Wildlife and Weather: Two Coyotes were strolling across our lake in the long gray morning before the sun rose above the mist. It was minus 9 degrees (F). I'm sorry to see them or hear them -- very opportunistic predators. We are keeping the cats inside until midday for awhile. (Not that they want to stay outside in this brutal cold.)

New Website: 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: Cold schmold -- click on The Hunger Site. We went to Costco and bought a load of dog and cat food for the local animal shelter today. I was in a very good mood, unlike last week, but the press of people in the stores still creates situations where someone is always seems to be in someone else's way. Saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays are great ways of lifting everybody's spirits.

In The Community: FINALS WEEK at the college -- all slackers emerge from the woodwork and get it over please! Besides that, there's two video students who are finishing their projects tommorrow, and Current Events is behind schedule, so it will be simpler than planned. I have to finish making that shelving in the Hockaday Museum's vaults, and still find time for holiday preparations.

Media Watch: While Christmas shopping, I saw an anthology called The American Pinup from Taschen, a publisher of popular art books. The cover was from a calendar circa 1940. I see these kitchy artifacts from many generations all over the antique stores.
One of many Websites devoted to Pinup Images
Book TV showed a panel discussion from November 15, with Nadine Strossen, Ariel Levy, Kay Hymowitz, Nelson George and moderator Catherine Orenstein at the Center for Communications New School University which was remarkable in the fact that all half-dozen or so participants actually spoke in turn, and listened to one another. The subject was the nature of sexual content in the mass media -- music videos, advertising, and so forth. The featured panelist was a lady named Pamela Paul who authored a book called Pornified; How the Culture of Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships and Our Families, which is starting to make a buzz. She was personable and polite too. Ms. Paul's Website
Everyone generally agreed that sexual imagery had definite effects on society, but they were complex, and censorship often made bad effects worse. MTV Networks also ran a show about sexual harrassment and music videos.
Hmmm -- was something going on today, or am I just looking for these kinds of discussions?
NFL Football -- Pregame Madness was cut short by shopping. Penn & Teller did a bit with MAD-TV's Frank which wasn't particularly funny, considering all that talent on camera. (I should mention that Penn & Teller's series Bullshit on Showtime is mostly that very thing -- don't waste your time.)
I missed Jillian Barbarie's segment. Is that why I sought solace in cheesecake pictures published when my late father was only a young lad?


Classic Pinups by (L to R):
Zoë Mozert, Earl Moran, Alberto Vargas, and George Petty

San Diego handed Indianapolis it's first defeat of the season -- the Colts are going to be sorry if they continue to allow Peyton Manning to take lickings like he did this week and last week. Washington surprised Dallas at every turn, and I mostly did chores in the afternoon rather than watch such a lopsided drubbing. I tuned in to the Chicago game in the evening while also doing other things -- it was near 0 degrees (F) and the Atlanta team was out of it's element. If you like defense, Chicago's your team. They don't have much at the quarterback position, but it's rare when they do. That town just abuses anyone who ever gets the job, and regional rivals like Green Bay, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Detroit hate them --- and well, they can't seem to win, even if they win games -- ask Jim McMahon.

Wildlife: The Pheasants are so colorful against the snow --- even the females show gold and red. There was a large flock of Robins flying through the neighborhood too -- obviously slow or lost in their migration.

New Website: 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!

Weather: A sunny day after a snowfall is usually a cold day, and today was not an exception.

Charity Alert: Cure the outdoor cold by warming your heart with a click on The Hunger Site.

Media Watch: I'm reading a book called The Future of Music -- Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution by David Kusek and Gerd Leonhard. Recordings as "product" are losing their prominence -- the way the record industry continues to rob creators of music makes that fact good news. Live musical performances are still vital, profitable endeavors, and audience attendance is growing overall, but THE ROAD is a HELL of a way to make a living, as I can attest. The thesis of the book is "music like water" not free, but not expensive, and readily available via media "taps." Networks of media can help creative people a lot if the vast public pays a little for learning, absorbing, and enjoying music in its many forms. (I could say the same about other arts.) For musicians, getting money from other sources besides live gigs helps them make better performances, more stable lives, and enjoy longer careers.
Future of Music Website
NFL Football on Saturday -- Pre-game madness featured MAD-TV's Frank Calliendo in the studio on Fox. His live voice impersonations were mostly good, but his comedy was more than a bit off. If Jillian Barbarie attempted comedy today, I didn't laugh at anything in her segment. She was well-dressed in an off-the-shoulders ensemble a lot like the one in those photos I posted earlier in the week, except with an above-the-knee skirt. It was definitely warm-weather fashion. (Did I mention how cold it was today?)
New England shut out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to clinch the AFC East Division. The Bucs are a better-than-average team, but even with injuries, the Patriots are still the champs unless they lose in the post-season. Kansas City gave the NY Giants a hard time at the frigid Meadowlands in New Jersey, but they still lost to the home team.
Yes! That is Aishwarya Rai as a model in an eyeliner commercial. I hope she makes more appearences in the American/European media.

In The Community: An Art Museum takes WORK sometimes!
Gotta get ready for next year. Hockaday Museum of Art

New Website: 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!

Wildlife: Middle Foy's Lake is quite a gathering place with that open water. We saw a report about "killer deer" on network news last night -- some of it taped in Helena, Montana. The local bucks will lose their horns soon -- real real soon.

Weather: A beautiful soft snowfall.

Charity Alert: Six clicks on The Hunger Site will brighten any day.

