Footbarn's Celebration of Theatre: 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!
NEW! Spitfires of the Spaceways
Watch Dale Arden rescue Flash Gordon for a change!
Charity Alert: Make a resolution as the days get longer to click on The Hunger Site every day.
In The Community: Look for updates on theHockaday Museum of Art's Website this week.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Gotta do wut Preznunt Bush sez -- bought a buncha crap, and now I'm gonna take it back.
Media Watch: Ex-President Gerald Ford died at the age of 93. There's stories all over the media about him now. He replaced the corrupt Spiro Agnew as Vice President, and slept in the White House after Nixon resigned. For a year and a half the tititular heads of the USA were Ford and Rockefeller (Gerry and Nelson). I was out of the country for most of that time, but when I came back the corrosive so-called "Generation Gap" had mostly healed over. That was something, otherwise his tenure in office was pretty undistinguished -- in fact, the very Presidency was diminished by the abuses of Nixon and Johnson -- Ford was just the first in a parade of people who were just not big enough for the job. Carter was too narrow in those days to lead the way out of Amerika's morrass in the 70's, Reagan was a shallow frontman for thieves, while aides like Casey, Schultz, and Weinberger ran the government. Bush One was even worse, as the treasury was looted under the command of James Baker. Clinton might have been smart enough, but his party was too hopelessly compromised to wield power. Newt Gingrich took over Congress and tried to literally handcuff the president with perpetual Ken Starr investigations, while trying to prevent Clinton from functioning as Chief Executive by accusing him of creating diversions whenever a real crisis took place in the world. "Wag the dog!" was the smug Republican mantra. Clinton tried accomodating his enemies, but all they desired was to disgrace him. Bush Two was the sad result of the right wing's methodical tearing down of American institutions. "Tax and Spend Liberalism" became "Borrow and Steal Conservatism." The country as a whole is now reeling from graft and incompetence, and our ability to function in the world is seriously damaged -- the consequences are dire, and will get worse unless those whom we have chosen to lead include REALITY on their agendas.
In the meantime, the office of President of the United States continues to be held by a stooge, and the act of running for that office has become a humiliating dog and pony show where the candidates grovel for money and spout focus-group nonsense for cynical media who are only interested in sound-bites. Brilliant people like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rev. Jesse Jackson bray like jackasses when they go on display in this putrid arena. They, and others, undermine their good works by playing egotistical games, when they should be paying attention to the problems they are paid to solve. We need a whole new paradigm for the Presidency, and election to the office. Coarse circumstances will force changes if a responsible society doesn't decide what is best for themselves.
Some positive notes: Betty Ford is still alive, and has made enormous contributions to our society by her courage and integrity. The way she used her high social station to help repair addiction's damage to countless lives, including her own, demonstrated uncommon bravery. I will also say that Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter grew a great deal after the madness which is and was the White House almost destroyed them and their family. I'll even note that Nancy Reagan learned much from the ordeal with her husband's Alzheimer's Disease.
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