Elise's Ramblings

PBS The Cat In The Hat-A-Thon

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:50:00 +0000

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday come celebrate with PBS and THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON. The two-hour marathon will feature two new episodes. While you're waiting for the big day go online to PBSKids.com or your mobile app for games and videos. The Cat In The Hat-A-Thon will air March 2nd at 8am.

For your chance to win one of two copies of The Cat In The Hat-A-Thon, from yours truely, leave your name and email in the comment section.

All entrants should be in the contiguous US.

I will draw winners on March 2nd from Random.org

Good Luck!

Mad Men Season 5 trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:49:00 +0000

Love the new trailers for Mad Men. Just a teeny bit more than a month till our wait is over. Can't believe we made it. Thank god for The Hour and Downton Abbey for easing the pain.

PS Vita On Sale Feb 22

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:19:00 +0000

This Wednesday Feb 22 the Playstation PS Vita hits shelves. The new PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi, is powered by AT&T's Mobile Broadband Network.

Being a member of the PS Family has allowed me to get a sneak peak at some of the games that will launch with it. I have a few favorites.

Escape Plan - I loves the retro silent film quality this game evokes. It's slap sticky, black and white, and has great music.

The new Uncharted title, Golden Abyss Everyone loves The Uncharted brand and this is another fun edition.

Ben 10 Galatic Racing a racing game that is incredibly fun.

This system has some great features too. You have the option of Wi-Fi or 3G. There are also front and back cameras, motion sensors touch screen on front and back,GPS, and cross platform play.

It really is a fun new system. It starts at $249 and will be available this Wednesday. It will be compatible with 275 PSP games on launch day and 26 new titles for the Vita.

Now I want this post to say PLAYSTATION, like on TV, but I can't make it do that so you imagine that here

BBC America Reairs The Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:37:00 +0000

BBC America is reairing The Hour on Wednesday nights. I loved this series.

They announced there will be a second season sometime in 2012. If you haven't seen the first you better get on it, you'll want to be all caught up when the new season begins.

For details on The Hour season 1 and 2 visit BBC America

8 at The Ebell Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:17:00 +0000

8 will be performed at the Ebell Theatre March 3 to benefit The American Foundation for Equal Rights. The play is based on the court testimony from the trial to overturn California's Proposition 8, to legalized same sex marriage.

The play will be read by an all star cast including George Clooney, Martin Sheen, Jane Lynch and Jessie Tyler Ferguson among others.

This is a one night only benefit performance so the ticket are quite expensive. $500 and $1000. There are other packages that soar up to $250,000. If you have the means I highly recommend attending.

If you find this out of your reach but would like to contribute to the cause visit The American Foundation for Equal Rights website. They will gladly take any donations, I am sure.

Drew Barrymore and Osborne host "The Essentials"

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Drew Barrymore and Robert Osborne will be hosting "The Essentials" Saturday nights on TCM starting March 3rd 8PM est 5PM pst. The first night will premier with Lemmon/Curtis/Monroe favorite Some Like It Hot and will have a late night special feature presentation of Spinal Tap. I guess they're turning it up to 11 for Drew Barrymore.

Here is the entire line up, I've bolded my essential essentials. If you haven't seen these film make sure you catch them.

March 3 – Some Like It Hot (1959)
March 3 – Special Late-Night Presentation at 2 a.m.: This is Spinal Tap (1984)
March 10 – The Razor's Edge (1946)
March 17 – Alice Adams (1935)
March 24 – The Goodbye Girl (1977)
March 31 – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
April 7 – Gilda (1946)
April 14 – The Fallen Idol (1948)
April 21 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
April 28 – The Third Man (1949)
May 5 – Camille (1936)
May 12 – Diabolique (1955)
May 19 – Wuthering Heights (1939)
May 26 – Dinner at Eight (1933)
June 2 – Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
June 9 – Jezebel (1938)
June 16 – Special Double Feature: The Way We Were (1973)
June 16 – Special Late-Night Presentation: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
June 23 – Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
June 30 – Sullivan's Travels (1941)
July 7 – Summertime (1955)
July 14 – The Band Wagon (1953)
July 21 – To Have and Have Not (1944)
July 28 – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Aug. 4 – Some Like it Hot (1959)
Aug. 11 – Lolita (1962)
Aug. 18 – Captains Courageous (1937)
Aug. 25 – The Razor's Edge (1946)
Sept. 1 – Alice Adams (1935)
Sept. 8 – The Goodbye Girl (1977)
Sept. 15 – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
Sept. 22 – Gilda (1946)
Sept. 29 – The Fallen Idol (1948)
Oct. 6 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Oct. 6 – Special Late-Night Presentation: The Wild Bunch (1969)
Oct. 13 – The Third Man (1949)
Oct. 20 – Camille (1936)
Oct. 27 – Diabolique (1955)
Nov. 3 – Wuthering Heights (1939)
Nov. 10 – Dinner at Eight (19)
Nov. 17 – Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
Nov. 24 – Jezebel (19)
Dec. 1 – Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Dec. 1 – Special Late-Night Presentation: Lost in America (1985)
Dec. 8 – Summertime (1955)
Dec. 15 – The Band Wagon (1953)
Dec. 22 – Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Dec. 29 – The Way We Were (1973)
Jan. 5, 2013– To Have and Have Not (1944)
Jan. 12, 2013 – Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Jan. 19, 2013 – Lolita (1962)
Jan. 26, 2013 – Captains Courageous (1937)

I've created a huge list of must see films on the review app Wikets. If you're interested the app is free. You can friend me there and see my whole list of films. If you use the promo code EliseCD you'll recieve double points.