Media Watch: National Public radio made it sound like Saul Zaenz sold Fantasy Records. There are new owners at that label they say. Zaenz made an obscene amount of money as producer of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. He bought the movie rights forty years ago for something like 50 grand when J.R.R. Tolkien needed some fast cash for taxes. Zaenz bankrolled Ralph Bakshi's half-baked animated version in the late 70's, which has it's fans, I must say, but I'm not one of their number. If you read Tolkein's Letters, there's some tidbits about another animated film attempted in the late 50's or early 60's, with the involvement of Forrest J. Ackerman -- publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland. The makers of Yellow Submarine made some public noises about their plans to animate Lord of the Rings, but they obviously came to naught.
Back to the original point -- because of new ownership at Fantasy, John Fogarty is finally able to release a collection of hits now, after 35 years of contentious litigation between Zaenz and himself. NPR -- John Fogarty.


The Hockaday's Cowboy Christmas Tree
Merry Christmas!

FRONTLINE; The Pursuaders caught my eyes and ears last night on PBS. I'll examine it's issues below.

New Website: 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!

Wildlife: Those two Bald Eagles are definitely nesting at Middle Foy's Lake again this year.

Weather: It is gray again today, after a sunny, but not-too-cold day after following Monday's blizzard. I hope those are snow clouds I see coming from the west, and not more gloomy fogbanks.

Charity Alert: Six clicks make significant differences on The Hunger Site's Web pages.

Media Watch: By the mid-60's, We the Public thought we were aware of the nature of the media barrage which rained down upon us. Marshall McLuhan spelled out a new vocabulary for human interactions with books, magazines, radio, movies, and television. He even popularized the very term "media," which now means nothing, everything, and alot in between. He was an inspirational pioneer.
The economic forces which pay big dividends to media manipulators form themselves into meandering streams that make old McLuhanesque maps of the cultural landscape outdated, and waylay travelers who don't even know they are lost.
We are slow to identify overriding patterns, but even so it is instructive to know the ways in which we are had -- for instance, this show introduces us to Frank Luntz, who researches the power of certain words for political campaigns. One of his major claims to fame, and big consulting fees, is Newt Gingrich's infamous Contract With America -- a list of misrepresentations and lies which stands as a major case study in how the Public can be buffaloed into voting against their own interests.
There is a big difference between putting up with a little harmless humbuggery, ballyhoo, or hype when making choices about what to buy, compared to enduring an onslaught of lies from criminals who are trying to rob us.

Watch the show and participate on the Website: FRONTLINE; The Pursuaders


Madison Avenue and Kodak were media allies for many years.
The Kodak Girl on the far left is Cybill Shepherd circa 1966.

Wildlife: A Rough-Legged Hawk visited the campus of Flathead Valley Community College yesterday. I hope all the new construction won't drive it away. We heard coyotes howling last night at Foy's Lake also -- Shoo!

New Website: 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!

Weather: Snowy and beautiful -- not too awfully cold (for here). I think I'll shoot some background video for Current Events.

Charity Alert: Contribute with a click on The Hunger Site.

Media Watch: I have a new Casablanca Prestige editing system. I'll be putting it through it's paces, making some pretty videos for the local cable access channel -- I'm going to PLAY with various effects and specialities while they're new! (I'll tone it down later, but ...)

In The Community: Here's a shot of the Valley Voices Choir on the steps of the Hockaday Museum of Art during the Kalispell Art Walk last December 2nd:


Happy Holidays!
(Every single one of 'em.)

Toni Bentley, author and dancer, graciously consented to a link exchange on my new Website: 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!

Wildlife: Grossness Alert! Some neighborhood dog was moving the body of a dead deer around Middle Foy's Lake over the weekend. The carcass was gone by midday Sunday, but YUCK! The Ravens, Eagles, and Magpies checked out some of the resting places in it's disgusting journey, but didn't get much sustenance out of the incident.

Weather: A temperature inversion is holding this murky cold, chilly fog close to the ground. The recent arctic blast did something to our septic system too -- our tank alarm went off Saturday night. It looked like the pump couldn't empty the tank, even though it had been running for hours -- something's broken. The pumping truck will be here tomorrow, and we are conserving water. The grossness continues.

Charity Alert: Click on The Hunger Site, if you still have an appetite -- somebody can use the donation.

Media Watch: Ice skating on TV again -- plus ice skating on the lake. (They just scraped off a neighborhood hockey rink.) Kurt Browning really showed a dandy mix of fancy footwork and high jumps from standing positions in two separate broadcasts.
NFL Football -- Let's get the pre-game madness over with first. MAD-TV's Frank was rather mean-spirited as Dr. Phil today, and not too funny either. Normally he's hilarious with that particular impersonation. Jillian Barbarie was quick-witted, in good voice, and wore a pretty, lightweight, almost strapless, dress that was nearly long enough to be a gown. Her look-of-today came close to Maureen Dowd's Academy Award description of Hollywood's modern interchangeable female archetype -- which resembles a busty melting candle. Was that chiffon over her chest, or just long necklaces with jewels here and there? (I'm not staring -- it's just easy to look at her. Uh -- she's so good looking it's hard to miss seeing her? Uh -- OK, I was staring!)


Jillian (Warry) Barbarie on The NFL Today in 2004
Jillian's Wikipedia Entry

Philadelphia is only fighting for pride's sake now, but they almost beat the NY Giants. The Giants' place kicker did NOT miss in overtime this week! The Steelers have lost a couple of tough ones lately, but they smothered playoff-bound Chicago during a televised blizzard from Pittsburgh this morning. Unbeaten Indianapolis won, but quarterback Peyton Manning got knocked around more than he, or coach Tony Dungey wanted. The players from Superbowl champ New England are starting to recover from early-season injuries. If that team is healthy in the playoffs -- watch out everybody.
All of Me was on the satellite -- best movie Lilly Tomlin or Steve Martin ever made!
R.I.P. Richard Pryor -- One of the truest and funniest comedians of my lifetime.