Weather: Dry and warm -- if you think there's no pollution here, you're wrong. The valley is filling up with dust and car exhaust. The ol' "Big Sky" has a lot of brown in it's blue.
Wildlife: Cedar Waxwings are moving in to the neighborhood -- we usually see them in fall. The Canada Geese are starting to migrate too -- our local goslings are getting awfully big, and might join the exodus soon.
Charity Alert: The Hunger Site : Give Food for Free to Hungry People in the World
Media Watch: Ugh! Mo (I love the 70's, 80's, 90's) Rocca as a correspondent at the political conventions -- with people like Larry King pretending to laugh at his lines. I reluctantly admit to getting used to Pauley Shore about ten years ago, but I can't say I welcome even MORE smug whiners on TV news shows. Speaking of has-beens from previous decades, I saw Donnie (New Kids On The Block) Wahlberg in a fragment of some crappy crime flick.
Books -- Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care by John McWhorter isn't as reactionary as the title sounds!
Before It Happens to You by Jonathan Bernstein M.D. recommends taking a combination of aspirin, ACE-inhibitors, statins, and beta blockers as a preventitive regimen against future heart attacks or strokes. Of course I'm thinking about it -- you are much worse-off after a coronary failure, if not crippled or dead.
Poplorica By Martin J. Smith and Patrick J. Kiger is very informative and entertaining!
Poplorica Main Menu Page
Quote: Pop culture meets pop reference in this irreverent tour of surprising twentieth-century events and inventions that forever changed the way we live. Journalists Smith and Kiger forage through technology, business, entertainment, sports and sociology in these lively, eclectic profiles of twenty unusual events, inventions and individuals that irrevocably altered modern life. They reveal the real stories and significance of events as unheralded as Alfred Kinsey's disastrous honeymoon, Betty Ford's intervention, and the birth of celebrity voyeurism, as well as the invention of Big Bertha golf clubs, pantyhose, super-absorbent disposable diapers, and permanent press clothes They measure the social impact of TV dinners, black velvet paintings, and the spectacular maneuver that forever changed sports (Dr. J's slam-dunk) -- in provocative essays guaranteed to educate, illuminate and entertain.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Wildlife: Awoke in the night last Friday to the sounds of loud splashing and growling cats. I went outside with a flashlight, and there were a half-dozen baby racoons sitting in our box feeder, devouring the sunflower seeds. We took their picture as they posed for us. Mama Racoon was down on the lawn, and yes, the box feeder was EMPTY in the morning. They haven't been back since. (We've refilled it!)
Yesterday there were two sightings of Osprey fishing.
This morning a huge Bald Eagle perched itself on the west side of Middle Foy's Lake.
Charity Alert: The Animal Rescue Site : Feed an Animal in Need
Weather: Generally hot, but this is Montana -- some scattered leaves are turning yellow and red.
Media Watch: What am I reading? Juggling three books, and I can't remember a single title.
The art museum's website is up-to-date: Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana. We've been working our tails off there!
I've re-listed the Northwestern Montana Historical Society's Looking Back on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6912861292
Ridiculous -- Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital was put out of it's misery the other week, with a re-animator hook in it's tail. (Leave this zombie in the ground!) That decapitated guy never got his head back either -- too bad -- Jesus II shoulda performed a miracle for him when he was resurrected. ABC.com: Kingdom Hospital
Sublime -- Trio Network re-ran Lonesome Highway, A History of Country Music, which was actually produced by BBC Bristol. There was some good footage of Hank Williams, Lefty Frizell, and others. They skipped a lot of the popular side of the industry in favor of a few key figures, and finished the series with alotta praise heaped upon Gillian Welch. I saw her live in Salt Lake a few years ago, and she was PHENOMENAL!
TRIO: pop, culture, tv.
Yesterday there were two sightings of Osprey fishing.
This morning a huge Bald Eagle perched itself on the west side of Middle Foy's Lake.
Charity Alert: The Animal Rescue Site : Feed an Animal in Need
Weather: Generally hot, but this is Montana -- some scattered leaves are turning yellow and red.
Media Watch: What am I reading? Juggling three books, and I can't remember a single title.
The art museum's website is up-to-date: Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana. We've been working our tails off there!
I've re-listed the Northwestern Montana Historical Society's Looking Back on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6912861292
Ridiculous -- Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital was put out of it's misery the other week, with a re-animator hook in it's tail. (Leave this zombie in the ground!) That decapitated guy never got his head back either -- too bad -- Jesus II shoulda performed a miracle for him when he was resurrected. ABC.com: Kingdom Hospital
Sublime -- Trio Network re-ran Lonesome Highway, A History of Country Music, which was actually produced by BBC Bristol. There was some good footage of Hank Williams, Lefty Frizell, and others. They skipped a lot of the popular side of the industry in favor of a few key figures, and finished the series with alotta praise heaped upon Gillian Welch. I saw her live in Salt Lake a few years ago, and she was PHENOMENAL!
