Fabulous Full Moon last night and a cloudless sky glistening with stars -- Woo-wee, that means it got COLD this morning, about minus 8 Celsius (22 F) in some places around the Flathead Valley.

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Yuba City, California; Bethpage, New York (Grumman Aircraft, searching for a Dick Powell movie); Emeryville, California; and Madrid, Spain.

REAL SLC Punk, not the movie, at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged 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!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: The reception for Donna Gans and the Autumn Salon at the Hockaday Museum of Art attracted about 200 people last night.


Latest exhibits at the Hockaday Museum.
I'll add the Wreath Auction next.

Media Watch: A two hour special about the history of the Byrds on Montana PBS. They were influential beyond anyone's comprehension in the mid-60's -- especially the comprehension of the various band members. The singing trio of Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby are still able to deliver the goods when they so desire, but it hasn't happened much. I always enjoyed Gene Clarke's vocals and songs, as well as the incredible Clarence White, who took over lead guitar duties from one of America's top five guitarists. (Saw a later incarnation of the Byrds live -- White was stellar -- it was a serious tragedy when he died in an accident while loading out equipment after a gig.) I also had the good fortune of seeing the now-legendary drugged-out genius Gram Parsons perform with them. He was in the band for less than a year, but he created Country-Rock while he was around, and introduced the world to Emmylou Harris! Roger McGuinn's beautiful guitar playing on Turn, Turn, Turn! was a major highlight of both concerts. Yes, I enjoyed David Crosby's best work with other musicians, and will say the same for Chris Hillman, but those details would make a labrythine essay that I choose NOT to write, except to say I saw drummer Mike Clarke playing behind Hillman in a Parson-less version of the Flying Burrito Brothers. FAQ page by McGuinn.


One of my very favorite songs by the Byrds was Renaissance Fair
by Crosby and McGuinn
(The "B" side of My Back Pages):

I smell cinnamon and spices
I hear music everywhere
All around kaleidoscope of color

I think that maybe I´m dreaming...

Maids pass gracefully in laughter
Wine coloured flowers in their hair
Last call from lands I´ve never been to

I think that maybe I´m dreaming...

Some flash on a soda of prism
Bright jewels on the ladies flashing
Eyes catch on a shiny prism

Hear ye the crying of the vendors
Fruit for sale wax candles for to burn
Fires flare soon it will be night fall

I think that maybe I´m dreaming...

This refrain was quoted in the Animals song Monterrey -- about the famous concert in 1967 where David Crosby acted as MC and sat in with Stephen Stills/Buffalo Springfield. Crosby was fired from the Byrds as the Summer of Love faded, but roared back a few years later more popular than all his former bandmates combined.

Beautiful weather -- I wish I didn't know that Winter is coming for a LONG visit soon. Magpies and clouds of Starlings count for wildlife today.

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Nieuwkoop, Holland; Los Angeles, California; Delft, Holland; Oviedo, Spain; Haarlem, Amsterdam's sister-city in Holland; and Wilmington, Delaware. (My notes on Magpie Music/Dance are attracting attention in the Netherlands.)

REAL SLC Punk, not the movie, at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged 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!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: Reception for Donna Gans and the Autumn Salon, including me, on Thursday, October 25 at the Hockaday Museum of Art! (That's tomorrow.)

Media Watch: Real Books -- A minor tome from the mid-50's featuring short biographies of scientists. It seems like almost as little is known about Dr. William Harvey than is known about his contemporary William Shakespeare. I was thinking that you could make up a fake controversey about who REALLY discovered the mechanism of blood circulation? Yeah! You could assign the credit to an obscure courtier, like they try to do to playwright Bill, except that Harvey was the personal surgeon for idiotic tyrant Charles I. An anti-Royalist riot destroyed most of his personal papers, otherwise we'd know quite a bit more about this friend of Sir Francis Bacon.
Surgeon: Hmmm -- how do I sew that head back on your body, your Majesty?
King: Fuh-getaboutit! I wasn't using it anyway. Just bury my ass and let Cromwell try to run the country.
Movie actor Jennifer Lopez was entertaining on Dancing with the Stars. The lip-synch looked phony, but her tracked-over second number suited her well -- when she really sang, she sounded good, and she had her "back" covered when she wasn't vocalizing. The Trash A Go Go pros did some fancy footwork too. Ahhh -- the power of rehearsal! I'm not really a fan, but I'm glad she has something like a private life and control of her career to a certain extent. Oh yeah, that talentless sports team owner is gone now. Except for "Cheetah Girl," the other celebrities are very hit-and-miss. The worst dancer of the remaining bunch is Marie Osmond, and I hope the dreaded Emmitt Smith fan-factor doesn't polute the voting again.


One view of an installation/painting named Still My Road by Donna Gans. The transparent photo is mounted about seven feet away from the painting on the wall. You can line them up perfectly in your OWN eyes just by visiting the Hockaday Museum between now and Christmas!

