douglas Kenney, Sarah Holcomb, Martha Smith, Cesare Danova
Meatballs
directed by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Goldberg
starring Bill Murray, Kate Lynch, Chris Makepeace, Harvey Atkin, Kristine DeBell
Caddyshack
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray, Douglas Kenney
starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray, Sarah Holcomb, Michael O'Keefe, Brian Doyle-Murray
Stripes
directed by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, PJ Soles, Sean Young, Warren Oates, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, Bill Paxton
Heavy Metal
produced by Ivan Reitman
“So Beautiful & So Dangerous” starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis
Vacation
directed by Harold Ramis
written by John Hughes
starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, Christie Brinkley
Ghostbusters
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts
Back to School
written by Harold Ramis
starring Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, M Emmet Walsh, Adrienne Barbeau, Ned Beatty
Club Paradise
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Chris Miller, Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray
starring Robin Williams, Peter O'Toole, Rick Moranis, Jimmy Cliff, Twiggy, Joanna Cassidy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Brian Doyle-Murray, Joe Flaherty, Robin Duke, Mary Gross
Armed and Dangerous
written by Harold Ramis, James Keach, Brian Grazer
produced by Brian Grazer & James Keach
starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, Robert Loggia, Meg Ryan
Baby Boom
written & produced by Nancy Meyers
starring Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard, Harold Ramis, Sam Wanamaker, James Spader, Mary Gross
Stealing Home
directed & written by Steven Kampmann & William Porter
starring Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster, Harold Ramis, Blair Brown, Richard Jenkins, Helen Hunt
Caddyshack II
written by Harold Ramis & Peter Torokvei
starring Jackie Mason, Robert Stack, Randy Quaid, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Dyan Cannon, Dina Merrill
Ghostbusters II
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Max von Sydow
Rover Dangerfield
written by Rodney Dangerfield & Harold Ramis
starring Rodney Dangerfield, Dana Hill, Tress MacNeille
Groundhog Day
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis
starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Brian Doyle-Murray, Harold Ramis, Stephen Tobolowsky, Marita Geraghty, Robin Duke
Airheads
directed by Michael Lehmann
starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Joe Mantegna, Michael McKean, Chris Farley, Ernie Hudson, Tracey Ullman, Harold Ramis
Love Affair
directed by Glenn Gordon Caron
written by Warren Beatty & Robert Towne
produced by Warren Beatty
starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Katharine Hepburn, Garry Shandling, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Capshaw, Harold Ramis
Stuart Saves His Family
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Al Franken
starring Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Julia Sweeney, Joe Flaherty
Multiplicity
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Chris Miller, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Harold Ramis
starring Michael Keaton, Andie MacDowell, Richard Masur, Eugene Levy, Ann Cusack, Brian Doyle-Murray
As Good as It Gets
directed & produced by James L Brooks
written by Mark Andrus & James L Brooks
starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr, Yeardley Smith, Harold Ramis
Analyze This
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Kenneth Lonergan, Peter Tolan, Harold Ramis
produced by Paula Weinstein & Jane Rosenthal
starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, Chazz Palminteri
Bedazzled
directed & produced by Harold Ramis
written by Larry Gelbart, Harold Ramis, Peter Tolan
starring Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O'Connor, Orlando Jones, Brian Doyle-Murray
Analyze That
directed by Harold Ramis
produced by Paula Weinstein & Jane Rosenthal
written by Peter Tolan, Peter Steinfeld, Harold Ramis
starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, Cathy Moriarty, Anthony LaPaglia
Orange County
directed by Jake Kasdan
written by Mike White
starring Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, John Lithgow, Harold Ramis, Jane Adams, Garry Marshall, Chevy Chase, Lily Tomlin
The Ice Harvest
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Richard Russo & Robert Benton
starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid, Oliver Platt
The Last Kiss
directed by Tony Goldwyn
written by Zach Braff & Paul Haggis
starring Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Casey Affleck, Harold Ramis, Blythe Danner, Tom Wilkinson
Knocked Up
directed, written & produced by Judd Apatow
starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Harold Ramis, Joanna Kerns
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
directed by Jake Kasdan
written & produced by Judd Apatow & Jake Kasdan
starring John C Reilly, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, Raymond J Barry, Margo Martindale, Tim Meadows, Harold Ramis
Year One
directed by Harold Ramis
written by Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
produced by Harold Ramis & Judd Apatow
starring Jack Black, Michael Cera, June Diane Raphael, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde, David Cross, Paul Rudd, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Harold Ramis
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Ginger Snaps
I'm not going to turn this into a food blog, but I am impressed with these ginger snaps that I just made. Anyone can make ginger snaps. That is not the impressive part. But can you cook crispy on the outside, soft on the inside ginger snaps in a toaster oven? It's not easy, believe me.
Usually with any cookies, you should take them out of the oven just before they are finished. That way they will stay soft. With a toaster oven, if you take them out early, they will always be too soft on the inside. You have to practically burn the outside just to get the inside close to cooked. Just like with a regular oven, if you overcook them, they will be rock hard. In a toaster oven, it is all a balancing act.
The recipe is pretty simple.
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
pinch of salt
Some white sugar for decoration
Mix the brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses and egg until you get a soft, gooey mess.
Mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a different bowl. You can sift it or stir it or whatever gets it all mixed together.
Stir the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients. Mix it all up until it is dry enough to handle.
Roll small bits of dough into balls and flatten slightly. They will keep pretty much whatever shape you put them in unless you substitute butter for the vegetable oil. Then they will spread out. You can make them into gingerbread men, but nothing that big will cook evenly in a toaster oven.
Put some white sugar on top and cook just until they start to burn on the outside. I put more white sugar on top right after they come out of the oven. The sugar melts a little and it looks better.
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