Cirque Du Soleil OVO at The Santa Monica Pier

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:32:00 +0000

Cirque Du Soleil has extended their Santa Monica Pier show an extra week (now running through March 25) to benefit 7 Days For A Better World, an awareness program imagined by Cirque Du Soleil in support of ONE DROP Foundation.

One Drop Foundation believes in the power of global solidarity to drive change and realize the dream of safe water for all, today and tomorrow.

If you haven't already gotten tickets to this incredible show you really should. And why not help this amazing charity while you enjoy the show?

You can read my full review of Cirque Du Soleil's OVO at the Santa Monica Pier on MomsLA.

Dead Celebrity Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:12:00 +0000

I have an interview with Dead Celebrity Cookbook author Frank Decaro at MomsLA today.

Highly recommend this book to everyone, but the classic geeks will really love it!

Mad Men Posters Through Time

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:07:00 +0000

Here's a look back through the 5 seasons of posters for Mad Men on AMC.

In the beginning he was just a silohette with a cigarette.
Then a man lost in a crowd, who doesn't know which way to go.
Next a man about to willingly drowned in his own life.
Last season a man alone, with just a phone and perhap no one to call.
We can only guess what this season's poster will mean....A man in free fall through nothing?

March 25th we'll find out in the 2 hour fifth season premiere.

Wikets Review Site

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:16:00 +0000

For the last week or so I've been working with a new iPhone review app called Wikets. To put it in movie parlance it's like Facebook and Yelp put together, but cooler.

Here's the run down. you and your friends review places, products, and enter bar codes on Wikets and optionally post them to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. once you've friended someone you can share your reviews. For example if we were friends you could go to my Wikets reviews of places and see all the pastrami sandwich places I recommend. Which you should do, by the way. You can also ask for reviews on a particular item you are interested in, should that be something other than pastrami.

If all that weren't enough you earn points for all your reviews that can later be exchanged for online merchant gift cards. 100 points equal $1.

Why I think this is so great is that you get reviews of places and things from your friends who presumably you can trust. Rather then the too often owner augmented reviews on some other more anonymous review sites. Also How many times do you sit around trying to figure out where to go out to dinner. Now you can go to a knowledgeable friends page and look at all their restaurants and you're done. I think I'm hungry with all these food examples.

If you're interested in getting the App you can use the Promo code EliseCD.

See you on Wikets!

Kathy Griffin on OWN Rosie Show

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Rosie's Show on OWN is having Kathy Griffin on for two episode Tuesday and Wednesday. I think they have a serious talk about Kathy's life. I just want to spread the word I think it will be interesting to hear her speak without all the jokes and bravado.

Just as an aside I love the Rosie Show and if you haven't been watching find it. It's on OWN, you can check your local listings. As you would expect she has great Broadway shows on and classic stars of stage, screen, and TV. It really is nirvana for people who like all the things I write about here.

Etta James RIP

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:31:00 +0000

I know everyone thinks At Last when they think of Etta James but this is my all time favorite. Thanks for all the good times Etta. You're the queen!

I Just Want To Make Love To You.

Magic City on Starz

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Just caught the preview for Magic City on Starz today. I keep hoping that one of these new shows set in the 1960's will be as good as Mad Men, could this be the one?

Set in a hotel in 1959 Miami there are plenty of interesting places for it to go. Mobsters, The Kennedy's, The Rat Pack, the whole Cuba thing??? All that and what sounds like a Louis Prima soundtrack. Lots of promise, and my fingers are crossed they come across with the goods.

The cast is pretty impressive too with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Danny Huston (Hubba Hubba). Check them out in this trailer.

Martin Luther King Day

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

I know there is a lot of controversy about this monument, but it is there. I saw it last summer on my visit to DC. Even if you feel it was poorly designed, I feel good that our country is moving in the direction of equality for all people, black or white, male or female, straight or gay.

Perhaps it is metaphorical. We are far from finishing this journey but we are making strides. In the mean time I heard they are fixing the truncated quote on this monument that dissapointed so many.

Happy Martin Luther King Day

Little Big Planet 2

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:37:00 +0000

As a member of the Playstation Family I got a copy of Little Big Plant 2. We recently opened it up. I think my kid is addicted.

She always loves these kind of games where you travel through a world collecting coins, or in this case stickers, which as the narrators says, we love so much we want to kiss them. This game has the added fun of adhering the stickers all over the virtual world and dressing up our little rag doll person and so much more I haven't even discovered yet.