GUH-roh-sssss! My sewer line backed up in the basement. Tree roots clogged the exit pipe. It's fixed now. Luckily, I caught the blockage early, and it could have been much worse, but I still have a few hours of disinfecting and clean-up ahead of me.

Sitemeter Sez: A visitor from Moscow, Russian Federation -- looking for the wonderful Tove Janssen's Notes from an Island. They missed the direct link to my source -- David McDuff's Blog. READ READ READ!

REAL SLC Punk, not the movie, at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged 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!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: Reception for Donna Gans and the Autumn Salon on Thursday, October 25 at the Hockaday Museum of Art! I saw Marshall Noice at the hardware store and personally thanked him for hosting the Orphan Art auction at his gallery for the museum's benefit.

Media Watch: Real Books -- I have my hands on Moominpapa at Sea the masterwork by Tove Janssen. Yeah, it's a children's book, and part of a series of children's books, but it is so well-written, and so unconventional that I have no hesitation in calling it a masterwork. Read as a companion piece to A Summer Book, it resonates with the deepest yearnings and emotions of humankind. I also mentioned the Moomin comic strip on this blog a few months ago -- much as I love comics, I can't recommend the English translations as anything more than a curiosity -- much like Lyonel Feininger's Kin-der-Kids. Maybe they had something special about them in Finnish, I don't know.
Trash A Go Go -- the choreographers had a pretty fun night. Those who worked with their celebrity partner's strengths looked great on National TV -- Tony and Jane; Max and Mel; Edyta and Cameron. "Cheetah Girl" Sabrina was so outstandingly good that Chief Judge Len Goodman said Your main strength is that you have no weaknesses. He had a valid criticism about their routine, though. Marie Osmond's on-air fainting spell was worrisome. I'm also getting REAL tired of seeing Donnie -- he ain't even a contestant! BTW -- that uncaring sports team owner has gotta go, plus I've HATED the very concept of Sydney Sheldon's degrading I Dream of Jeannie since I was a teenager -- I glad Kym Johnson had a sense of humor about their stupid dance.

Theater/Theatre: Let's go for the REAL THANG!
MUSIC DANCE Overtoom 310 – Amsterdam, Friday October 26th, 21.00 Entrance Euro 5 (9 PM, about 8 bucks)

Music: Andy Moor, Terrie Ex, Alfredo Genovesi, Arvind Ganga, Arnold de Boer, Mark Morse (6 electric guitars)
Dance: Makiko Ito, Katie Duck, Sania Strimbakou, Kay Patru, Michele Rizzo, Manuela Tessi

Hmmm -- Six male electric guitarists and six women dancing! Sounds more like the Twelve days of Christmas rather than a Pre-Halloween show. Let me tell you that Katie was a nasty Rock N' Roller when she was cuttin' loose.


My friend Katie Duck dancing with Makiko Iko, Eileen Standley, and Cyber-pal Justin Morrison in scenes from a video available on justinmorison.net. There's Justin taking off his jacket and swinging it around, then Katie taking off her skirt and swinging it around ... and then ... well, they're still wearing lots of clothes!

It's the time of year for rain, and we are getting nice and wet. The leaves are falling faster as a result, but that's OK too. I got all my books inside and on the shelves. I won't tell you how long some of them have been in boxes, but I can enjoy them now.

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Amsterdam, Holland (Magpie Music/Dance); Whitefield, New Hampshire; Los Angeles, California; Battle Creek, Michigan (Selling cereal?); Oxford, Ohio; Dublin, Ireland (LOVE to see ya' drop in!); Aargau, Switzerland; Staten Island, New York; Arles, France (NOT the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh); Winston Salem, North Carolina (Selling cigarettes?); and Emeryville, California

REAL SLC Punk, not the movie, at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged 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!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: The Hockaday Museum of Art is taking shape after some serious interior dismantling. I'll be fixing our wobbly benches next, doing some minor spot-painting, and wrestling with a stubborn spot or two on our glass cases before our reception on Thursday, October 25.

Media Watch: Some work of my own! As the reader might have noticed above, I've added a page to my Biographica section of Theatrex-Net. I was by no means a deeply-involved participant of the Punk-Rock and New Wave scenes in Salt Lake City during the 80's, but I knew some people who were, and saw some interesting things. I wasn't exactly broke, but I was VERY busy, and I wish I would have had the time to get around more.


Some images from my REAL SLC Punk page: (Above) That's a sketched-in likeness of me, my bicycle, and Temple Square at the right, relative to an outdoor Punk concert called Rock Against Reagan in 1984. (Below) My friends Linda Meyer, Lisa Verstieg, and Al Grazzi -- bona fide participants in Salt Lake City's Punk and New Wave scenes.