TRIO: pop, culture, tv.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Wildlife: Regular visits by hummingbirds, especially in the evening. It looks like the Loons have moved back to Big Foy's Lake -- distant calls, but no sightings for weeks.
Weather: A perfect summer day on Tuesday. Clouds are gathering on the western horizon today.
Charity Alert: The Rainforest Site: Help Save Our Rainforests!
In The Community: "Procrastination Blues" at the Hockaday -- Monday was supposed to be the deadline for the Lens On Montana photo show. The pictures shoulda been ready to hang too. Well, a whole lotta stuff came in Tuesday, with almost as many excuses as there were photos! They'll all be hanging up by August 5th. Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
Media Watch: Speak Easily from 1932 with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante. An outhouse special -- it's really sad that Keaton, who made some of the greatest films of all time, fell so far down after his heyday in the 20's. You can blame alcoholism, I guess, for some of his problems -- but that movie just plain sucked -- it was about a theatre show that sucked too. You'd think they could do better with Jimmy Durante in the cast, but they didn't.
It bore a family resemblance to 42nd Street, being a backstage comedy -- there was even a blustery artistic director ala Warner Baxter (musta been a social stereotype then), but that's damning it with very faint praise.
It was part of a TCM series of flicks featuring Thelma Todd -- she was sexy, beautiful, and funny, but is famous today mostly for being found dead in a still-unsolved Hollywood mystery.
Other movies she made included Horsefeathers and Monkey Business with the Marx Brothers, plus the first movie version of Dashell Hammett's Maltese Falcon, featuring Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez, Dudley Digges, and Una Merkel.
One web page: Denny Jackson's Thelma Todd Page
Another page: Thelma Todd
Weather: A perfect summer day on Tuesday. Clouds are gathering on the western horizon today.
Charity Alert: The Rainforest Site: Help Save Our Rainforests!
In The Community: "Procrastination Blues" at the Hockaday -- Monday was supposed to be the deadline for the Lens On Montana photo show. The pictures shoulda been ready to hang too. Well, a whole lotta stuff came in Tuesday, with almost as many excuses as there were photos! They'll all be hanging up by August 5th. Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
Media Watch: Speak Easily from 1932 with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante. An outhouse special -- it's really sad that Keaton, who made some of the greatest films of all time, fell so far down after his heyday in the 20's. You can blame alcoholism, I guess, for some of his problems -- but that movie just plain sucked -- it was about a theatre show that sucked too. You'd think they could do better with Jimmy Durante in the cast, but they didn't.
It bore a family resemblance to 42nd Street, being a backstage comedy -- there was even a blustery artistic director ala Warner Baxter (musta been a social stereotype then), but that's damning it with very faint praise.
It was part of a TCM series of flicks featuring Thelma Todd -- she was sexy, beautiful, and funny, but is famous today mostly for being found dead in a still-unsolved Hollywood mystery.
Other movies she made included Horsefeathers and Monkey Business with the Marx Brothers, plus the first movie version of Dashell Hammett's Maltese Falcon, featuring Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez, Dudley Digges, and Una Merkel.
One web page: Denny Jackson's Thelma Todd Page
Another page: Thelma Todd
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Weather: About 1 1/2 inches of rain fell in less than two hours Monday AM -- I'm glad we didn't flood at the Art Museum, because City Hall and other nearby places had water in their basements. It also rained a little this morning. After a couple of over-90-degree days at the end of last week, it is a welcome relief.
Wildlife: Two Redtailed Hawks were soaring overhead just east of my house. The deer herd is back -- mostly around Little Foy's Lake -- They have little spotty fawns in tow, and a few of our garden flowers are missing tops lately. Good thing I left those fenceposts in place!
Charity Alert: The Child Health Site : Help a Child in Need Lead a Healthy, Active Life
In the Community: The Compleat Works of Willm. Shkspr (Abridged) outdoors at the college.
The P.A. started crackling, so they shut it off -- it was a calm evening in an ampitheater, so the voices were still heard by everyone. I was pulled out of the crowd for one audience-participation section, made everyone laugh, and got outta there without blowing it -- the actors and writers did the whole job -- all I had to do was react.
One site of many: The Compleat Works of Willm. Shakspr. (abridged)
We have to tear down ALL the shows at the Hockaday Museum of Art, and get a whole new set of exhibits up on the walls by August 5. We are also having our annual outdoor Arts In the Park festival July 23 thru 25, and an after-hours Fun Friday in association with Downtown Kalispell businesses on July 30. (It will be the beginning of my fifth year at The Hockaday.) I'm going on vacation right afterwards!
