I mis-spoke yesterday. That Pacific rain DID cause local damage! Glacier National Park has lost roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure to flooding. It's going to cost millions to clean up that mess -- including a very high steep section of Going To The Sun Road which has slid down the mountain on the east side of Logan Pass.

Footbarn's Celebration of Theatre: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris, from my jet-lagged first day by the Seine.
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!
NEW! Spitfires of the Spaceways
Watch Dale Arden rescue Flash Gordon for a change!

Charity Alert: Keep that resolution as Winter sneaks around on us! Click on The Hunger Site every day.

In The Community: I visited the Wheelers last night and expressed my admiration to them for sacrificing their time and money to run for public office. Since the election went to their opponent, they will be spared the additional sacrifices of a winter in Helena, Montana. Scott's website will be off the World Wide Web by the end of the month.

Media Watch: Tee-RASH A Go Go (Again) -- Dancing with the Stars is down to Mario Lopez and Emmitt Smith. Joey Lawrence is going on a national tour with other ex-contestants and dancing professionals. From the preview it looks like hyper-energetic Lisa (Lips) Renna is the stage-boss, with my least-favorite pro Louis Van Amstel as choreographer. If you like these people's work, don't let ME stop you from having a good time -- go see 'em.
Amongst the variey entertainment and outright padding, London's ultra-boring, uh -- artistically jaded -- Pet Shop Boys performed their best song West End Girls on the Results Show last night.
While I was driving out to the Wheeler's house, I had a second-hand compilation of B.J. Thomas' hits playing on the stereo -- cost me all of 70 cents up in Canada.
I'm going to write a paragraph about the B.J. Thomas records I LIKE:
When I was in High School, he had his first big hit with I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. I appreciated the sound of his rich resonant voice, and neither suspected it was written by Hank Williams, nor cared when I found out. Passing over other hits and misses in silence -- the next record of his which caught my ears favorably was Eyes of a New York Woman. In fact the reason I bought this tape was to hear that song again. I'm afraid it has been forgotten since the follow-up was so huge -- Hooked On A Feeling, with it's ridiculous drug references and faux-sitar guitar, on top of the admittedly Class-A Memphis arrangement and full-out vocal performance. The former record has all the qualities of the latter, without the bad-taste lyrics. I'll plead guilty to liking the sentimental Rock & Roll Lullaby too. Thomas became a "big name" after recording two of Bacharach and David's last hits, but they are not part of this "like" paragraph. I will give any song of B.J. Thomas' at least one listen, and heartily endorse his later covers of the Beach Boys' Don't Worry Baby, and Don Williams' Gypsy Woman. I even enjoy some of his Gospel recordings.


Composite hopped-up images of some of my favorite Trash A-Go-Go pro dancers -- Kym Johnson, Australia's Tina Sparkle of this season; Karina Smirnoff, five-time U.S. Champion, may win this time with Mario Lopez; Cheryl Burke won last season, and is in the final round with Emmitt Smith; Edyta Sliwinska and Kym continue to do guest appearences, win or lose.