Beautiful mornings the last two days, but then dark gray clouds covered the sun most of the time. There was no rain or snow, just murk. Two yearling deer were feeding in the side and back yards this A.M.

More updates on their way: 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!

Charity Alert: Keep that resolution in February too! Click on The Hunger Site every day.

In The Community: The Thousand Yard Stare on Ariana Huffington's blogsite. A video of Jim Soular reading his poem Gold Star Mother. Jim's stark realism is some of the best commentary about warfare that I know. Huffington Post -- Contagious Festival.

Media Watch: Superbowl XL was one of the worst-officiated games I've ever seen. Some of the penalties were called correctly, but some others weren't. The trouble was that they were mostly called against Seattle at critical times -- mistaken calls should be more random than that, and it left a bad impression. "My team" won, the Pittsburgh Steelers in this case, but I would have preferred a cleaner game.
I'm in the minority this year, but I liked the Rolling Stones' performance -- they made a lotta noise for six guys, played some good Rock N Roll for their second song, which was new, and did the most energetic live version of Satisfaction I've ever seen. Yeah, Mick Jagger was right -- they could have done Satisfaction at Superbowl I, but they were tired of it back then too.
Skating with Celebrities -- Experienced male skaters have ALL the advantages in this game. Nancy Kerrigan's partner could play hockey, but he couldn't cope with figure skates. (They are gone.) Bruce Jenner would be crazy to attempt any lifts or carries, so what's he going to do to compete with two experienced pairs skaters next week? Jillian was all bashed up, and Kristy Swanson seemed recovered from her chin-plant. I think this show will end up as Battle of the Blondes.


Kristy Swanson after skating practice...
Oops! Kristy Swanson in Wes Craven's Deadly Friend (1986)
A better than average combination of adolescent
whimsy and true horror.

Speaking of Horror Movies, here's one from India -- Kaal stars Bollywood hunks John Abraham, Ajay Devgan, and three domesticated Bengal Tigers. Shah Rukh Khan dances in a musical prolog. Devgan plays a re-embodied spirit named Kali Pratap Singh who oversees the death of stupid tourists in a wildlife refuge. Lowwww quality melodrama.