The director has to cope with a Bibler Gardens fund-raiser for us during the evenings of August 2-6, and the aforementioned reception on the 5th. I hate to miss that reception, but there's someone else on-staff who's able to take pictures now. (She's cat-sitting for us too.)
Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
Media Watch: I can't remember EVERYTHING!
John Huston's Asphalt Jungle was an effective, but overly linear film noir. It helped the young, struggling Marilyn Monroe become a star, for good or bad. We also taped a bunch of B and C grade pre-1936 comedies from TCM last night. (MY kind of cinema -- vaudville on film!)
I've been reading a collection of 100 stories by Ray Bradbury. The book was published in 1980, so there's many more to read now. Ray Bradbury Online - Bibliography - Books
I was pleasantly surprised by The Terminal last weekend -- an entertaining but shallow Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg movie. Catherine Zeta-Jones had an unfortunately demeaning role as an unnecessary love-interest. Nothing in the story survived re-examination, but it was a pleasant ride if you didn't think much. I rarely go to the movies anymore, but since we don't have air-conditioning (see Weather), it was a good evening out.
Here's the sadder back-story: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Travel (Stranded at the Airport)
Wildlife: Two Redtailed Hawks were soaring overhead just east of my house. The deer herd is back -- mostly around Little Foy's Lake -- They have little spotty fawns in tow, and a few of our garden flowers are missing tops lately. Good thing I left those fenceposts in place!
Charity Alert: The Child Health Site : Help a Child in Need Lead a Healthy, Active Life
In the Community: The Compleat Works of Willm. Shkspr (Abridged) outdoors at the college.
The P.A. started crackling, so they shut it off -- it was a calm evening in an ampitheater, so the voices were still heard by everyone. I was pulled out of the crowd for one audience-participation section, made everyone laugh, and got outta there without blowing it -- the actors and writers did the whole job -- all I had to do was react.
One site of many: The Compleat Works of Willm. Shakspr. (abridged)
We have to tear down ALL the shows at the Hockaday Museum of Art, and get a whole new set of exhibits up on the walls by August 5. We are also having our annual outdoor Arts In the Park festival July 23 thru 25, and an after-hours Fun Friday in association with Downtown Kalispell businesses on July 30. (It will be the beginning of my fifth year at The Hockaday.) I'm going on vacation right afterwards!
The director has to cope with a Bibler Gardens fund-raiser for us during the evenings of August 2-6, and the aforementioned reception on the 5th. I hate to miss that reception, but there's someone else on-staff who's able to take pictures now. (She's cat-sitting for us too.)
Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
Media Watch: I can't remember EVERYTHING!
John Huston's Asphalt Jungle was an effective, but overly linear film noir. It helped the young, struggling Marilyn Monroe become a star, for good or bad. We also taped a bunch of B and C grade pre-1936 comedies from TCM last night. (MY kind of cinema -- vaudville on film!)
I've been reading a collection of 100 stories by Ray Bradbury. The book was published in 1980, so there's many more to read now. Ray Bradbury Online - Bibliography - Books
I was pleasantly surprised by The Terminal last weekend -- an entertaining but shallow Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg movie. Catherine Zeta-Jones had an unfortunately demeaning role as an unnecessary love-interest. Nothing in the story survived re-examination, but it was a pleasant ride if you didn't think much. I rarely go to the movies anymore, but since we don't have air-conditioning (see Weather), it was a good evening out.
Here's the sadder back-story: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Travel (Stranded at the Airport)
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Weather: Yesterday's temperature of 92 degrees Fahrenheit was hot, no matter where you live. There was a very pleasant rain shower at about 2 AM this morning.
Wildlife: The flowers and hanging pots have been much superior to sugar-water feeders in attracting Hummingbirds. The damn hanging pots need to be messed with regularly because the plants get rootbound, stop draining water, and start to rot -- %$#@ work!
Charity Alert: The Breast Cancer Site : Fund Mammograms for Free
Media Watch: Finished John Krakauer's Under The Banner of Heaven. The focus of the book is the horrible Lafferty murders in the early 80's, and I have a weak stomach for that kind of stuff, so I skipped over big chunks of narrarative. I get depressed reading about the rampant child abuse among the Mormon Fundamentalist patriarchy, knowing they continue to prosper under our corrupt legal system. Krakauer's rage showed through his prose on this subject, perhaps blunting his point.
Reviews etc. of this book: Random House
An Interview: Book Report Interview with John Krakauer
Child abuse is a serious problem in the "regular" Mormon church too. Like the Catholics, the LDS hierarchy protects criminals in it's midst while the innocent suffer.