If you're looking for a fun game for your kid I can highly recommend this. Based on my research of every kid in the neighborhood trying this game in my livingroom I would say it is good for 5 year olds and up, boys and girls, preferrably who can read though it's not mandatory.

Could be a good Valentine gift if you're trying to go easy on the candy!

Here's the trailer

Mad Men Season 5 returns March 25

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Finally word that Mad Men Season 5 will return to AMC March 25th. Is it me or does it feel like the last episode aired in the actual 60's???

Still I am very pleased we will finally get to see how badly Don has screwed up his third marriage (depending on how you count them that is), if Joan's husband gets killed in Vietnam or can count 9 months, and finally if Peggy and Abe are still together. Cause I LOVE Abe.

I guess I've hit my limit of using the word FINALLY in a post. But really AMC you better give us Mad Men Season 6 no more than 6 months after season 5 ends. You owe us.

Downton Abbey This Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:45:00 +0000

It's finally time, Downton Abbey Season 2 starts this SUNDAY! I'll be tweeting it with #DowntonAbbey. Come join me.

It's on PBS check you local listings. I'm on the west coast, but if you start tweeting I'm sure you'll find others in your time zone.

Can't wait to see what becomes of all our favorite!

My Silly Dogs Playing

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Sorry in advance if you hate animal videos, but my dogs ARE the cutest. Here they are rolling around on their backs playing You Can't Bite Me. Totally ridiculous.

I know, adorable right!

Music Monday with Cole Porter Anything Goes

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:59:00 +0000

I've never heard some of these verses. I also need to google several of the people referenced. Who new they were have nudist parties in Hollywood in the 30's???

PBS AMERICAN EXPERIENCE RECLAIMS THE WEST

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:56:00 +0000

PBS' American Experience starts it's 24th season on January 10 with a look at the most famous people of the American West.

The season will begin with Billy The Kid, then premier Custer's Last Stand, followed by Wyatt Earp, Geronimo, Annie Oakley and Jesse James.

Check you local listings Tuesday nights on PBS.

New Years with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Here's a great old clip of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, not to mention Ruth Buzzi. Too funny if a bit blurry and with a second of Abba on the end. Gotta love them all the same.

Hope you have as good a new years as them!

New Years Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:37:00 +0000

It's that time of year when, most everyone comes up with new years resolutions.

Are you?

I don't know, I guess I could try to watch more TCM and PBS. It would be difficult but I could try...

In all seriousness though, there are a couple things I could work on. Off the top of my head, spending more time with my daughter just playing. I actually do spend a fair bit of time with her, but it is doing home work and cleaning her room or running errands. These are all important, but before I know it she won't want to spend any time with me, so I better store up a back long now to get me through those lean years.

Also the husband could probably use a little attention. We have never been the kind of couple to have date nights, even before the kid. I can see now how they might be important though so I'll try to get a couple of those on the calendar. Even after 15 years and all my complaining about him and us and the house I love him and gotta maintain it.

Finally, for myself I think I need to take better care of me. I don't mean work out and eat right. Cause let's face it I'm never going to do that in a significant way. I mean do more just for me stuff. Like go to the movie alone in the middle of the day, get a facial or a body scrub, even meditate. Basically things that are just for my own enjoyment.

Hope you all take good care of yourselves too in the coming year and of course keep coming here and seeing my ramblings.

P.S. If you're wondering about the picture with this post, it's me in my best Mad Men Garb. It'll be back this spring and I'll be ready and waiting.

Happy New Year!

Good Gravy Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:13:00 +0000

With the season on us it occurs to me that gravy is important. Looking around the interwebs I find gravy recipes that call for everything from ketchup to cream of mushroom soup??? Really people...

So here is my incredibly simple (if I can do it, it must be) fool proof gravy recipe.

Begin by putting one tablespoon of flour in a cup of milk. The best way to mix these together is by shaking it vigorously in a sealed container. I use a small mason jar for this. Then once you remove meat, be it a roast, turkey, meat ball from the pan stir the milk mixture with the pan drippings over a low flame. You can add a second cup of milk/flour mixture if you have that much drippings. Salt and pepper to taste. You're done, I told you, easy!

This yeilds perfect lump free gravy every time and really could not be easier. It's how both my grandmothers made gravy and they probably got it from their grandmothers, so more than 100 years of gravy making can't be wrong.

Hope this reaches you in time for your christmas dinner.

Happy Holidays with Sonny and Cher

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Hope you all are enjoying the season. Here's a fun holiday clip from the old Sonny and Cher show. Love Chaz's face when he sings. Looks like he's think these people are nuts!

Happy Holidays!!

TCM Thin Man Series Dec 22

noreply@blogger.com (Elise Crane Derby) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:01:00 +0000

I want to be sure you all know there is a Thin Man Marathon on TCM this Thursday Dec 22nd beginning 8PM eastern (that's 5PM for us west coaster)

As is often the case, there are diminishing returns as you proceed through the series, but after the first two it's too late for a school night anyway. If you do manage to stay up for all of them you'll have bragging rights of having seen them all.

My hat is off to you!