Merry Christmas! A wildlife sing-along -- 12 Mourning Doves, 11 red Finches, 10 swirling Starlings ... 5 gorgeous Pheasants, 4 hungry Magpies, 3 Hairy Woodpeckers, 2 California Blue Jays, and a Bald Eagle on Middle Foy's Lake!

Updates are coming: Theater X-Net

Featuring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!

Weather: Low 30's (F) and gray skies, but I had my sunglasses around my neck just in case.

Charity Alert: Give by simply clicking on The Hunger Site.

Out and About: I walked into Pier One Imports with my latte in hand, and the manager asked where hers was. After she helped me find what I wanted to buy, I went to the nearby Seattle's Best Coffee shop and came back with lattes for the three hard-working staffers at Pier One. Their Christmas Eve was a 10 hour workday.
I was standing in line at a "Dollar Store," waiting to buy some cool gift bags, but it didn't seem to be moving. My biggest fear was that I'd hear "PRICE CHECK" from the register at the front of the line. ("Hmm -- I wonder how much THIS costs?")

Media Watch: I saw about 20 total minutes of NFL Football today -- Kansas City skunked San Diego, Washington did the same to the NY Giants, and Indianapolis was resting their starters in Seattle. (Good idea -- the playoffs are much more important now.) MAD-TV's Frank had Christmas carolers singing the comedy, and Jillian wore a lightweight, almost summery, dress -- her loosely-hanging skirt was cut to drop slightly below the knees at the back while rising slightly above her knees in front. She's wearing that style often lately.
While wrapping presents I had the first Flash Gordon serial running on DVD. Another invitation to: Michael's Montana Web Archive
My future Spitfires of the Spaceways webpage looks like it will need a few more episodes featuring Princess Aura, as played by Priscilla Lawson, than I originally thought. Dale Arden and Wilma Deering each have their all-too-rare moments of decisive action, but Lawson's character had much more fun and excitement before twenty years of censorship in Hollywood supressed not only sensuality, but self-reliance and initiative in women's roles. Early Flash Gordon is just ONE example -- in a silly context, perhaps -- but an example nevertheless.


Priscilla Lawson from the 1930's:
As spitfire Princess Aura (Left) -- saving Flash's life;
A publicity shot (Right) about the time she signed to MGM.