I'm still ashamed to have been a member of this dreadful cult, even though I was only a kid and had no real choice in the matter. I thankfully never suffered any sexual abuse myself, but my nearly-next-door-neighbor did, and became an abuser too -- finally going to prison after betraying the trust of dozens of young boys as an LDS leader.
I'm still trying to get off of all the hangups I developed by going to their meetings, participating in their services, and especially those which resulted from my own disorganized lashing-out against the whole ugly institution.
Hey! The movie Brigham Young was on FMC last weekend -- Vincent Price as founding LDS (Mormon) prophet Joseph Smith -- what could be scarier than that!?
The Jeopardy guy from Utah won over a million bucks -- he's going to give 10 percent to those lousy Mormon pirates -- smart as he may be, he's still delusional about some things.
And now for something completely different: Hedwig and the Angry Itch was on the satellite. This very dark comedy isn't to everyone's taste, but it's a better-than-average movie, especially if you like Rock n' Roll.
Wildlife: The flowers and hanging pots have been much superior to sugar-water feeders in attracting Hummingbirds. The damn hanging pots need to be messed with regularly because the plants get rootbound, stop draining water, and start to rot -- %$#@ work!
Charity Alert: The Breast Cancer Site : Fund Mammograms for Free
Media Watch: Finished John Krakauer's Under The Banner of Heaven. The focus of the book is the horrible Lafferty murders in the early 80's, and I have a weak stomach for that kind of stuff, so I skipped over big chunks of narrarative. I get depressed reading about the rampant child abuse among the Mormon Fundamentalist patriarchy, knowing they continue to prosper under our corrupt legal system. Krakauer's rage showed through his prose on this subject, perhaps blunting his point.
Reviews etc. of this book: Random House
An Interview: Book Report Interview with John Krakauer
Child abuse is a serious problem in the "regular" Mormon church too. Like the Catholics, the LDS hierarchy protects criminals in it's midst while the innocent suffer.
I'm still ashamed to have been a member of this dreadful cult, even though I was only a kid and had no real choice in the matter. I thankfully never suffered any sexual abuse myself, but my nearly-next-door-neighbor did, and became an abuser too -- finally going to prison after betraying the trust of dozens of young boys as an LDS leader.
I'm still trying to get off of all the hangups I developed by going to their meetings, participating in their services, and especially those which resulted from my own disorganized lashing-out against the whole ugly institution.
Hey! The movie Brigham Young was on FMC last weekend -- Vincent Price as founding LDS (Mormon) prophet Joseph Smith -- what could be scarier than that!?
The Jeopardy guy from Utah won over a million bucks -- he's going to give 10 percent to those lousy Mormon pirates -- smart as he may be, he's still delusional about some things.
And now for something completely different: Hedwig and the Angry Itch was on the satellite. This very dark comedy isn't to everyone's taste, but it's a better-than-average movie, especially if you like Rock n' Roll.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Charity Alert -- easier is impossible: The Hunger Site : Give Food for Free to Hungry People in the World
Weather: Blue skies -- hot day ahead. It didn't rain at all yesterday.
Wildlife: A lot of noise outside last night! It was impossible to see what was going on without a moon, but the warm temperature brought out some kind of prowling thing. (Unh uh -- no skunk-smell)
Media Watch: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy UK Version -- I don't know if this show was a pilot or not, but the crew seemed to get in each others' way. The interior designer worked hardest, of course, but the characters and roles of the makeover guys were not readily distinct. The client was an engaging personality, and cleaned up handsomely.
Damn! London is sure a concrete jungle (as is New York). It would be depressing to have to live in a place where anything green or growing is present only by neglect, accident, or extraordinary work.
In the Community: The local stamp collectors club had a special after-hours meeting at the Hockaday Museum of Art and had a grand time absorbing the Graceful Envelope show. Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
Weather: Blue skies -- hot day ahead. It didn't rain at all yesterday.
Wildlife: A lot of noise outside last night! It was impossible to see what was going on without a moon, but the warm temperature brought out some kind of prowling thing. (Unh uh -- no skunk-smell)
Media Watch: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy UK Version -- I don't know if this show was a pilot or not, but the crew seemed to get in each others' way. The interior designer worked hardest, of course, but the characters and roles of the makeover guys were not readily distinct. The client was an engaging personality, and cleaned up handsomely.
Damn! London is sure a concrete jungle (as is New York). It would be depressing to have to live in a place where anything green or growing is present only by neglect, accident, or extraordinary work.
In the Community: The local stamp collectors club had a special after-hours meeting at the Hockaday Museum of Art and had a grand time absorbing the Graceful Envelope show. Hockaday Museum of Art - Prime visual arts resource in Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana.
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